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Sonic the Hedgehog has been through a lot in his 30 years, but now he's about to face what's become a rite of passage being in comics: a clone saga, of sorts.
In the upcoming limited series Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome, Sega's flagship character will be facing off against not just one, but two doppelgangers - Surge and Kit.
"We're so excited to introduce a new super-speedy character and her super-smart sidekick who may feel familiar at first but will show you just how different they are from Sonic and Tails!" says series editor David Mariotte.
The maligned Doctor Starline is responsible for the clones, as he's trying to 'out Eggman' Doctor Eggman at his own game, to the detriment of Eggman, Sonic, and Tails.
"I'm especially excited about this story since it's building upon the core fundamentals that led to Dr. Starline's creation as a character," writer Ian Flynn says in the announcement. "Hardcore fans will pick up on the inspirations from across Sonic's gaming history immediately. New fans will get to experience some wild new villains in a story that accelerates us to the monumental Sonic the Hedgehog #50. It's a win-win for everybody!"
Doctor Starline is a Sonic villain original to the comic book series, created by Flynn and artist Evan Stanley back in 2018's Sonic the Hedgehog #11 after being inspired by the ********** glitch in the Knuckles' Chaotix game. The anthropomorphic platypus was originally an apprentice to the evil Dr. Eggman but was fired - which fueled Dr. Starline to try to become even more of a villain than his mentor.
Flynn is writing Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome just after ending his long run as the writer of IDW Publishing's ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog title (September 15's Sonic the Hedgehog #44 is his last issue).
His new limited series will, in a way, partner with the ongoing series, however. During its run, Imposter Syndrome will alternate with the ongoing as the monthly Sonic release, meaning the Sonic ongoing will skip shipping in November and publish every other month while Imposter Syndrome publishes every other month through May 2022. Here's the schedule.
- November: Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #1
- December: Sonic the Hedgehog #47
- January: Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #2
- February: Sonic the Hedgehog #48
- March: Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #3
- April: Sonic the Hedgehog #49
- May: Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #4
This all leads to June 2022's Sonic the Hedgehog #50, a milestone issue for the series - and something that IDW says is being built towards in the storylines of the main book and Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome will be drawn by Thomas Rothlisberger, who calls this "an electrifying ride, full of kinetic action and tragic revelations…"
Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #1 (of 4) goes on sale on November 10.
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