Archie Sonic the Hedgehog is the longest-running comic book series based on video games, it was even listed in The Guinness Book of Records. In the spent of 24 years since 1992 more than 500 issues have appeared if we count all the sub-series. It is a huge number that can easily scare away potential readers. But the series is a really fun ride!

Archie Sonic comics had it all: comedy, drama, action, all with its ups and downs. Sometimes it was epic as heck, sometimes it resembled cringey fanfiction. Archie Sonic is a phenomenon that will never happen again.

What order is the best to read all these comics? Where is the best place to start, which arcs are the most interesting and important and which stories can be safely skipped? It depends on what are you expecting to get!

 

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The very young hero Sonic and the team of Freedom Fighters lead a rebel lifestyle, fighting the tyranny of Dr. Robotnik. No matter how gloomy this plot may sound, the early stories are as naive and carefree as possible: not a single page without a pun. Watch as the comics evolve from a simple and playful adaptation of the Sonic SatAM animated series into increasingly serious and dark stories.

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In issue 71, Sonic’s pupils turn green, which marks the transition to a new era of adventure, during which the comic revealed many unexpected lore details. The era also covers the final chapters of the Knuckles the Echidna sub series and several Super Specials.

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Starting with issue 160, the comic book series had a new main writer: Ian Flynn, a devoted fan who has seized upon the dream of creating stories about the blue hedgehog officialy. The personalities of the characters are finally becoming more and more similar to their videogame counterparts, and the comic book universe carefully adapts the details of the lore from the video games.

Alongside with Sonic the Hedgehog, the Sonic Universe sub series begin, which actively expand the world of the main series.

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Legal litigations with Ken Penders, a former Sonic comics writer, forces the publisher to take a desperate step and (kind of) reboot of the entire series, linking it to the events of the story. After an experiment by Dr. Eggman, many characters from the past are erased from existence, and the memories of the main heroes are slightly clouded.

This era is perhaps the easiest entry point into the Archie Sonic comic book series for the most new readers. Minimum confusion, plenty of game references and an amazing reimagining of the Sonic Unleashed story, all with great dialogues and superb art. For the complete immersion it is better to read both lines in parallel: Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe. There’s also some mini stories in Sonic Comic Origins designed to give readers insight into the prequel stories of various characters as they occurred in the new timeline.

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A large-scale crossover between Sonic and Mega Man, consisting of two parts: Worlds Collide and Worlds Unite. You can enjoy this epic apart from the main plot, so if you like Mega Man and other Capcom characters, be sure to check it out!

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Archie Sonic comics started as a cartoon adaptation, and with brand new Sonic cartoons, new tie-ins appeared based on them: Sonic X and Sonic Boom. These titles take a more comedic approach and are (almost completely) not connected to the main series’ plot. Finally, there’s the Sonic Mega Drive series which lasted only for 2 issues centered around Classic Sonic.

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