Jim's Other Comic Book Reviews - Sonic the Hedgehog #1 Review & Isola #1 Review

I'm back with a couple more books that I featured on Patreon show (this week's show is HERE).  This week we got the return of Sonic the Hedgehog and a great debut comic from Image. Sounds like an awesome week, so here we go...



Sonic The Hedgehog #1 Review

Writer: Ian Flynn
Artist: Tracy Yardley
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: April 4, 2018

Cover Price: $3.99

I was never the biggest Sonic fan back int he day, but I have played almost every one of his games, at least up to the Dreamcast era.  With that said, I never read any Sonic comics either.  I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I always took them to be for kids and by the time they started coming out, I was not a kid.  However, I did feel bad when it was announced the franchise was ending over at Archie Comics and happy when I heard it was starting up again at IDW.  Happy because a bunch of guys and gals in the Get Fresh Crew (whoop whoop!) are fans.  Those fans are why I choose to review this for my Patreon review show, but not why I'm reviewing it here.  I'm reviewing it here because I liked it.

This first issue is a very quick read and the only thing "wrong" with that is the price point connected to it.  If you can overlook that, however, you will find a really good all-ages comic with great art and a fun story of friendship and duty all wrapped around an intriguing mystery...what happened to  Doctor Eggman?!?

You really don't need any prior knowledge of Sonic to enjoy this issue, but like anything like this, the more you know, the more you will get out of it.  Sonic and Tails fight familiar enemies using tried and true attacks and each one put a smile on my face.  Isn't that the point of a comic like this?  The issue ends on a cliffhanger that will have you wanting to at least check out the next issue...I certainly will be.

Bits and Pieces:

Sonic is back and he's brought a bunch of friends with him.  This is a really good all-ages comic with great art and a mystery that will certainly be intriguing to fans of the franchise.  It's a quick read that is only held back by the price of admission, but besides that, I can easily recommend it.

8.0/10

Isola #1 Review


Writer: Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl
Artist: Karl Kerschl
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: April 4, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99

Jumping into a #1 issue is a scary thing.  Yea, you get the benefit of starting from the ground floor, but with so many comics out there, you can really get burned.  Of course, that leads most people to go with the safe and familiar picks each Wednesday, but then you miss out on books like this.  Don't miss out on this book!

The first thing you will notice about this book is the art.  Not just because the first half is mostly devoid of dialogue, but because it is spectacular.  I am a huge fan of Karl Kerschl from his Gotham Academy days and then I said his art was like a Disney movie on the page, but I am changing that to Disney movies are like Karl Kerschl comics on the screen.  It's really that good and is easily worth the price of admission by itself.

I think that Brenden Fletcher is using that to start off his story with a slow burn, show not tell approach that really puts you in his world even if we don't know much about it yet.  The story of Rook and Queen Olwyn's quest to find the Island of Isola feels so classic, in a fairy tale way and I am a sucker for that sort of thing.  Reading this reminded me of  The Chronicles of Prydain, Redwall and even the Narnia books that I loved as a kid.

Everything isn't perfect, though.  The slow start may throw some readers off and while I think all will be explained in due time, there were bits that seemed more confusing than they should have been.  The solicit says this is a story "two decades in the making" and I worry a bit that Fletcher and Kershl are so familiar with it that they may be skipping some things that would help the rest of us join them in their creation.  All that said, I am in 100% and can't wait to learn more about Rook, Olwyn and the world around them.

Bits and Pieces:

Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl give readers a number one that looks fantastic and sets up a very intriguing story that feels more like a classic fairytale than a comic book.  Kerschl's art pulls you into the world and there is just enough character and story to make you want to know more.  I want more and I want it now!

9.0/10