In my overview of Sonic IDW, I talked about how great the various story arcs are, and also how fantastic the characters are. Well, I’ve already done an article about the characters, so it’s only fitting that I do an article to tackle my personal ranking of each of the story arcs as well! There really aren’t that many, since quite a few of the storylines run for a while, but there’s still some great stuff to praise these story arcs for in this article!
Also, since the comic is ongoing, I’m not going to include the currently in-progress story arc. The villain is still mysterious, and the full scope has hardly materialized yet, so it doesn’t seem fair to consider it in this ranking.
Let’s get started!
9) Bad Guys
Something had to bring up the bottom of the list, that’s the nature of these sorts of articles. So I’ll reiterate that while I don’t dislike this villain-centric storyline, I do find it to be the weakest in the entirety of Sonic IDW. I love Doctor Starline a lot, and I enjoy many of the other villains who show up in this plot, especially Mimic. However, it’s ultimately just a group of baddies doing some fairly generic bad guy things (hence the title), while also not too bad. It ends up in this middle ground that prevents me from completely getting invested in it, even if it’s still fun and has a few cool parts (especially with Mimic’s shapeshifting).
8) Scrapnik Island
One of the few truly standalone stories in this series, that doesn’t connect back with the main plot at all. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I’m just also a sucker for long-running storylines and big ever-evolving worlds. This is still a nice tale that checks in on some of Eggman’s forgotten and neglected creations, revealing that they’ve built their own society and have changed their ways. It also features Mecha Sonic, an underrated character in this franchise who I’ve always had a fascinated love for. It’s a simple story, but pretty effective, and an enjoyable look at the good that can come from a creator who might have had ill intentions to start.
7) Revenge of Neo Metal Sonic
When you know you’re kicking off a series that you hope to convey a lengthy saga with tons of stories that can run for years…that’s a lot of pressure. Thankfully, as the first arc of Sonic IDW, this storyline does a pretty great job at hitting every mark it needed to, even if it’s nothing mind-blowing. We meet fan-favorites like Tangle and Whisper, introduce some more niche characters like Silver and Blaze, and manage to give everyone some spotlight even with a cast as packed as this. Eggman’s amnesia-induced persona, Mr. Tinker, is a fun twist too. Above all, Metal Sonic makes for a straightforward but compelling and threatening villain, and it’s awesome to see him in his advanced form from Sonic Heroes.
6) Eggperial City
This arc is, in a roundabout way, the second-half of a much bigger stretch of the comic that sort of floated around a series of smaller storylines instead of a singular true arc. As such, taken completely on its own, you can sort of feel that it seems like a part-two. That being said, it’s still got some heft to it, and has enough standalone impact that I still wanted to count it as its own story.
Namely, it’s the official introduction of the modern-day Diamond Cutters, a group comprised of Tangle, Whisper, and Lanolin (in her official named appearance). And this is even before the days when Lanolin became such a polarizing character to so many people, so it’s just so true fun watching these three heroines undertake one heck of an assignment for their first official mission. There’s a ton of action in this story, and Metal Sonic is a really big threat too. Eggman’s scheme is also fairly creative (a consistently expanding and self-healing metal city).
5) Eggman’s Legacy
This is that ‘much bigger stretch‘ I alluded to in the above entry, the part-one to Eggperial City. The reason why I place it one spot higher in the list is that, ultimately, Eggperial City was a storyline all about storming a city and beating up Eggman, while this arc has a lot more going on, and more character development spread throughout. We get to meet Belle, the puppet-like creation of Eggman’s non-evil persona. She’s a quirky and fun character who gets more depressing and more complex the more you think about her existence.
Starline is also a massive highlight here, as he not only gets a ton of focus in this storyline, but it’s also where we see him meet his end. It’s a shocking moment for a traditionally all-ages series like Sonic IDW, and it’s a bleak but exceptionally fitting end for his character. He’s such an entertaining character, and he goes out with a bang in this storyline.
4) Tangle and Whisper
It’s a little bit of cheating, but for this entry I’m counting the titular ‘Tangle and Whisper‘ storyline and also the much-later climactic confrontation with Mimic. It only feels fitting, given that the ‘Tangle and Whisper‘ book is all about their partnership and Whisper’s past with Mimic, so not including the big finale wouldn’t feel apt (even if, technically, it took place many issues later).
Anyway, this arc places high on my list for three main reasons. First, Tangle and Whisper are both fantastic characters, so any story centered around them is immediately elevated. Whisper’s stoic determination and Tangle’s endless optimism are both so charming in distinct ways. Secondly, Whisper’s backstory is super interesting and super sad, a bold creative direction that really captures your attention and sympathy. Thirdly, the final showdown with Mimic is incredible, from the tense pre-fight conversation, to the fatalist mindset of both Whisper and Mimic, to the fight itself…not to mention the emotional catharsis afterwards.
3) The Metal Virus
There are some who say that this is the best arc in all of Sonic IDW, and I truly wouldn’t have a problem with anyone who lists this as their own personal favorite. It just makes it all the crazier that a storyline this incredible happens so early in the comic’s runtime, coming in immediately after the Neo Metal Sonic arc as only the second storyline! It’s one of the most delightfully twisted stories to ever be told in the Sonic franchise, it has one memorable moment after another, and it truly feels like a grueling battle for our heroes to overcome.
At its core, the Metal Virus saga is essentially a zombie story told within the Sonic universe. If you touch the metallic-like goop, you become a mindless shambling drone. If you then touch someone else, they become infected too. It’s near-instant, merciless, and for the first three-quarters of the storyline (this is a really long arc) it seems unstoppable. Kids lose their parents, parents lose their kids, allies get taken of, Sonic is fighting for his life for almost the whole story, and Eggman just kinda keeps winning…until he too loses control of the virus, forcing a hero-and-villain team-up to prevent the whole world from ending.
2) Clean Sweep
Alongside the Metal Virus saga, this is the longest storyline in all of Sonic IDW. However, perhaps even more than the former story, I think this one really justifies the length. There’s a lot of moving pieces, a lot of characters in play, and a whole lot going down. It’s also got one of the most bombastic and consequence-focused endings of any arc, with a truly unforgettable finale that defined (and is still defining) the stories that follow.
We’ve got the manipulative and skeevy Clutch convincing key members of the Restoration that he’s just an affable businessman, all while he grows more power and influence. A hoverboard race happens, drawing in contestants from all across the land to compete in dangerous speedy competitions. Sonic wears a costume to disguise himself and sabotage the race (taking the heat and becoming public enemy #1 for characters like Lanolin), all to cause a distraction so his other allies can infiltrate a floating airship to spy on Clutch. Mimic, working for Clutch, infiltrates the Diamond Cutters while shapeshifted into a seemingly innocuous form. Surge goes absolutely wild! There’s so much!
Wait, who is Surge? I’m glad you asked…
1) Surge and Kit
I talked about this briefly in my article last week, where I mentioned that Surge is my favorite character in all of Sonic IDW. It’s funny, but since I knew about her before reading, I was fully prepared for an inevitable disappointment when I realized I’d overhyped her. Instead, I’d actually underestimated how fantastic she is, and so much of that is carried by just how incredible her debut storyline is. Across a standalone comic book and integrated into the main plot, Surge really makes an electrifying first appearance.
Surge is a dark mirror of Sonic, just like her partner, Kit, is a dark mirror of Tails. They were created by Starline to be the world’s new heroes, and across several issues we learn that Surge’s past just gets darker and darker the more you dig into it. She used to be normal, before she was kidnapped from a village, and then tortured, drugged, and brainwashed into being obsessed with surpassing and beating Sonic, while also being subservient only to Starline.
As you might predict, she snaps out of her programming at a certain point, turning on Starline. However, that’s when her psyche really cracks, and she takes a turn for the…let’s just say, significantly more violent. She goes on an absolute rampage, and it’s as entertaining as it is terrifying to witness someone who is Sonic’s equal let loose without any of his morals. And the whole time, you feel really bad for her. She isn’t a mustache-twirling evil-for-evil’s-sake foe. She’s a damaged girl who could really use some therapy but is just too angry and desperate to calm down enough to agree to any!
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
