#but i also sometimes see people say amy only likes blaze because shes the sol dimension equivalent of sonic. which is also kind annoying

[sonknuxadow]

one like. sonic fandom shipping trope i guess is what you'd call it. that really annoys me is when people have amy move on from sonic but then immediately get with someone who looks like him (or is said to look like him in shadows case) or is a copy of him in some way. and have that be part of the reason she likes them. or when people have sonics rivals/copies try to get amy to like them more as a way of proving they're better than him or something than out of genuine interest in her. i can't even explain why i find this stuff annoying i just do

[trinketprince]

Analyzing the IDW Sonic Issue #24 cover

Cause it actually gives us a pretty good insight on which characters will/allowed to appear in this series! (or at least I assume)

Ok so just to give some general context, Ian Flynn has said in a previous interview that classic era characters won’t appear. IDW Sonic, (at least for now, is strictly Modern Era)

So we can expect to not see these following characters in the IDW Sonic comic-verse for a good while.

Classic Versions of Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Vector, Espio, Charmy, Eggman and Metal Sonic

Segasonic the Hedgehog (Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel)

Sonic the Fighters (Honey the Cat, Bean the Dynamite and Bark the Bear)

Sonic Triple Trouble (Fang the Sniper/Nack the Weasel)

Tails’ Sky Patrol (Carrotia, Focke-wulf, Bearenger, Witchcarter)

Sonic R (Metal Knuckles, Tails Doll) 

Silver Sonic

Battle Kukku Empire (XV, Speedy and Doctor Fukurov)

Chaotix (Heavy and Bomb)

But in IDW Sonic Issue #3, Sonic mentions The Hooligans, so at the very least they can mention the existence of classic characters. 

But this restriction of characters does beg the questions though? What is and isn’t off limits in IDW Sonic?

Apart from Classic Universe, there are three other universes that come from the sonic games. Boom Universe, (though quite loosely-considered as a universe) Storybook Universe and (a more sketchy, loosely considered as a universe) Chronicles Universe.

In the case of Boom!Sonic, given the design of Sonic and the rest of the cast, we can outrule Sticks the Badger and Lyric from appearing, not sure if they’re allowed to reference them though. 

In the case of Storybook!Sonic, they’re allowed to reference the storybook games (as shown in IDW Sonic Issue #16). However using characters such as Shahra and Merlina is also unclear (but I’d guess they won’t appear).

In the case of Chronicles!Sonic, given the whole Ken Penders thing, I bet that Shade and the rest of the characters won’t even be given an allusion to.

Well how about one-off characters? Characters that appeared once or a few times in Sonic’s adventures?

Well, this is where this cover helps! See, as of the current issue, IDW Sonic Issue #22, a generous amount of characters has appeared.

The Main Cast (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy)

Returning Cast from Forces (Wisps, Vector, Espio, Charmy, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Silver)

Antagonists from Forces (Eggman, Metal Sonic, Orbot, Cubot)

IDW exclusive new characters (Tangle, Whisper and her former Squad, Rough, Tumble, Jewel, Dr. Starline and others)

Returning cast not in Forces (Cream, Vanilla, Cheese, Chocola, Gemerl, Blaze, The Babylon Rouges (In a spin-off comic))

Returning Villains not in Forces (Zeti)

That’s almost everybody we see in this cover... except for a few characters.

That’s right, some previously unseen characters like Big the Cat, Froggy, and Marine the Raccoon of all characters, are seen again.

In Big’s case, it isn’t as jarring. He was bound to appear sometime, being apart of Team Rose, appearing in Sonic Adventure, his role in the Sonic games is far too big to skim over. In fact we actually may have an idea on where he is in the current arc. In IDW Sonic issue #22, page 5, we see a speech bubble, “Froggy?! Where are you?!”.

While Big is not explicitly shown in the actual issue, he is most well known for this phrase and his love and concern for Froggy, his pet frog. This suggests he may be present in the Restoration HQ...

... His fate, however, whether he got infected by the metal virus or not is undetermined. 

After scanning the room for people who has not been infected Gemerl stated that every one in there are already in different states of infection. So unless Big has somehow escaped (which to be honest, his character seems to be the type to pull surprises)...

... Big is already infected and left behind with Vector, Charmy and Vanilla.

Now for Marine. Blaze originally came to Sonic’s dimension because she felt something was wrong. 

She is introduced to Tangle as a princess from another dimension who wields the Sol Emeralds. She eventually joins the fight against Neo Metal Sonic and taking back Angel Island. 

At the end of IDW Sonic Issue #12, she says her work is done and decides goes back to the Sol Dimension.

In the Sonic 2019 Annual Issue, there is a story that involves Blaze visiting Silver’s Garden. 

And according to David Mariotte, the 2019 issue takes between issues #12 and #15. So Blaze was still in Sonic’s universe until at most before the Metal Virus arc started.

In the Metal Virus arc, Blaze is absent, most likely already having returned to the Sol Dimension. So with the appearance of Marine, does Blaze return back to Sonic’s dimension in this arc? Does she bring Marine along? Why?

And the presence of the Babylon Rogues and Jewel in the cover coupled with the solicitation description for IDW Sonic Issue #24:

“The Last One Out" As the Metal Virus spreads, Tangle's hometown of Spiral Hill Village stands as one of the last strongholds of the uninfected. Sonic, Tangle, and the remaining heroes of the Restoration make a stand, but will it be enough?

And the fact that the last time the Rogues and Jewel were last seen was during the jewel heist at Mineral Museum suggests that they will appear there once more.

Does the appearance of Marine, who’s only appearance in the game series is Sonic Rush Adventure, and the Babylon Rogues, who only appeared in the Sonic Riders spin-off games, suggest that other one-off characters will reappear in this continuity? Like Tikal and Chaos from Adventure, Elise from 06 and Yacker from Colors?

Speculation:

Yeah remember when I said that Big is the type to pull surprises? I bet that in a later issue it will be revealed that Big got on the ship safely. However, Froggy is infected, Big, who cares for Froggy too much, couldn’t bare to leave him behind. I mean, that one throwaway dialogue could be a clue for what’s to come. He compromises the safety of the ship, spiraling the mood of the heroes down further. I think that someone of note is gonna get infected, other than Big. And that would send Cream’s mood to be even more desolate. 

It can’t be Tails cause he’s working on the cure, he’s got plot protection cause he needs to bounce back from his mistake (dropping the cure, and it’s incomplete). Sonic is plot protected as well and Knuckles is on Angel Island. Espio needs to avenge the Chaotix so he has a flimsy plot shield. Tangle is needed because something is definitely gonna happen in Spiral Hill, where Jewel is currently in, so she’s protected. 

I think it’s Amy. Just think about it, she’s one of the main 4, she’s the head of Restoration, she’s been doing so well, handling everything that comes at her, She is the face of the restoration and who many people rely on. She is Cream’s role model. And she promised Vanilla that she’d protect Cream. When you take her away, everything seems more hopeless and desolate, one of the main pillars of the sonic franchise has crumbled, and now the metal virus seems more dangerous than ever.

It can also be Whisper, Whisper and Tangle’s spinoff series ends exactly before issue #23 will come out. And in the spinoff, one of it’s main themes is the friendship that Whisper and Tangle have. They’ve become close to rely on each other. And as much as I hate to think it, Whisper may be “fridged” to boost Tangle’s desire to save her friends in issue #23. A setup for issue #24, where the metal virus goes to Spiral Hill, where Jewel is. 

Now why am I mentioning Cream’s role here? Well it’s because Cream is the hidden star of this arc. Think about it. Charmy’s infection is the catalyst for Sonic to check up on Cream and her family. Gemerl’s main purpose is to protect Cream, and he is currently the protector of the uninfected, given that all other “protector” characters, are currently unavailable (Sonic is infected, Shadow has turned, Silver is busy, Blaze is not yet there, Omega is ripped, Vector is infected, Amy will soon turn). Chocola and Cheese, her friends, compromised Tails’s cure. Vanilla turned in front of her eyes. So many of the events are centered around Cream, and there will definitely be one more catalyst for her big role.

Enter Marine and Blaze. Cream is friends with Blaze, finding friendship with one another in Sonic Rush. And in the cover, we can see Cream holding hands with Marine. There will definitely be an interaction between the two of them considering that 

All characters in the cover are posed in a way where all interactions have meaning. (Babylon Rogues are together, Chaotix are together, Dark are together, etc.) Why pose Cream and Marine like this when they’ve never interacted before?

Both are related to Blaze in a way, mayhaps a humorous introduction may happen between the two “Oh Hello Ms. Blaze!” “I’m her real bestfriend!” etc.

If Amy does turn, Cream, for once in her life will be alone, Amy is gone, Vanilla, Cream and Chocola have turned, and if I’m right, Big is already infected as well. Even the more minor friends she has like Sonic is infected, Tails is busy, Knuckles is MIA and Vector (Sonic Riders), has already turned. Blaze will be the only person left, a sister figure that Cream can cling onto.

And as a final catalyst, A few more people will get infected, whether it will be Tails, or Sonic or Blaze, I can’t guess. But what I will guess is that Cream will definitely have a big role in this arc’s ending.

Aurgh! I’m just so excited for the upcoming issues, and seeing this cover definitely made my brain churn!! 

[skull001]

Personally, I think Cream the Rabbit is currently the one character out of the entire Sonic cast of characters that I feel was never needed.

Why do I come to that conclussion?

For starters, Cream was introduced with the idea of being Amy's equivalent to Sonic's Tails. However, an aspect that the people at Sonic Team did not take into account is that while Sonic and Tails are very different characters from each other than on top, not only complement each other but also hightlight each others positives, this was never the case with Amy and Cream.

The problem is not just that both Amy and Cream are very similar characters (both are sweet innocent girls) which by itself alone causes a situation where they overlap and in order to make one shine by being sweet and compassionate, the other has to take a dive... Guess which of the two took said dive and had her character be flanderized in the 2000's by playing out the other notable aspect that was left?

No, the other problem is that their dynamic does anything but highlight what makes each other special. Amy Rose is a very quirky and entertaining character who makes Cream look like a dull and one-dimensional charicature while on the other hand, Cream's impossibly nice politeness causes for Amy to be seen as selfish and pushy in comparisson. Definitively nothing like what happens with Sonic and Tails.

Cream was introduced to the series to work as a support character for a support character (Amy), yet I feel the idea was poorly executed not because of just the usual clumsyness from Sonic Team, but rather because the idea was flawed from the very beginning. It says a lot whe Cream, who was created to be Amy's BFF, then changes her for a cat princess who hails from Austral... I mean, the Sol dimension.

OK, it's been established why Cream as a character had a very poor execution, but why was she never needed?

A) IMO, any series that hopes to strike a nice balance between the members of it's cast needs to make them unique from each other so that they can all shine in their very own right and not overlap each other. Amy's contribution to the franchise is that she is the one character with the strongest compassion and empathy for others. How can Amy possibly go back to being the sweet kid from SA1 (or even Mania Adventures #6) if we're adding another character who also does the same thing? It's either one or the other and I don't think it's fair that Amy has to share (and be reduced to fangirl again) so Cream can shine when all the other major characters get to keep the thing that makes them unique to themselves. I don't think anyone would be happy if ST introduced a younger, cuter and smarter new character to eclipse Tails on his very own game. There is a reason why you never get two Han Solos in the Millenium Falcon.

B) If what they needed was a character who could keep in check Amy's more impulsive side by offering advise, why not use Tails instead? I think Amy would be more willing to listen to the one character that also advises Sonic over some little girl that's half her own age. Plus we get the bonus benefit of Amy being more involved with the main cast... as it should had been from the start. The only thing we got with Cream is to create more distance between Amy and the other characters.

C) If they wanted for Amy to have a BFF, then why not Blaze? In fact, with Amy and Blaze we actually get a dynamic between two characters with personalities that is not only actually different (Amy is bubbly, cheerful and optimistic while Blaze is serious, reserved and realistic) but which also complements for each other's in a way that highlights what makes them endearing characters (Amy can see in Blaze the kind of strong heroine that she aims to become one day, while in Amy, Blaze learns to see the best of any situation as well as to be more compassionate in how she exacts justice). Plus there is the twist the while in Sonic and Tail's duo the blue hedgehog is the oldest, here it's the pink hedgehogette who is the youngest  in her duo, a thing that IMO is more original than just trying to be "Sonic and Tails in girl form".

But if you want a short, more direct answer, then I would say the following: whatever Cream could add to the franchise was either better done by characters introduced before her, or can now be done much better by other more complex characters. Even the whole young child thing can be better pulled off by Charmy Bee and in a more entertaining manner.

Just like how I dislike when characters are given crap for very poor reasons/arguments that don't have a solid foundation, it annoys me when the very exact opposite thing is done for characters who show that they really don't have the potential to stand on their very own merit. Personally, I think Cream is this kind of character that hardly contributes anything meaningful at all. Not even when she actually does get the spolight, which often consists on a watered down version of what Amy did before.

Why exactly do people want Cream to return for? As a character, her strongest point is having one of the most cute designs, but to mee, looks aren't everything. Her personality is pretty basic. Worse, she's one of those type of idealized characters void from any form of flaws. As far as I know, Cream doesn't even have a purpose or goal to drive her character. Sonic likes Adventures, Eggman wants to conquer the world to build the largest amusement park and have it all for himself alone. Tails wants to be as cool as Sonic, Amy wants to win Sonic's affection and respecc, Knuckles wants YOU off his lawn, Rougue wants all them gems in the world, Vector wants to be a famous detective and make lots of money, Big wants to go fishing with Froggy for ever and ever, etc. All of them have something they want or like to do more than anything, no matter how ambitious, mundane or plain ridiculous. All of them, except Cream.

The things I feel Sonic Team really need to think before throwing a half-baked character should be the following:

What is the character's motivation/purpose?

What unique thing is this character going to add/contribute to the existing cast?

Does it overlap and/or take away from existing characters in any way?

And because I like to at least add some constructive criticism, these are the things that Cream needs to have fixed:

* Don't make her Amy 2.0. I can't stress enough how this is a disservice to both Amy (taking away from her character) and Cream (not being allowed to be her own unique thing)

* Don't make her an idealized perfect little princess with no flaws, as that is no character in any way, shape or form. Give Cream actual flaws with clear consequences that can be felt as well as offer an opportunity to grow. You can't win me over if I cannot perceive the character as credible and relatable. To me, this are the two most important things and why it's Amy and Eggman who are my two all-time favorites, since both of them feel "real" in their own unique way because they give a reason to become invested and care for what happens to them. A flaw I can think off is that Cream does not understand things that are normal to grown ups and which to her might come as contradictory, like for example, why sometimes it's better to say a lie than a truth that will hurt others. At six years old, Cream is supposed to be learning and trying to understand her world and how people interact, not giving moral lessons that require having the experience of living to understand them.

As she is now, Cream is not needed. However, I could change my perception of the character, even be more accepting, if Cream was changed from "discount Amy" into something unique... something that actually plays her young age in a credible manner, who pursues a goal and struggles to overcome obstacles being driven by that goal.

They got her design. That's like 50% of the character done right. It's only the personality and how her interaction dynamics are played that needs a major overhaul.