Recently, I decided to refresh myself on the Archie comics purely due to nostalgia.
And honestly? It's an entirely different world compared to how IDW is dealing with the franchise. This isn't a post to bash IDW publishing, and while I'm comparing them, they both have their pros and cons. Neither one is 'better,' per say.
Archie had much more flexibility since the beginning. They weren't tethered to the games, and as a whole, were able to control the narrative however they wanted. But IDW? They're on an insanely tight leash.
As much as I'd like to blame the Ken Penders case for this, it wasn't exactly the breaking point that made Sega decide to watch the comics like a hawk. The world that emerged post-reboot still had a sense of fullness, and they were able to introduce a large variety of characters, both old and new. Heck, they were able to put their own twist on Sonic Unleashed.
Now, that freedom to world build is insanely limited. The world of IDW feels small for reasons I cannot quite pinpoint. Ian Flynn is doing a wonderful job, sure, but it lacks what Archie had: a long history.
What made it so appealing to me is that it was set aside from the main video game continuity. This was a story they were telling that wasn't between games. IDW is more like an accessory. And admittedly? It doesn't bring much to the table lore-wise.
And of course, there comes a lot of cons from having creative freedom. Early Archie was dramatic and a tad convoluted. Then again, it was decades ago. A completely different time. As much as I miss it, I see the importance of moving on.
But right now, as a whole, the comics feel like a shadow of that rich story telling history they once had. Perhaps we will feel more of that richness in the coming years, but for now it feels strangely stagnant.
My largest gripe with how Sega has handled things these past couple of years are the number of mandates and limitations they've placed. For me, the cherry on top was when Ian Flynn made the decision not to answer Sonic-related asks anymore on his podcast: Bumblecast, after Sega's decisions.
A part of me understands the reason why, especially now that he's become more involved in the games.
But it was something I and many other people looked forward to. It felt like a fan-to-fan connection. Now? It's polarizing the fans from the producers.
Sega has become so strict it feels like it doesn't feel IDW breathe.
Canonizing the comics has its perks too, but that forces it into a rigid structure that doesn't allow for a ton of worldbuilding.
It's a provision that allows comic characters to appear in games, (Like Whisper and Tangle in CrossWorlds) but should that really be at the expense of making the story so streamlined?
Heck, when Sega switched publishers, they effectively destroyed years of history and dramatically lowered the chances of characters in the reboot from reappearing.
Don't get me wrong, I love the world of IDW. But there's so much that could be expanded on if they had the freedom. Now, they did start extremely strong with the Metal Virus Arc. Hell, the stakes haven't been quite as high since.
They've introduced a large cast of iconic, loveable characters, but for some reason they can't fill the shadow Archie left.
Maybe it's because the past few events don't feel as extreme. I love and will always love the new world IDW brought, but its potential feels squashed.
(Okay, I'm a tad bitter that they killed off Starline and Mimic.)
In theory, Sega regulating the comics is a good move, and yet it is at the expense of the creative liberty Ian has.
What do you think?
**Please keep the comments civil!
