Recently as me and a friend were reading comics together he asked me if I still read "Sonic The Hedgehog." Here's how the conversation went:
Friend: So, you still read Sonic?
Me: Well...yeah, I guess.
Friend: Why?
Me: Why not? I've got every issue, I might as well finish it.
Friend: Oh. Okay.
And that was it. It wasn't the real reason I kept up with the series but I just didn't know how to answer him at the time. Now I do. I read Sonic because the characters are real. The writing isn't always great, and there are certainly more then a few turds of a story to be found every year, but by and large the comic works. It works better now that Ian Flynn, a Sonic fan who became popular from some very weird Sonic fanfiction, is now serving as editor and writer for the book. That doesn't mean the book is perfect. It's still owned by Archie, Sega, and it still has to go through the outdated Comics Code of Authority. But read the three panels above from the latest issue. It may not make sense to someone who doesn't read the comic so let me explain to you what's going on.
While the series is about Sonic other characters do get their own storylines (Harry Potter isn't the only one that does this). Recently Knuckles has been going through a bit of a rough spell. He made a deal with the devil. His homeland was captured. He betrayed and was betrayed. His father died. All the while he was just taking it like a...well, he just took it. In the latest issue though it all comes crashing down. He hates himself. He hates what happens. He's got so many problems and he doesn't know what to do. In a later panel he'll even blame it on his girlfriend Julie-Su, and then he'll come to regret THAT! Basically he has a meltdown and all his problems spill out. And I can't think of any other kids franchise comic that allows the characters the dignity to do that.
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