Got #254 today. Even knowing it was coming, I was still a bit shocked.

>Muttski is kawaii puppy-kid
>Sonic Adventure 2 reference with Eggman storming a GUN carrier using his Egg Mobile
>Antoine has his own freaking Spin attack. Does everyone get their own ball attack now?
>Sonic has what I think is a momentary reference to Sonic Unleashed, where he begins to spaz out after inhaling some "Mystery Gas" from Chuck's device
>Antoine has the bravado of pre-WC Antoine combined with the arrogance of SatAM Antoine
While I can't say that I like this soft reboot (mainly because of so many plotlines that will go unfinished), Ian is putting out some great stuff, perhaps since he has been handed a blank canvas with only a few rules about what he has to paint on it. Excellent quality all around, including the art.

As for Antoine and Bunny, it does seem that they were married in this timeline, too. At first I was wondering if Antoine asking about his wife was just the memories mixing up, but by the end that seems highly doubtful.

>Wood Zone

Are we getting a Dust Hill too?

>>217940
I imagine that every zone from every game is going to be worked in, at least to the largest extent possible. We'll have our continents and locations, but each continent will be made up of zones.

After seeing just how well this reboot is doing so far I'm really interested in how they'll tackle the issue of poor, poor Knuckles.

>>217956
He will no longer be a Hot Pocket of Destiny, but instead, a Lean Pocket of Destiny. With special anniversary seasoning on it. Also he'll be purple.

None of this is true.

>>217937
Every single character in the games can turn into a ball, the only thing that's actually exclusive is stuff like spin dashing and homing attacks. Seriously, go play Sonic Heroes again, every character can turn into a generic Sonic-ball. The only characters you could even really argue wouldn't turn into a ball are Blaze (she does tornadoes instead), Silver, and maybe Vector and Espio since they have previously designed spin-dash equivalents from Chaotix.

>>217958
It lets Sonic kill enemies by using his quills to create a buzz-saw like action.
Same with Knuckles and his pointy knuckles and Tails and his... uh...

>>217958
>go play Sonic Heroes again
No way in hell. But I may look up a few videos just to see the others in action...

>>217959
See, that's where it falls apart, but that comes from game canon so w/e. Antoine has a surprisingly appropriate one. Pretty sure Big's was just a joke...

>>217958
There was Sonic Advance though that had Amy incapable of doing a spin dash or even balling up when jumping. This may however just been a game design choice of making her a more unique character, having her solely rely on her hammer rather than just being pink Sonic.

>>217937
>>Antoine has the bravado of pre-WC Antoine combined with the arrogance of SatAM Antoine

Oh my, that couldn't be more perfect.

>>217975
And in Sonic Advance 2, she was capable of the spin dash and spin jump as well as her hammer.

>>217979
Yes, it does seem to work quite well.

>>217975
Advance came before Heroes, and in A2 and 3 she could spin jump.
Literally everyone in Sonic can spin jump except Blaze and possibly Silver.

However, you could chalk that up to laziness. Espio and Vector probably shouldn't have traditional spin jumps, but everyone has SOME form of it in one way or another.

So, uh, does this image show Eggman straight up murdering some fighter pilot?

>>217985
You know you can shoot down those fighter jets in the actual game, right? Sonic can even take them out in Metal Harbor.

>>217985
I don't know about the plane (they have cockpits, but it could be automated, or the guy could have ejected), but the thing on the left side with the legs is one of the (automated?) robot enemies you fight in SA2 as Eggman/Tails.

>>217985
The planes are automated because why not.
Only the crazy walker things have pilots.

>>217995
It shows a pilot about to board one of those jets before Orbot and Cubot hijack it.

>>218011
>Not having manned AND unmanned jets
shiggy diggy

Why aren't you at the Sonic Lost World Charity Marathon?

http://live.nyteworks.net/sonic/

>>218017
I don't want to be spoiled on the game.

>>218017
Because I wanna discover all the stuff in it for myself.

But it's for a good caaaauuuuuse....

>>218025
You can donate without watching, after all. It sounds like fun, the game's just out in three days and looks really fun.

The friction from the fuzz rubbing up against it creates a static charge that causes the robot to short circuit and explode

So, did Ian and Nytetrayn like it? or did they "recommend" it only because SEGA was allowing them to do this?

>>218062
Didn't seem to me they were pulling punches. Their generall opinion lastly was that it has amazing moments and awful moments and thus it cancels out into a middle ground.

I am so fucking tired of people pulling out the "well Sonic is owned by SEGA" line as a defense for everything its done to the comic.

Do you think if a fanboy told someone with a complaint, "well DC owns Superman, they can decide to do whatever they want with him" anyone would accept it as a valid answer to criticism. Heck no.

Being a corporate owner doesn't mean your off the hook when your decisions negatively impact the quality of the story. So yeah, I'm tired of people talking about how they have the right, that's obvious, doesn't mean they're in the right.

>>218124
That's not really the point. The whole "they own it" thing is because in Sonic's case it's a licensed property. There's no one approaching DC to publish Superman and letting them borrow the rights for the sake of promoting a different product.

It's not about being immune to criticism. It's about being the SOURCE of the series. Their original vision and intention for what's their property shouldn't be completely ignored, especially not because someone else thinks that "Knuckles, the tough but gullible loner Guardian" should be "Knuckles, the genetically enhanced hypersmart mutant Guardian."

Archie is supposed to be adding to and working with an established universe. They're playing with SEGA's toys, so yeah, SEGA should have a say in how they're played with.

>>218124
Comparing it to DC doesn't really fit IMO, but I think it's more of a matter of it being that Archie has no choice if Sega tells them to do something. People bitch all the time about "Ian did this" or "Ian changed that" or whatever as though he's the top of the food chain which is stupid, and they're probably the same people who don't understand why Archie can't do its own thing when it wants if Sega says otherwise. Why shouldn't Sega have a say in if they want their characters dating or having boring parents?

>>218126
Okay, is "Sega" supposed to be all caps? Am I doing it wrong?

>>218124
I think a much, much more applicable example is Hasbro on their Transformers shows. They get to decide what gets pushed, why/how it gets pushed, and they can deny shit (and have) because it conflicts with their marketing.

Sonic is a much more focused franchise than Transformers with singular characters and a singular canon as of right now with a few adaptations here and there, and it's not as toy driven. Therefore, for things that are long lasting like the comic, it makes sense to try your best to keep your product in-line with the rest of your franchise as you can within reason.

The comic is the biggest Sonic-thing that's not video games out there, so having it establish a name for the world when the fans have been bickering back and forth for over a decade about it? Not good for Sega. Having the comic trivialize the importance of a character Sega REALLY wants to hype up? Not the best for Sega. Giving your intentionally ambiguous characters direct family ties and roots? Not something that's entirely great for Sega.

Sega isn't always right about wanting to change the book, but nothing they've asked of Archie has harmed the narrative at all, contrary to what people claim. Sonic not having a mom and dad doesn't change the quality of the stories, it just means we don't get "dad the hedgehog". I liked Jules, but looking back...he really should never have existed. Everything that made him cool under Ian? That should have been Uncle Chuck in the first place. Jules and Chuck make each other redundant as they're both father figures, one is just a literal father. And even moreso, family being defined as blood relations exclusively doesn't make the story any better or worse. Hell, the Freedom Fighters are essentially a family. Any touching moments or strong emotional chords can be done with the existing characters and could/would be more powerful in that context anyway.

Sega does what it does because it's their product and they don't want writers to go wild and change what it's about too much.
The things Sega has asked of the comic don't make the comic worse as far as we know. The stuff they've asked limits/focuses the writer's potential paths from "infinite" to "infinite except these things we specifically don't want".
Nixing characters, asking for different character designs, changing names, excluding references; none of that impacts storytelling. That's all fluff in a book like this. What it comes down to is the skill of the writer.

>>218130
Well with things like the planet's name, SEGA is applying bandaids to wounds they themselves made. If they didn't go and retcon it to Earth when they brought in Sonic Adventure 2, we wouldn't have this divide. The only people who would complain about the title of mobius would be total weaboos, you don't see people complaining that Toad is called Kinopio in Japan, do you?

I actually like most of the changes to the book happening right now. I like the game adaptions and character redesigns, and I don't care about the loss of parents.

But from a pure quality perspective, saying that because Sega are the rights holders they can do whatever they want as an /excuse/ for changes doesn't pass the smell test.

If Sega decided to change all the designs arbitrarily to Sonic Boom style, yeah, they've got the literal right to do it, but fans equally have a legit right and reason to be pissed off.

It's like the difference between the right to free speech, and the right to be an asshole with free speech by yelling fire in a movie theater.

Cause Sega owes it's past fans for sticking with them and buying their comic. They really do owe them respect.

I do not /at all/ think Sega or Archie should have their arms tied in knots to appease the past fans. Change is good. (though global brand unification for the sake of unification is dumb and only caused problems) But yeah, change has got to be implemented in a certain way if it is to be reasonably accepted.

/inane rant over

>>218137
>Cause Sega owes it's past fans for sticking with them and buying their comic. They really do owe them respect.
No they don't. At most you can say Archie does, but reading a bunch of the terrible comics doesn't make someone a more valued or respected reader for the current stories. They deserve as much respect as anybody else, but not special treatment (especially when so many problems in Sonic have come from listening to fans thinking they're entitled to thing that ended up detrimental to the series.)

ITT: Wild Speculation

We have largely no idea what things SEGA has asked for in the book. A few things filtered down to us, but we don't even know what percentage that is of SEGA's input on the book. Ian's been largely positive in talking about his interactions with SEGA. Ian's been largely positive in talking about his interactions with fans. If you kicked Ian in the face, there's a good chance he'd compliment your taste in boots. I'm not saying there's necessarily a whole lot of bad things we don't know about, just that we know so little that it's a bit silly to be saying "SEGA's input has been overall negative/positive".

>>218138
Yes they do. And screw you and any person who thinks like you. It's that kind of toxic 'screw the old fans' mentality that's resulted in this modem media culture of strip-mining nostalgia, Michael Bay films and new Simpsons.

>>218138
Any successful artist ALWAYS owes their fans for giving them support, time and especially money.

The pursuit of new fans and greater profit should not come at the expense of the old. That is, as the industry says, selling out.

>>218140
>>218141
Brand loyalty's not something that needs rewarding, and reading the worst Sonic comics doesn't mean you deserve more respect than anybody else. The old fans deserve as much respect and attention as the new, but they do not get a special pedestal for being on an imaginary Corporate Team. The only thing you can really demand is quality.

Or maybe I'm just a corporate overlord trying to placate you into watching a shitty movie out of the same brand loyalty I'm decrying. WHO CAN TELL?

>>218136
>If they didn't go and retcon it to Earth.

This is like saying "If they didn't change his name to Eggman, there wouldn't BE a problem." Problem is that it would likely be EVEN WORSE if they hadn't changed it when they did.

>>218139
>If you kicked Ian in the face he'd compliment you.
Tell that to Lost World.
He went from thinking it's pretty good to a mixed bag because of Zone 7.

>>218142
Or maybe you're willing to sacrifice integrity and basic principles because in this case if just happens to make the comics more like how you personally want them to be like.

>>218144
To be truthful. They seemed artificiality kind to Lost Worlds after Zone 7.
It looked like it wore them out, and drained all their fun and good will towards the game. If they were allowed to be honest I bet they would say it was a bad game outright.

>all this SEGA apologetic twaddle
ok, SEGA isn't evil. They've treated the comic then many other companies have treated their licences fare. But we can still call them out when they act up. As fans, we can do that. We dont need to take everything they dish out just because they created him. It's like fans not getting upset as Hasbro for kicking Faust in the tuckus and turning her baby into what she was fighting against the whole time (EqG) or for Derpageddon or Twilacorn, etc. etc. Companies make bone headed decisions, we can call them out on it. I'm not sure what we're yelling at SEGA about now, but the posters who are shouting have the right to shout.
Also pointing out Ian didnt say anything negative is a moot point. SEGA signs his checks, of course you cant expect an honest review from him.

>>218146
You're seriously saying older readers should be pandered to.

Do like me and influence the comic using mind viruses. I'm pretty sure the redesign of Rotor was just so Ian could get old Rotor's moobs out of his head.

>>218149
I'm saying they should be respected.

Respecting older readers isn't the same as giving respect to everyone, as some people would disingenuously like to present it.

We respect new readers by giving them jump on points and reintroducing characters.
We respect main game fans by trying to adapt games and portray characters accurately.
We respect Satam/aosth/ova/obscure game fans by making references developing those characters.
And you respect old fans by not shitting all over what they previously had.

Everyone gets respected in different ways.

But some people seem to feel Sega are entitled, entitled to ignore their history, entitled to ignore the huge support fans have given them, entitled to do what they damn well please beyond reproach.

>>218151
it feels like since the reboot main game fans have tasted blood in the water, and like sharks have gone into a purist frenzy, they want the comic to be Adventures 3

>>218146
No, I'm saying that changing details doesn't sacrifice integrity or basic principles. If what the old fans had was godawful garbage, then change the godawful garbage into something good even if it means pissing them off and "disrespecting" them. Referencing the past characters isn't respect, it's just something nice. But fans are not entitled to the planet being named Mobius, or Sonic having a potbelly. You're talking about how Sega has betrayed you, but they've done no such thing. They've just done something YOU didn't like.

Sonic 2006 was godawful in every way, but Sega didn't betray anybody when they made it.

>>218158
This medicine's getting to my head so I'm having trouble keeping up with all the thoughts going on here but

Old fans deserve respect, but only as much as anybody else and if the story is benefited by "disrespect" so be it
Stating that changing the story is disrespecting old fans is pretty flawed in the first place
Sega's mandates are sometimes annoying but for the most part harmless and only one has really impacted the story visibly
Sega is entitled to do what it wants because they're the "author" but they really don't ignore the fans or their history
Nobody here is arguing for Sonic's comic to be Sega-only

In terms of old fans having to suffer, Sonic's not doing bad AT ALL.

On a non-Sonic Archie matter, MY BODY IS READY.

IS YOURS?!?

The Fox by Dean Haspiel and Mark Waid

>current conversation

>>218147
No - I didn't want to pass a sweeping "GAME IS BAD" over the final zone. Because it's not bad. It does some neat stuff, and there are enjoyable moments. A fair bit of the frustration and burn out would've been lessened if we hadn't been sitting in the same spot for 24-hours straight.

That said, it isn't perfect. There is some real bullshit that sucks the fun out of the game. And while I need more time with it to have a more informed opinion, so far I think I prefer the Unleashed/Colors/Generations model of game play. Others may prefer the more technical style of Lost World.

Look at SA2 or Heroes. There are people who will passionately, rabidly defend/attack them as the best/the worst 3D Sonic games have to offer. I think Lost World will prove to be similarly divisive.

No corporate shilling here - I honestly think it's a love it or hate it type of game. And I think it's something you're going to have to play for yourself.

>>218164
>NuTrek

It fills my heart with gladness that Sonic can finally hand over the "Most Broken Fandom" crown.

>>218166
You bet it is!

>>218141
>The pursuit of new fans and greater profit should not come at the expense of the old. That is, as the industry says, selling out.
I don't know. It seems to have worked wonders for Capcom!

...oh...

>>218147
If someone is willing to go from thinking something is a good game to simply bad because of 1/7th of the package, I wouldn't trust their opinions to begin with.

Even putting that aside, I was shocked at how bad they did. Sky Road and Lava Mountain were the best parts of the entire game, barring 6-3.

>>218175

For what it's worth, part of that could have been fatigue setting in.

Still, I stand by what I said about this basically being "Sonic Lost Levels: For Super Players," particularly towards the end. It's a lot more technical and precise than I'm betting a lot of players are used to.

To that end, I think it's the kind of thing that people who work to S-Rank every level in previous games will thrive on, and those who are more "just for fun" with it may not enjoy as much. While I dislike the whole "hardcore/casual" thing, I feel it applies here: Completing SLW, especially at 100%, is likely not going to be for those who don't have a strong sense of dedication to their gaming.

I like much of what was done, and unlike Ian (so far as I can tell), I even liked the snowball level. My biggest gripe is the stinginess with lives, and having to find that one place that's good to grind for them, as not even 100 hard-earned rings will get you an extra life.

It's basically "Nintendo Hard." If that doesn't bother you, then the game is definitely worth playing-- I'm pretty sure it's safe to say you've never played another Sonic quite like it.

>>218179
>Completing SLW, especially at 100%, is likely not going to be for those who don't have a strong sense of dedication to their gaming.
To be honest, no one without a strong sense of dedication will attain 100% in any game. Some games make this easier than others, but I've not seen the game where you just stumble into 100% during the regular course of play. (Where 100% is an attainable goal, anyway.)

As someone who hasnt played SLW and only knows about it through the FCBD shill, I just wanna ask if I'm alone in thinking the Zeti do not fit in at all? They seem overly designed and really left field for Sonic and co.
And yes, I know this is the same company that brought us Perfect Chaos, BioLizard, and amny other monsters that dont fit the Sonic mold either

>>218180

Asura's Wrath.

A single Normal difficulty run got me to around 83%. All the concept art was unlocked, all I missed out on were achievements.

>>218181
Fans are a little divided over the Zeti's designs, but you're the first I've seen who thinks they're OVER designed.

>>218179
>
It's basically "Nintendo Hard."

I...I don't know how to feel about this being said when I could even point at Sonic 2 for a more taxing game. Obviously Lost World is a different kind of game, yeah, with a lot of strange gimmick levels, but I don't really know if I could say it's a hard game in the face of the early series.

Playing them legitimately, at least. None of that save stating or level select tomfoolery. It's definitely the hardest 3D Sonic game at points, I'll give it that, but in terms of completion those games have never really been as challenging as they were frustrating to control for a years and time consuming.

>>218186
Personally, I blazed through almost all of the 3D Sonic games, and this one gave me more pause than I remember the others ever doing. I will say though that some of it was wonky mechanics and poor design in places.

Don't see why SLW was wii exclusive. I'm sure the kinect or the Move could handle it. Don't plan on buying one just for Sonic

>>218190
>Don't see why SLW was wii exclusive.
Nintendo bought Exclusivity rights or 3 Sonic games

Lost World
Olympic Games
and a third one.

>>218171
Trek fandom isn't broken, Anon. At least not by the Abrams movies. Fans of the Abrams movies aren't in the fandom. I don't mean that in a No True Scotsman "they're not real fans" sort of way, I mean that while there were clearly fans of the movies, for the most part the ones that just like the movies didn't make the transition from enjoying the movies to actively participating in the fandom.

It's a lot like all the other movie reboots lately. People go to the theater and cheer because there's special effects, characters with familiar names ("Optimus Prime! Spock!"), and if someone says The Famous Lines everyone applauds. And then the people that actively participate in the fandom sigh, shrug, and move on.

>>218191
Well shit. Looks like ill just be playing generations for a couple years

>>218166
Fuck yes. This looks fun.

Honestly the reboot doesn't bother me. I'm still going through the original book starting at issue 1. It's been so long. When does Penders start so I can skip that?

I feel old remembering the hype when they killed Robotnik in issue 50. If you honestly told me a Sonic comic would last damn near 20 years when I was a kid I wouldn't believe you.

>>218194
>When does Penders start so I can skip that?

Uh, good luck with that. He starts at around issue #11, wrote Endgame, a lot of the Specials, and the entire Knuckles series.

>>218197
Huh. How about that. I might still only read up to 50 for old times sake. I know not to touch the Knuckles stuff.

>>218198
>I know not to touch the Knuckles stuff.

I thought we all agreed that Knuckles wasn't bad?

>>218199
>I thought we all agreed that Knuckles wasn't bad?

Oh wow, I must have missed the time when all the people who'd read the Knuckles series were called upon to make a unanimous decision on it.

Yeah, sure, if you ignore the pointless meandering "mysteries," the massive plot holes, the tons and tons of redundant/boring/bland characters, the fact that most of it is ripped from Superman and Star Trek, the cliches, the Nazi stand-ins, the mutiple hidden super-societies, the terrible dialogue, Ken and Valentino and Chris Allen's art, the shafting of the Chaotix, the utter derailment of everything Knuckles is supposed to be, the half-baked political intrigue, the half-baked religious aspects, the misogyny, the repurposed real-world presidential statements and Holocaust poetry, the hilarious attempt at moral greyness, and the overall poor writing, it's great.

>>218199
Pretty much. Ken wrote a lot of bad stuff, but he wrote a lot of good stuff as well.

I think it's generally agreed that Ken's stuff was mostly good up until the later part of the Knuckles series (around 1999, in the 20s), and then after that it started getting bad.

>>218199
>>218202
There are a whole lot who'll disagree.

>>218203
I know, but there are a lot who'll agree too. Just trying to say it's worth him to at least give the old Penders stuff a try, because not everyone hated it. Maybe he'll like it, maybe he won't. Can't know unless you take a look.

I'm sorry, I don't know how anyone can look at the Knuckles series and NOT see the numerous problems with it. The general reaction I tend to see is along the lines of "Oh, this was really cool -- when I was twelve and didn't know what half of this stuff meant or could remember how many plot points fell apart."

Endgame was years ago, and still "early" for Ken's run, and it's absolutely nonsensical.

>>218206
I know it has its problems, but I still enjoyed the first half of the series even with those problems. It's like how Unleashed had a ton of problems even in the daytime stages, but I still generally enjoyed it. I don't think either of them are masterpieces by any stretch, but I can still be entertained by them.

>>218180

While this is true, I guess the best way to put it is that there are games I've committed myself to wanting to complete at 100%. This is probably not going to be one of them.

>>218186

Honestly? I don't think any of the Genesis era games, nor SA 1 or 2, nor Generations (both versions), nor Sonic 4 gave me this difficult of a time.

Really, though, the bulk of this is in the lives system and having to constantly redo certain parts. Sure, those parts can be a breeze, but you kind of lose your rhythm for the part you really need to practice on. Even if 100 rings gave you an extra life, it would probably been a great improvement-- I'm just glad someone remembered a good place to farm for lives.

>>218197
It's a lot easier to skip his work and still make sense of everything than you would think. A good chunk of that is because he was really caught up in backstories and isolated incidents.

>>218202
Throwing this out there, EndGame was an absolute trainwreck of a storyline and it was written a good bit earlier than what you're describing.

>>218211
Yea, I read a few issues back in the day (13, Mecha Madness, End Game, some random issues in the 40's era and some of the Super Specials), but skipped most of it until 160ish. The book does a good job of keeping you up to speed and theres always wikipedia. So you dont need to have read some terrible shit to enjoy the stuff today.

>>218211
Not everyone feels the same way about Endgame. Some people like it, some people don't.

Archie knows how to leverage the big IPs

>>218237
We've had that dumb ad for the Dr. Jekyl figure for like 4 months now. Do kids who buy Archie buy these?

Also I didnt know the monster from the black lagoon was in the Munsters

>>218230
There are also people who think time traveling aliens created the pyramids.
What's your point?

>>218245
This is starting to get dangerously close to "Stop liking what I don't like" territory.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/10/29/ken-penders-case-against-sega-dismissed-for-now/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Of course he'll appeal mind you.

>Fox #1 not available digitally on Archie store

Tch, that's dumb. Must be only available on the Red Circle site.

>Nope

Dammit Archie...

>>218230
Like it all you want. But it's undeniable that it has plot holes you could drive a truck through.

>>218251
Oh, I know. The story has a lot of problems, definitely not denying that. Still entertained by it, though. It's pretty much the same as what I said up in >>218208 about Unleashed and the first half of the Knuckles series.

>>218249
What the hell? Why?

>>218249
http://digital.archiecomics.com/index.php
http://redcircle.iverseapps.com/

Had to see it for myself.

There's only one word to describe this: Grosslyincompetentdumbassery.

>>218247
You're just saying that "hey some people like this thing."
People also think all kinds of crazy things, too.
There's also the fact that water is wet.

What I'm saying is, again, "what's your point?" I could tell you that people like Sonic, but your response would probably be "Okay...and?"

Sooooo, anyone else having trouble getting onto the BKC forums?

>>218249
>>218253
>>218259
It's on CX, and that's all that matters.

Heck, they created a Red Circle Comics sub-section...and haven't moved New Crusaders over yet. Still waiting on the "Archie Adventure Series" or "Archie Video Games" subsection for Sonic and Mega Man.

The Fox works on Comixology.

>>218248
Looks like the one the article talks about was thrown out only because there's another one proceeding in New York and the judge won't let Penders sue them in two districts at once.

Why is he so perfect, /co/?

Roll's Halloween

So is The Fox kind of like an off-brand Spider-man?

>>218287
Well he's married so I'd say no.

Seriously though I thought it was good

>>218290
I don't mean it as a bad thing, I'm just saying that, looking at it, the book seems like not-Spider-Man.

Which I'm totally okay with.

He came first, and while Petey is motivated by Responsibility and just does the reporter stuff to pay bills, The original Fox was pretty openly "I'M IN THIS FOR THE REPORTING! WOO, REPORTERS RULE!"

Bit confused as to how this fits into New Crusaders continuity. Clearly he's well-established, but it looks like his son (the second Fox, from the Mighty Crusaders 80s series that heavily serves as the basis for New Crusaders) no longer exists? Maybe? He's got a daughter and a new wife at least. Unless his son had a sex-change operation, but I think Archie would make sure to announce that on a cover.

>>218295
He is the second Fox. His dad is seen in full costume during a flashback.

>>218287
Yeah, and The Shield is a ripoff of Captain America, amirite?

>>218297
I was quite sleep-deprived reading the book, that bit didn't register. Thanks.

Hmm... this just raises FURTHER questions... especially concerning She-Fox.

>>218301
Ok I'm loving this.

What the heck is going on with New Crusaders though? Is it still going or what?

>>218302
I thought waid was writing something for it this fall. Unless this is that

>>218248
Rev up those Brotherhood storylines, Flynn!

Also what the fuck is Penders doing with this Lara-su chronicles anyway? I mean, presumably he can't refer to her as Knuckles' daughter unless he wants a countersuit from Sega.

>>218319
He's going to refer to "the Guardian" (we've already seen this in his promo images), which is generic enough to avoid SEGA breathing down his neck. If Knuckles is involved, he'll be referred to as "Dad" or "Sir", seen only in silhouette or from an over-the-back shot, etc.

>People misunderstanding the law shit

Penders claimed ownership of the characters and expressed interest in pursuing his legal options.
Archie then sued him countering he did not have ownership.
He then sued Bioware/SEGA.
The court threw out his case against them BUT the reason it was thrown out was that he was involved in the case with Archie over ownership.
Now that the Archie case is resolved, he's able to try again with Bioware/SEGA. However, with copyright rulings there's a three year limit. If he filed another suit and won right now, he'd only be able to make money off of the copies sold of Dark Brotherhood from 2010-2013. Which... yeah.
So he went to court saying that his last lawsuit against Bioware was thrown out improperly and should be brought back. Since it was filed in 2011 and the game came out in 2008, if he won it would put a good chunk of sales in the three year window.
This latest ruling amounts to "no, you can't resurrect the suit you filed in 2011. Feel free to file another one though."

Whether or not he'll do that I'm not sure. He might still be able to make some money off of filing something, but not as much.

That said, if Archie tried to use the Dark Brotherhood? Yeah, he'd file suit immediately, because that would be new money that would fall in a new three year window.

>>218302
>What the heck is going on with New Crusaders though? Is it still going or what?

Last I heard, the second act is slated to begin in (sigh) "Spring 2014". A full year late. It's perhaps understandable that there was a hiatus while they retooled things to bring in more talent and start more titles, but they've lost ALL the steam they built up. Should've been doing something over this interim.

>>218322
That's disappointing. Build up all that hype then let it grind to a halt.

At least the Fox was good.

>>218285
Oh wow. He even got the girl that voiced Roll in Capcom X Tekken to do some dialog.

Ryan Jampole is an absolute gem. I hope Archie appreciates him.

Has anyone else gotten their subscription of Mega Man 30 yet?

>>218342
I got it in a few weeks ago.

>>218343
>weeks

Well that is just unnacceptable

>>218343
Same here, a bunch of people have actually.

>>218321
The best part is that, even if, say, he did that and LOST, he could file another suit if they get used any other time after the first new issue featuring them. Or for anything vaguely resembling what he now owns, ever.

And now you know why the biker bears got taken out.

>>218319
I am 99% sure The Lara-su Chronicles is just bullshit Pender's never intends to create just so he can point to it in court for an example of lost profits.

>>218339
I thought Roll had a deeper more womanly voice in that?

>>218366

She approximates a ten-year old, so... not usually.

Belated Halloween stuff. Three bits of scariness.

>>218386

>>218387
Brrr, scary.

>>218389
I sure love cheap early 00's era models for my covers.

>>218390
>Cheap

It's damn hard to find better made with a single artist's budget. I won't say you can't find better, because that's just asking to be proved wrong, but damn hard. Sonic Team is able to draw on all their old work, improving what they more and more with each new iteration, and they've had a sizable budget every time. Rafa Knight... does not have that going for her.

>>218390
Speaking as someone who's been sinding a good amount of time saving all artwork available on the Sonic Retro wiki, I can assure you the only difference between those models and the SEGA models used right now is that SEGA likes making the textures more obvious and marked.

I'd rather Archie use that money they use on these terrible variants elsewhere and have none at all then get these 3d model ones

>>218395
Their textures are a bit better, too, but that's besides the point.

>>218397
>variants
Yeah, that's the main cover, and this is the first I've seen anyone with a single unkind word to say about the cover. For a freelance artist's work, that cover's amazing.

overall while the cgi is cringe inducing the overall development and banter between characters is pretty decent. Does give me some hope for the actual Archie cartoon coming out.

>>218402
>For a freelance artist's work, that cover's amazing.

But....ALL the comic's artists are freelancers, that doesn't mean they're bad or cheap....

>>218406
I wasn't saying that's bad, I'm saying it's lunacy to bitch that it's not as good as really good stuff done by Sonic Team. There's a massive difference between the resources that were available to make that cover and what's available to the guys working for SEGA.

>>218404
I'm afraid that from what little I've seen, I don't care for the writing either.

>>218408
I like expressive 2d art. Yardley, spaz, peppers, bates etc are a million times better than even the sonic team models

Remember how Mega Man's been getting delayed a bunch lately? First a week? Then two weeks?

Well Mega Man 31 got delayed a whole month http://www.kidscomics.com/Home/1/1/60/796?stockItemID=STK620648 Incidentally this is probably why Mega Man 34 wasn't listed in the last batch of solicitations.

Shame to see all the crossover momentum drag to crawl from this.

>>218415
>in shops christmas

IT'S HAPPENING

>>218415
That's not just a month.
That's a month and two weeks off the original release date.

This is going to look REALLY bad if they don't comment on this soon.

>>218417

Well Paul posted this like ten hours before the Diamond release, so they were at least aware shit was about to hit the fan.

>>218418
>Filename
No. Seriously. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill here.

Archie's "Adventure Comics" corner has a lot of talented people, but at the same time they needed to be firing on all cylinders for the crossover and for the big Sonic reboot afterward. If something was going to slip in time or quality it was going to be the Mega Man followup, and I'm glad it ended up being time and not quality.

>>218419
This seems more like they had a HUGE printing/scheduling fuck up they weren't expecting or they were trying to slowly mitigate a missing month by pushing it back week by week for a while.

Either way, Archie's management is pretty slapdash and when they don't acknowledge bigger problems like this it looks really bad. They're already having a hard time keeping the doomsayers and skeptics calm with Sonic, they don't need another "WHY AREN'T YOU TELLING US WHAT'S GOING ON" situation right now. Probably doesn't help that the same thing happened to Dreamwave's Mega Man, but on a much larger scale.

Obviously the comic isn't in actual trouble, but just saying "oh don't worry it's fiiiiiiiiine guys!" two months after the problem started might not be the best PR move at the moment. People have active imaginations.

>>218420
They aren't exactly going to tell us everything that's going on behind the scenes. For all we know, they can't tell us anything. At least Paul Kaminski's adknowledging that there's a problem at all.

http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/media/view.php?pk_id=0000011455
The arguments put before the circuit court (the one that just denied Penders' appeal)

Mildly interesting, although I had to play it at over double speed because no way was I sitting through all that at normal speed.

Long story short, Penders and his old lawyer filed suit against SEGA of America and Electronic Arts Inc., and Judge Wright threw it out because the case with Archie hadn't been resolved. But Judge Wright made no sense, and seemed to be confused about the whole Archie=/=SEGA thing. And thought there was a separate State case going on (nope, a Federal one). Four days after that, Penders' old lawyer filed the same thing, which initially was going to be seen by a different judge, then someone noticed the "similarities" and gave back to Judge Wright, who went "wtf, this again?!? He can file another suit AFTER the comic case is settled, it's not like waiting will hurt him" and threw it out a second time, this time with threats of penalties if it was filed again before the Archie case was settled. Then the Archie case was settled. And this is the appeal for that second thrown out suit, with Penders' new lawyer. And if basically went down like this...

Three judge appellate panel: "so... your client's first lawyer... when he filed that second suit, why didn't he attach a note/affidavit saying that if he waited until after the Archie case was decided, all the money from the games' sales would be outside the statute of limitations for copyright cases? Because that's something that's not mentioned in the suit. It's new information not found in the suit. You can't introduce new information like that in the appeal. We can't take that into consideration because it wasn't mentioned in the lower courts. That's important information. WE get it, when a new game comes out it's like a slot machine spewing out gold, it only does it for a short time. The pot fills up with gold fast. And then sales drop down to zero. So filing a claim too late puts all the gold out of reach, outside the statute of limitations. But the old lawyer NEEDED to say that, and he didn't. Why not?"
Ken's New Lawyer: "Well it was kinda... um... implied?"
Judges: "...No."
Ken's New Lawyer: "Well there were a lot of errors in Judge Wright's statement when the first suit was thrown out, so the old lawyer thought a whole new suit was okay since the last ruling was so wrong, and when the second suit was thrown out an appeal was filed, which is SORT OF like doing something new..."
Judges: "No. There were mistakes in what Wright said, but they didn't affect the reason either suit was thrown out. The only thing that would affect it was information about the pot of gold being outside of the statute of limitations."
Ken's New Lawyer: "Yeah, I dunno."
Judges: "That might be malpractice. Really shitty lawyering."
SEGA lawyer: "If I may? Either way, he filed so late that most of the gold would have been out of the statute of limitations anyway. He might've been able to get a thimble of gold, not a pot."
Judges: "What seriously? Ouch. We don't really do... video game law very much."
SEGA lawyer: "I love video games and video game law. And you're right, his old lawyer didn't make that point about the damages, could have, and should have. There were a lot of things he could've done differently. He did some weird things. And this might come back to bite me in the ass, but here's some other things his lawyer could do now. He has options even if you throw this out. But no matter what, he filed on the late side."

tldr it's a recording of Ken's new lawyer, SEGA's lawyer, and three appellate judges all saying "Man, Ken's old lawyer was an IDIOT."

>>218421
Oh, I know, I know.
I'm just saying how you approach it is the key, and...well, Paul isn't the best PR guy. His job is making sure the content stays good/marketable and marketing the content itself, and he's damn good at it.

Even if he didn't actually give any information, the illusion of inclusiveness can be a powerful ally when you deal with skeptics and paranoids. It's all in the phrasing.

>>218419

>and not quality

>>218420

Worth noting the last time the Mega Man fan base got something along the lines "Everything's fine, you should be the opposite of worried!" two games got cancelled.

>>218428
Think Mike is doing okay?
His first issue was pretty good, but...geez, that second issue, and these delays.

>>218432

No I don't think he's doing ok that's why I posted it in reference of the comics quality not being the thing effected by whatever is causing this crunch.

>>218433
No, I meant like...do you think he's sick or something?
It'd make a bit of sense. He started really strong, but then all of this happened.

If you say so guys. I wasn't that impressed with his stuff last issue, this issue had a LOT more chars to draw, but overall I'd say it all passes muster. It wasn't that long ago that we regularly had stuff that just plain did not.

>>218442
Por exemplo...

>>218443
That was about five years ago now. This Mega Man issue is definitely better than anything from the Dark Ages of Sonic, but it's also definitely not up to the standards of the comic so far.

>>218444
And considering that Mega Man's "style" is far removed from what else is on the market, "the standards of the comic so far" were pretty high in terms of being a good fit for Mega Man.

Mike's not doing as well as his predecessors on the book, and that's a shame, but I remain pleasantly surprised with Archie's overall ability to match artists to the books in recent years. "Five years ago" is not that long ago, especially since they've increased their output (meaning they've had to try to expand their talent pool) over that time.

>>218422
Well that's depressing.
So he gains ownership of his chars, but does so in a way preventing Archie from using them.
Meaning they won't appear any more.
Meaning interest in them fades away while anger at him increases.
Meaning his comic is already doomed to flop.
And even if he goes through and sues Sega and wins, he can't get much.

So there are no winners, only losers.

Except the lawyers.

>>218461
Did you actually expect him to make a comic, never mind a satisfying one?

Look how the Lost Ones HASN'T gotten off the ground, and there's no legal hassle there.

>>218464
Not 218461 here, but I do expect TL-SC to actually come out. He seems to care about it more than The Lost Ones, since his Archie work is the only thing he's ever done that people actually remember him for. It'll probably be shit and take years to come out, but it'll get here eventually.

>>218465
I expect it in 2020.

>>218464
It'll probably come out in two years or so. He's using stock art to make it: even the laziest man could make a graphic novel with that.

>>218387
Context?

>>218388
Context?

>>218471
218387 is from an issue of the Sonic X comic. The pyramid ghosts from Sonic Adventure 2 were possessing people.

Based on the filename, 218388 is sad that Nicole's plug-pigtails were removed from the old version of the cover. Most people seemed to like them.

Legit question for Ian:

The impression I get of your Sega-superiors is that there's someone in charge over there that frequently likes to change their mind over what's allowed in the comic and what's not. Maybe the Pendering has something to do with it, I dunno, that's not my question.

Now that you've done essentially a full reboot, have things stabilized? Would you say there's more or less oversight from Sega now?

(More oversight isn't necessarily a bad thing; when writers become gods that can do know wrong you turn into Grant Morrison and nobody wants that)

>>218582
That seems like the sort of question people shouldn't ask a creator. Because if the answer is "No" then he could conceivably get in trouble for saying something bad about people he works for.


Honestly, I doubt there's much in terms of outright demands from SEGA. These days there probably doesn't have to be. Archie had a sweet contract from circa 1992 to 2010, then KenHappened, and the new contract makes it waaaaaaaay easier for SEGA to just up and offer Sonic to another comic publisher. That's gotta make the people at Archie feel more pressure not to push their luck, and to generally try to stick to things SEGA is likely to be okay with.

>>218583
Do you think any other publisher would want Sonic at this point? Do you think they could handle the constant hate of "BAQAAAW WHERE'S SALLY!?" and "NOT MUH SATAM!"

>>218582
Gotta agree, I really don't think that's a good question to ask and really wouldn't blame Ian if he didn't want to answer it.

>>218585
>Do you think any other publisher would want Sonic at this point?

Absolutely, yes.

>But what about the occasionally obnoxious fanbase

I can't hear them through these earplugs made of money.

>>218582
That is a super loaded question, nobody would answer that.

>>218585
Every comic company is used to a terrible fanbase from SOMEBODY.

>>218585
Yes, and they'd likely "reboot" the property, either going mainly off of the games like Archie MegaMan or a whole new thing like Sonic Boom, depending on how much room SEGA gives them, so calls of MUH SALLY would never reach them.

One thing's for sure, SEGA would make sure they have competent lawyers before entering into an agreement this time around.

>>218585
You know, there was another Sonic cartoon going on right at the same time as SATAM, and I'm wondering why two unrelated Sonic comics being published side by side is such an out there idea.
...Is there an Adventures of Sonic comic I haven't heard of? I know there were coloring books, but come on that doesn't count.

Also, a fairly big chunk of why I watched SATAM despite it seeming to me like they smashed in half a second cartoon on top of Sonic was that I figured if I didn't, whoever did the visual design for it might get discouraged from making similar science fiction cartoons in general.

>>218598

Well he shared that Shard story on his forum on a whim, which tells me a) sega's a source of stress and b) he doesn't mind saying that in public

>>218602
It tells me that you're nosy and don't have much respect for others' jobs is all. Seriously, dude, leave it alone. Some things can be talked about. Others can't, or probably shouldn't.

>>218602
>whim

I'm pretty sure that was in part because people didn't get why he was suddenly being referred to as Mecha instead of Metal and people were whining that it was the wrong name and MUH CONTINOOITY and also that Cap'n Metal was never directly called Metal Sonic.

>>218601
When Archie Sonic began it was a meld of the two series, using SatAM's cast with AoStH's lightheartedness. Eventually SatAM's style won out completely. I don't know that a running comic in the vein of just AoStH would work that well; might just be Sonic X minus humans.

>>218599
SEGA has competent lawyers.
When Sonic first came out, nobody could have predicted it would stay hot so long. Archie got what turned out to be a pretty sweet contract, promising that they'd get exclusive rights to Sonic comics (well, in America at least), and that they'd have the first shot at comics of any Sonic spin-offs like Knuckles or Tails. SEGA got into the habit of just renewing the contract over and over a little before it was due to expire, because for a long time there was no reason for them to object to the terms. But because nobody thought a video game comic would last that long, Archie got sloppy keeping track of their talent's paperwork. Then Ken was able to sue SEGA, and SEGA let their contract with Archie expire for apparently the first time ever, giving SEGA a chance to negotiate a way crappier contract where Archie no longer has exclusive rights and has to pay more up front (even though they know SEGA can now turn to IDW and say "wanna make a 'Sonic Boom' comic?" which would cut into Archie's sales). And that's just the stuff that DIDN'T get all blacked out in the documents available through Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Jon Goldwater's affidavit is basically "Let me tell you how badly Ken damaged relations with SEGA. In 2011, because of Ken, we had to make a new contract and [whole page of text redacted]. See exhibits [exhibits redacted]." There could be a bunch of nastiness we don't know about. We don't know.

Or maybe SEGA had a change of heart and offered a nicer contract recently (I doubt it).

SEGA might be drowning Archie in mandates, we have no way of knowing, and if they WERE then it's unlikely anyone would tell us. But the new contract probably put Archie at least slightly on edge anyway. If the cute little baby monkey suddenly turns into a 700lb gorilla with a machine gun, it doesn't NEED to say "gimme all the bananas".

>>218606

He doesn't have to answer the question, he knows that and I know that. I thought he might, given stuff I've seen in the past, so I asked it. I wouldn't get super offended if he didn't answer, or stalk him with it, or even repeat it ever again. I haven't made a big case of it. I replied once about it, to Penguin, because we've been acquaintances for something like five years now. I only visit this dump of a thread to see stuff Ian might have said in a looser environment.

Just a few years ago, Ian got in trouble here when he said Fiona would screw Scourge in Sonic's bed, and my first reaction was to tell him he should probably take a break from the constant question/answer sessions. Everyone responded with "nooooooo we want our insider details on our favorite characters you monster how could you suggest that". But he's learned his lesson and keeps his mouth shut when it isn't safe to reply. Sit down and go back to talking about Sally's cheekfur or something.

>>218610
AOSTH wouldn't work in the long run, but dammit, we've got a newfound focus on SatAM, Sonic Underground is getting an arc... isn't it time for Wes Weasley to finally get a moment in the sun? Or at least in the comic. Why, I hear there's openings in the cast! He could fill all of them, he's that versatile. Need a new ninja to replace the old one? Wes Weasley has a plaidbelt in Weas-jutsu. Low on cyborgs? Wes Weasley's got plenty of metal in him! He swallows coins for safe keeping. Need a doctor? Wes Weasley took a correspondence course on Medicality from the University of (Egg) Phoenix! Knuckles needs a wife? Wes Weasley needs a Green (Hill) Card, and will do just about anything to get in the book!

>>218619
Pretty sure he got a cameo in Off-Panel, no?

>>218620
For a moment I thought you were implying that was enough of an appearance for a character of Wes Weasley's preeminent immense eminence and eminenectomy, then I realized you were getting into the AoStH spirit and telling a joke. As if that cameo was enough! Not that he needs top billing, a costar position would suffice, but his Off Panel cameo was as someone Silver suspected of being The Traitor, and honestly, who DIDN'T Silver suspect was the traitor?

Aside from Sally, the actual "Traitor," obviously.

>>218601
Archie started out as AoSTH with SatAM characters in it.

>>218619
>Sonic Underground is getting an arc..
It hurts, not as bad as Mega Man Legends, but it hurts

>>218585
>Do you think any other publisher would want Sonic at this point?

Absolutely, but it would either end up like the My Little Pony comic (endless fanpandering and no real focus for the kids) or they'd play it so by-the-book that people would loose interest faster than you can say "Classic Mega Man."

>>218601
There were two Sonic cartoons at the same time because they were both by the same company. People say that SatAM exists because ABC shot down AoSTH when it was too far into production to be cancelled (seems likely, the pilot's Robotnik has the Jim Cummings voice).

>>218614
>SEGA has competent lawyers.
I meant that SEGA would make sure the company licensing Sonic had competent lawyers.

>>218614
I knew things were bad, but I didn't know they were that bad.

>>218619
As much as I don't care for AoStH in general, I'm a huge Phil Silvers fan. I'd love it if Wes could make his way into the book in some form. Hard to imagine what he'd look like in the current style though.

>>218626
Sonic Underground was NEVER getting an arc. It was supposed to be a SINGLE ISSUE. And now SEGA's waffling on it.

>>218641
>Hard to imagine what he'd look like in the current style though.

If only there was a weasel in the games...

>>218633
Mlp is one of the better comis out there. Loads better than marvel or dc, cue yknow, it's actually fun to read vs a chore.

Also speaking of sonic by the books, I'm getting the feeling boom is going to be really bland

>>218650
I get the feeling we might be throwing out ideas like narrative structure, pacing, characterization, tone, and composition and supplanting them with "I personally enjoy this" when talking about how good or bad something is with statements like that.

Or maybe I'm just a dummy and IDW's My Little Pony is a surprisingly well crafted series of comics and I'm overstating their shallowness because I'm a huge grumpus. That's probably more likely, that I'm just being negative because I hate fun.

>>218619
When WAS the last time we had a character from the cartoons (not games) show up? Naugus, or am I forgetting something more recent?

>>218659
...ASIDE from The FFs, King Acorn, Chuck and Muttski? Beyond that who's really notable, Lupe and Dulcy? Snively?

>>218660
Sorry, I phrased the question poorly. What I meant was: when was the last time a char from the cartoons got transferred to the books? Debut appearances. We got the core FF, Uncle Chuck, Mutley, Snively, etc. basically at the start. Then a little before #50 we got Lupe and the Wolf Pack, Naugus, and King Acorn.

Anyone since then?

>>218662
What more is there? There weren't many cast members outside of those you mentioned; the remainder were one-offs, like the Nerbs, and even they got into the comic.

(Nerb Grandmaster we will miss you.)

>>218665
Shit, nevermind. I had them confused with an episode of SatAM.

But I will still miss the Nerb Grandmaster.

Really, the only other notable characters I can think of off the top of my head from SatAM are Ari and that old guy from the Forbidden Zone.

If we're talking characters we'd like to see transition into the comics, I doubt there'd be a person alive who would object to Topaz:Agent of GUN.

It's Sonic fandom, so there'd be one or two objectors, but I dispute their status as "persons alive".

Wes the Weasel had something like a dozen appearances in Adventures. If anyone was going to make a transition from that show, aside from the 'bots, it should probably be him. On a selfish note, I'd love to see Kwai Chang Crane. I always loved that pun.

From SatAM, Ari appeared about as often as Lupe. Dirk and Apollo would be nice shout-outs. But the character that made the biggest impression on me was the Guardian of the Time Stones. Always thought it was a pity he never made a transition to the books.

>>218670
I think the Encyclopedia had a nod to him. The owl guy?

>>218610
Looney Tunes has a comic that's over 200 issues long

I think silly slapstick comics can have staying power.

>>218672
If this doesn't make it into the Nu252...

>>218665
>>218666
Who the heck said the Nerb Grandmaster won't just become a Nerb Egg Boss? I mean, Hood's still there, and Ian created the Nerb Grandmaster.

>>218682
If he does I'll be happy, but until he's shown in-comic I assume he doesn't exist at all.

>>218683
There's more legal complications surrounding Hood than the foreman.
If he doesn't show up again, it's because Ian doesn't want to use him since he only added the guy because Dub begged for Nerbs.

>>218689
>There's more legal complications surrounding Hood than the foreman.

How you figure?

So are we not going to talk about how Archie of all companies has an antihero who carries nooses to execute criminals.

>>218730

>Play Sonic Lost World
>Notice SEGA has a boner for re-using assets from Windy Hill nearly every Zone.

Laziest Sonic game ever.

>>218728
Hood's wrapped up in a whole mess of Robin Hood allegories, his backstory is tied to Rob, etc. We're basically erasing a good chunk of Hood's original backstory by bringing him back.

Meanwhile the foreman's only tie to the old continuity is being a nerb. The worst that could happen to him is that he gets changed to a mole. The end.

Neither was ever in any real jeopardy, but with Hood there's the question of "should we bring this guy back since his story is wrapped up in stuff we can't use anymore?" (the answer is, obviously, "why not?") while the only question when looking at the foreman is "should we bother keeping him a Nerb?"

>>218770
Robin Hood is public domain. There's no legal problems there. And, as sad as it is to admit, Hood's relationship to Rob wasn't like Eggman/Sonic, and in this new world he doesn't need be tied to Rob in any way.

But yeah the Foreman has about the same chance. I think Nerbs were pre-Penders, so if Ian needs a subterranean Egg Boss then it's likely we'll see the Foreman again.

>>218772
The Nerbs were made by Angelo deCesare, the same guy who made Larry and the Arctic FFs. He also still works at Archie, so if anyone's likely to be safe, it's characters he made.