Sonic the Hedgehog Archives, Vol. 1

Deceitfully small (I was expecting it to be in it's original size), about the size of your average manga volume (with the exception of it's depth in pages), packs a nice collection of issues though (approx. four to each volume (not including the little extra bits here and there)). It was certainly a blast from the past though (corny dialogue, terrible illustration and all), makes me sad didn't have any appreciation for this kinda stuff when I was little (I believe I only have remnants of issue 3 laying somewhere near), at least now I (and possibly some other old collectors) have somewhat of a second chance for collecting them. Recommended to Sonic fans of all age and era. (except the ones who don't/can't care for the value of antiquity)

I bought this series for my 8 y.o. who is an avid reader. I thought this would give him something fun to read in addition to all the "non-picture" books he reads. It is now a well worn copy he reads over and over again before bed, in the car and on vacation. He loves the jokes and still laughs out loud at the funny little inserts in between the comic stories. I've gotten "regular" thin paper comics for my sons and they fall apart with how much use they receive. This collection book is a nice smaller size for them and it holds up. No tears or falling out pages like the standard comics. What a great idea putting several comics together in a bound book format!

I used to collect the original Archie comics of this series. Along with the Knuckles mini series, and the special issues. I loved them very much. I once read issue 10 online, but I don't remember what it was about. Now I can enjoy that issue, and every issue all over again! I also used to draw Sonic and his characters. I sent a picture in to the comic, and they printed it! I don't remember what issue it was in. But it sure made me happy. Once I get this in my hands, I will be drawing again! I haven't ordered this yet, but you bet I will be soon! My favorite issue was 24. I'm so glad Archie is releasing these wonderful comics again. I can't wait to go down memory lane!

Back in the good old days of pogs and SNICK, we were introduced to the world's fastest blue superhero with an attitude: Sonic the Hedgehog! What fans see of him today is not the way he began, and these comic books are proof of that. Here we see a lighthearted hero and his friends battling off the evil Robotnik with slapstick humor and plenty of fun along the way. The review that I'm writing here covers the first several volumes of Sonic Archives, actually. I was thrilled to see they were being re-released, as the earliest issues I have of Sonic are #6 and #13 (and then onward from the mid-#20s). And by being able to compare these to the originals I have, I can assure you that they're not leaving anything out. (Sure, you don't have the joy of seeing an advertisement for a Jurassic Park Tiger handheld game, but all the stories are being reprinted in full.) Some major differences that I'm sure fans already know include Sally originally being pink with a black ponytail for her hair (and oftentimes with a more demure attitude), and that Rotor's original name was Boomer. (The switch was actually explained in the SonicGrams in the back of issue #6, that his name was changed for the second Sonic cartoon series, therefore they also needed to change it in the comics for consistency.) Nearly every panel in these early issues is filled with puns. Some of them make me roar with laugher; others make me groan. There are also major signs of the time (one story shows several different superheroes, another panel shows the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles walking by in the background). All in all, I found the writing to be refreshingly clever and reminiscent of cartoon greats, like Looney Tunes. While I'm a big fan of Sonic X and still keep up with the newer Sonic comics, I miss the fun-loving chili-dog scarfing hedgehog we were introduced to long ago. Today, animators and artists are busy trying to prove that cartoons aren't just for kids, and can provide deep character development and a storyline full of drama and emotion. Sonic, in his animated series and video games, has been pulled into this genre as well, where sometimes the plot seems more like an echo of the next biggest anime series rather than laugh-out-loud fun for the whole family. I can understand that the fanbase for such things is visibly shrinking, and the bulk of us who still enjoy it are probably those who grew up watching cartoons like Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, Beetlejuice, Freakazoid. But even though the early issues of Sonic comics totally deviate from the Sonic of today, fans should give it a chance. Check out Sonic's roots - not just storywise, but also who he was to kids in the 90s. You might even find yourself grinning at the clever (and sometimes terrible) puns on every page. I hope we can continue to look forward to the whole series of Sonic comics re-released eventually, and that they'll re-release the Knuckles comics as well!

This book is really funny, and has a lot of cool stuff. The stories are funny, like when Sonic runs into a tree branch, or when Princess Sally throws a coconut cream pie in Sonic's face. The comic strip format make the funny scenes even funnier.