In this review of DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1, SEGA’s pillar of the gaming world seeks help from the DC Universe to stop an invasion from Darkseid.
DC X SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #1
Written by IAN FLYNN
Art by ADAM BRYCE THOMAS
Main Cover: PABLO M. COLLAR
Variant Covers: ETHAN YOUNG, PABLO COLLAR
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: March 19, 2025
This review may contain spoilers
A clash between iconic DC superheroes and Sega’s own inimitable blue blur, Sonic the Hedgehog, wasn’t on anyone’s Casino Night bingo card until Sega announced the miniseries back in September of 2024. It sounds Joker-level crazy, right? But this is what we get with DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1.
The sky, or at least Angel Island, must be falling! Hedgehogs and Catwomen living together! All jokes aside, though, this is a big deal.
These are two hugely beloved franchises we’re talking about, and they both boast enormous fanbases that don’t always, but sometimes do, cross over.
DC is, after all, the home of Batman and Superman. No more needs to be said for them. And while Sonic the Hedgehog is most well-known as a video-game mainstay, Sonic comics also boast the longest run of any comic book based on a video game series.
Needless to say, DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1 has enormous running shoes, or maybe batboots, to fill, but does it live up to that potential? Let’s find out!
From the starting line, I have to say Adam Bryce Thomas was a great choice to kick off this miniseries. As a recurring artist on IDW’s main Sonic the Hedgehog comic book he’s always been great at capturing character motion and expression.
This is illustrated (pun fully acknowledged) from the very first pages of DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1, and it continues throughout without disappointing. Per usual, Ian Flynn’s voice for the Sonic characters is also on point, and he frequently flashes his fan-credentials by making references that show off his Sonic knowledge.
Spoilers start here for DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1, but I have to admit what I said earlier about Angel Island falling was true! And granted, this is hardly a story element fans of Sonic media haven’t seen before, but it’s also a somewhat unavoidable trope since that’s kind of how Angel Island works.
Turning things over to the DC side, I have to admit Flynn’s voice for the Sonic characters is a bit better than his writing for the DC cast. That likely comes down to his extensive experience writing for the franchise for the last two decades.
His use of the DC characters works well enough, though, and as usual, he seems to have done his homework. The core of Justice League heroes in DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1 feel authentic even if the story moves so fast that neither they nor the Sonic character have room to breathe.
That’s where we get to my primary critique. DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1 was tapping its foot, so eager to get things moving, that everything feels a little bit rushed. Granted, this is a miniseries, so spending a whole issue on character backstories probably wouldn’t have been a good idea.
Unfortunately, having no backstory leaves the setting of the story ambiguous, though. When does it happen in either timeline? Who knows? Even though it takes place in Sonic’s world, little reference is made to continuity even there.
No comic-exclusive Sonic characters appear, and it’s not obvious if this book even takes place in the continuity of the Sonic comics (even if they’re supposedly canon to the games).
It would be nice for this crossover to feel grounded in events that happened in IDW’s Sonic comics or one of DC’s many series. That’s one thing that made Archie’s Sonic and Mega Man crossovers work so well, but the circumstances under which those crossovers happened are likely something we’ll never see again.
Still, I can’t help but ask what, for example, where Sonic and Batman’s lives had been leading them before being interrupted by Darkseid’s invasion. And what are the stakes for the Justice League in Sonic’s world? The context surrounding the story is unclear.
We don’t get much of a glimpse into the humanity, batmanity, or hedgehogity of our cast, with the exception of the beautiful scene shared Between batman and Shadow, in which they’re given just enough space to make a connection based on their mutual understanding of loss.
The banter between Sonic and the Flash over who’s the fastest is also fun, but it goes by so quickly it could tread water without sinking.
Back to art, Thomas’ illustration also works better for the Sonic characters than it does for the DC heroes, but, like Batman’s aim, it doesn’t miss its mark either. It’s not quite the appealing, cartoony look of the DCAU, from which this comic pulls most of its heroic roster, but it’s not DC’s detailed house style either.
Like any hero, though, the art does its job, shining bright as a golden ring for the Sonic characters while still suiting Superman like a comfortable pair of briefs and a flowing cape.
As a fan of both DC comics and Sonic the Hedgehog (and the IDW Sonic comics specifically), I enjoyed DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #1. It’s not what my wildest fan imagination could’ve come up with, at least not yet, but I can’t say it isn’t fun.
If you’re up for a ride, just turn off your brain and enjoy the art and whirlwind pacing. This crossover has four more issues to grow, but there’s enough here for fans of either series to enjoy.
Turn off your brain and enjoy the art and whirlwind pacing. Even though it’s not given enough space to grow, Flynn’s writing, as usual, works.
