Wow... I am so far behind...

Feels like I just awoke from a coma.

Artwork is looking especially vibrant this ish...

That's the all powerful Matt Herms! Anyone else get this yet, I enjoyed the issue even if it seemed a bit like filler although I must say I'm not liking the redesign of a certain someone in the backup.

Sonic?

Hey, has anybody looked closely at the crowd shot on the first page?

I see Knuckleas and Marine, also Amy possibly. Is that Mario as a raccoon!?

mustachio the tanooki

I see Knuckleas and Marine, also Amy possibly. Is that Mario as a raccoon!?

Why yes, yes it is! What else you see? *psst* Heres a hint, look among the silhouettes!

...Is that... Scrooge Mc Duck!

... You sure Jon Gray didn't draw this? XD

I also see a certain hat mixed in there. Maybe Fang?

If it's the hat by the light stand, it's not Nack, but if you mess with the owner of that hat, he can get dangerous!

Darkwing Duck! Also I see the Babylon Rouges there, but Marine. I don't see the wascally wittle waccoon anywhere!

Second page, first panel.

I just love how the crowd shot on the first page is the most talked about thing in this Discussion!

Just for that alone could make this issue a 'Best of' contender! XDXD

It's amazing, from art to writing to fanservice. I've not read much of the comics, but I have read previews and summaries, and I think it's probably the best they have published.

Ben Bates rivals Uekawa.

I have to admit, some of the stuff I've been seeing almost makes me want to put the money into a subscription.  This just feels "right" as far as Sonic and Sally's interactions, the banter, the attitude...it reminds me of what attracted me to the Sonic franchise in the first place.

How long has the comic been like this?  I may have to invest in some back issues at some point and get caught up.

The comic has been "like this" since after Ian took over. It took a little while for it to progress to where it is now because Ian had some cleaning up to do, I would say around 170ish (especially 172). There were some really strong and unforgettable stories around these issues.

Bates did a phenomenal job with the concert scene. I was dreading and groaning about it because it's always done so cornily, be it this comic or other fictional media, but it was done in such a way that made it feel like an actual concert for once! Saying I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement.

Fry, on the other hand didn't really do a good job on the backup. In fact, the whole conversation ended up looking really wordy and forced that I couldn't really feel for any of it.

While he is a whole other league compared to Penders, I think Ian has had his ups and downs. IMO since 217 he's been dramatically better. Some of it may be that he is doing less of the cleanup and rebooting. Previous arcs have been so much rebooting of various character groups, even the long Moebius and Iron Dominion arcs. Beyond retconning St. John, the latest arc was much more employing what has been done than a ton of world manipulation. In particular I like the way he's used Mammoth Mogul, previously a ridiculous concept, now a sort of Kingpin manipulator. That page in which he grinned while St. John and Naugus argued was excellent.

I'm in love with this arc. I need June to get here, I want that issue, I want to know if what I think is going to happen, is going to happen. I don't even want to speculate it, cause I may get yelled at

This just came in the mail for me - read it, loved it...I think I might just become a regular renewer if the next 11 issues are written like this. XD;