Sonic Hedgehog Comic introduces new characters, where this fall

IDW's Sonic The Hedgehog comic will launch a new story this fall, positioning it as a jump point for new readers. The story revolves around familiar characters and elements such as Shadow and The Chaos Emeralds, while introducing a new location for the gang to explore. The story arc is called “Stage is Setting” and starts in September.

The triple-static arc will start with Sonic The Hedgehog #81. After the disappearance of seven chaotic emeralds, Voice and Tail are frantically searching for seventh place. Hunting takes them to the sequins, a luxurious city that is in the midst of a huge carnival. They soon find themselves not alone, but, as Shadow and Rouge are also looking for the final emerald.

IDW's announcement promises, fan favorites and “new, cute, acrobatic, not suspicious characters at all.” Both the main cover and the alternative cover of the issue 81 don’t see different characters for a character like the clown, which makes enough sense for the city-wide carnival. While the character is only in comics at the moment, the IDW series has entered the world of video games before – Sonic Force Mobile Game borrowed the original characters of two comic series Tangle and Whisper in 2020.

“Over the years, we have worked with IDW to bring Sonic's world to the comic page, and we've been working to keep new readers excited and enjoyed by long-term readers,” Michael Cisneros's Sega said in the announcement. “While 81 seems like a big number, issue 81 is a great place for new readers to jump into the series. This journal launches a whole new arc that is full of fun and surprises for Sonic and Sonic and friends.”

Evan Stanley will write “Stage Settings” and write art from Min Ho Kim. The first issue will be released on September 3.