Archie Celebrates 25 Years of Sonic With Mega Drive

Sonic spins into a brand new Classic-styled Super Special one-shot Mega Drive!

Join Sonic and his friends in this special commemorative issue celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Blue Blur.

PREVIEWSworld talked with writer Ian Flynn about Sonic: Mega Drive #1 (APR161265) from Archie Comics!

Sonic: Mega Drive #1 (APR161265) is in comic shops July 6.

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PREVIEWSworld: Sonic the Hedgehog is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. How will Sonic: Mega Drive tie into this huge event?

Ian Flynn: We’re doing a special Classic Sonic story! SEGA is putting a lot of emphasis on the Classic Era’s style, so we’re doing so in kind. And Mega Drive is just the start of what we’ve got planned.

PREVIEWSworld: This "Classic Sonic” story features Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose taking on the villainous Dr. Eggman. What can you tease about this issue?

Ian Flynn: We’re going for as retro a feel as possible. The whole story is built off the idea of this being a “lost” Genesis game. We’re also approaching the characters from their earlier incarnations: Sonic’s got more of his 90s snark, Tails hasn’t fully come into his own, Amy is just learning to be independent, and Knuckles - while gullible - is able to be a threat to Sonic.

PREVIEWSworld: Archie Comics has made Sonic the Hedgehog the longest-running comic series based on a video game. You’ve been the chief writer for almost a decade. How would say the characters have developed during the course of your time on the series?

Ian Flynn: I like to think they’re both familiar and different at the same time. Fans of the games should feel right at home whenever they pick up an issue, but the long-term fans have enjoyed the range we’ve explored with them.

PREVIEWSworld: Sonic: Mega Drive was created to be both an entry point for new readers to the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, while also appealing to long-time hardcore fans. Was it difficult to balance writing for these two audiences?

Ian Flynn: You want the new readers to be able to understand and appreciate what’s going on in the story. At the same time, you don’t want to bore the veteran readers by retreading explanations they already know. Making the exposition and the scene-setting clear, informative, and unobtrusive always takes a bit of thinking.

PREVIEWSworld: Finally, what is your favorite Sonic video game to play

Ian Flynn: I can’t pick just one!

So if we want to limit it to eras:

Classic - Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Early Modern - Sonic Adventure 2
Modern - Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations
Mobile - Sonic Runners