So the Archie website no longer lists the option to subscribe to either Sonic the Hedgehog or Sonic Universe. If you keep digging through the website, you can still find options to order individual issues that have already come out, but the point here is that they no longer list the series' as something you can subscribe to, it's all just Archie stuff (the comic series Archie, not the company in general). What's more, TSSZ members contacted a rep from Archie asking about the situation, and according to that rep, issue 290 (the one that just came out last month) would likely be the last issue of the main series, which could also point to issue 94 being the last issue for Universe as well this month.
Now keep in mind that this is coming from a rep and not as a formal announcement from Archie themselves, so this issue is still pending information and context. Still, this is heavily concerning to anyone who has ever enjoyed the Archie comics all these years. Some fans love the comics even more so than the games, so this is probably the most souring news to have come out of what has essentially been Sonic's most positive and promising anniversary season so far.
I have been a huge fan of the series ever since I was in highschool (like roughly around 2011 or so), and despite all the changes it had to go through to survive the legal disasters that former writer Ken Penders dragged them through, I had still hoped that the series would continue to run and adapt to whatever conditions it needed to, much like Sonic himself, at least until it hit a fair stopping point, like issue 300 or so. So it's no surprise that this information really breaks my heart as a Sonic fan, especially when the series is still ripe with potential with the combined talents of current writer Ian Flynn and star artist Tracey Yardley. I mean I just finished it's most recent saga, The Shattered World Crisis (based off my favorite game, Sonic Unleashed), only to find out that it's current saga Genesis of a Hero (which is essentially a background saga to explain how Sonic's new past works in the comics, essentially tailored to follow the Genesis games more accurately) might not even get to finish. And there's still Sonic Mega Drive part 3 to worry about, it might not get to conclude either. It almost feels like half of Sonic's identity is being wiped off the face of the earth, and it's truly shaking me to my core. I pray that this is all just a simple mistake or misunderstanding, or that it's simply the result of Archie and Sega renewing contracts and not a result of succumbing to the various legal pressures that the likes of Penders and other former writers have put them through for the past 7 years.
Only time will tell I guess, but I have to say, with the current political climate these days, this is the last thing I needed to see happening. Anyway, if you want more details, here's links to articles that TSSZ News and The Sonic Stadium have made, they're pretty reliable as far as fan-run Sonic related news sites go, and TSSZ had the opportunity to have the phone call with the Archie rep.
So the Archie website no longer lists the option to subscribe to either Sonic the Hedgehog or Sonic Universe. If you keep digging through the website, you can still find options to order individual issues that have already come out, but the point here is that they no longer list the series' as something you can subscribe to, it's all just Archie stuff (the comic series Archie, not the company in general). What's more, TSSZ members contacted a rep from Archie asking about the situation, and according to that rep, issue 290 (the one that just came out last month) would likely be the last issue of the main series, which could also point to issue 94 being the last issue for Universe as well this month.
Now keep in mind that this is coming from a rep and not as a formal announcement from Archie themselves, so this issue is still pending information and context. Still, this is heavily concerning to anyone who has ever enjoyed the Archie comics all these years. Some fans love the comics even more so than the games, so this is probably the most souring news to have come out of what has essentially been Sonic's most positive and promising anniversary season so far.
I have been a huge fan of the series ever since I was in highschool (like roughly around 2011 or so), and despite all the changes it had to go through to survive the legal disasters that former writer Ken Penders dragged them through, I had still hoped that the series would continue to run and adapt to whatever conditions it needed to, much like Sonic himself, at least until it hit a fair stopping point, like issue 300 or so. So it's no surprise that this information really breaks my heart as a Sonic fan, especially when the series is still ripe with potential with the combined talents of current writer Ian Flynn and star artist Tracey Yardley. I mean I just finished it's most recent saga, The Shattered World Crisis (based off my favorite game, Sonic Unleashed), only to find out that it's current saga Genesis of a Hero (which is essentially a background saga to explain how Sonic's new past works in the comics, essentially tailored to follow the Genesis games more accurately) might not even get to finish. And there's still Sonic Mega Drive part 3 to worry about, it might not get to conclude either. It almost feels like half of Sonic's identity is being wiped off the face of the earth, and it's truly shaking me to my core. I pray that this is all just a simple mistake or misunderstanding, or that it's simply the result of Archie and Sega renewing contracts and not a result of succumbing to the various legal pressures that the likes of Penders and other former writers have put them through for the past 7 years.
Only time will tell I guess, but I have to say, with the current political climate these days, this is the last thing I needed to see happening. Anyway, if you want more details, here's links to articles that TSSZ News and The Sonic Stadium have made, they're pretty reliable as far as fan-run Sonic related news sites go, and TSSZ had the opportunity to have the phone call with the Archie rep.
https://www.sonicstadium.org/2017/01/archie-sonic-comics-very-likely-cancelled/
http://www.tssznews.com/2017/01/16/sonic-subcriptions-disappear-from-archie-web-store/