Sonic the Hedgehog: Best Comic Covers

Summary

• Sonic comics feature iconic battles, eerie visuals, and cool character interactions on their covers.
• Sonic and Shadow face off against Metal Sonics in Issue 159, showcasing unique artwork and excitement.
• IDW Issue 68 portrays a rare peaceful moment between Sonic and Tails, highlighting their different personalities.

The Sonic the Hedgehog comics have taken on a life of their own as an individual companion to the rest of the series. Not only have these side-stories incorporated new characters, but they have also introduced plenty of intriguing battles and events, and if fans want to get a sneak peek at what’s on offer, they can usually get a good idea straight from the cover.

With literally hundreds of issues released across a handful of different publishers, it means that there’s plenty of brilliantly designed cover pages to admire. Out of the whole lot though, there’s a select few which have become especially memorable for their style and aesthetic, alongside the amount of creativity that’s incorporated into the design.

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Sonic The Hedgehog Issue 159

Sonic And Shadow Desperately Fend Off An Army Of Metal Sonics In This Intense Image

• Release Date: February 2006

Seeing Sonic and Shadow share the spotlight of a front cover is always going to be a treat, but watching them do-battle with a literal horde of Mecha Sonics manages to make for an even cooler snapshot of the two arch-rivals. Issue 159 would be one of the very first appearances of Shadow on a comic cover, and while his red and black color palette provides a nice contrast to Sonic’s bright blue, it’s the Metal Sonic army that really steals the show here.

There’s something all so eerie about seeing numerous mindless robots with razor-sharp claws all climbing on top of one another just to get in reach of their real-life counterpart, looking like the front cover of some kind of zombie horror movie. It’s an incredibly creative front page which plays on the creepiness of Metal Sonic, alongside the on-and-off alliance shared between Sonic and Shadow.

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Sonic The Hedgehog IDW Issue 64

A Hilarious Reference Which Bizarrely Feeds Into Silver’s Character

• Release Date: September 2023

Believe it or not, this Sonic cover is a direct reference to the iconic “Charlie conspiracy” meme that originally came out of the hit tv series, Always Sunny Philadelphia. While that already makes this depiction of Silver pretty comical, it also weirdly ties into his character, considering he can travel through time and is always trying to map out how things will turn out by affecting elements of the past and present.

If readers look closely, they will also be able to spot a few key characters on the pages, including Sonic and Tails, and even Mimic the Octopus, who is a recurring villain in the comic stories. How Sega managed to get away with this remains a mystery, but it nonetheless results in one of the funniest covers to date, which is also chock-full of easter eggs to discover.

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Sonic The Hedgehog Issue 175

This Issue Took A Darker Angle With Its Cover, Which Makes It Incredibly Effective

Talk about a tonal shift, Issue 75 went all-in with its horror aesthetic for the cover, which depicts a creepy-looking Eggman holding up a defeated Sonic who has been wrapped in chains. It’s a pretty rare sight to see Sonic being utterly humiliated by his arch nemesis, but to depict it in such a grizzly fashion, with Sonic looking down at the floor and Eggman’s eyes lighting like Christmas lights, manages to make it extremely effective.

This is one of those covers that begs the reader to dive in and learn more about what happens, and that’s a testament to just how impactful it is. The Sonic franchise has dabbled with a darker tone in some of the games, but it feels like the Archie Comics designers went as far as they could for this one, without it being too gory or scary.

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Sonic The Hedgehog Issue 134

Only Sonic Could Make A Breakup Look This Cool

Sally Acorn is a very prominent character in the comics who eventually stirs up a romantic relationship with Sonic, though as demonstrated on this epic cover, that relationship has been far from easy to maintain. In this particular cover, Sally, who has been drawn with an incredible level of detail, can be seen walking away while a giant Sonic looks back as she leaves, and considering the look on his face, it almost presents him as some sort of villain.

The context of this illustration is that Sonic and Sally decided to part ways when the former refused to stop chasing Eggman. After Sally asks Sonic whether he cares more about defeating Eggman than about his own partner, only for him to fail to give an answer, it results in an emotional moment which is perfectly conveyed through this heartfelt image. Though the breakup of Sonic and Sally would be divisive among the fanbase, the cover itself still remains a real stand-out.

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Sonic Super Special Issue 6

This Cover Kicks It Back To The Effortlessly Cool Aesthetic Of Late 90s Sonic

Undoubtedly one of the most creative and experimental covers from the Sonic comics can be seen on the front of Super Special Issue 6 in what can only be described as a futuristic mix-match of characters. The glossy aesthetic of the entire image, paired with the sheer number of characters that are featured, including an oddly realistic and mature Eggman, help this cover stand out from its counterparts.

Another reason this cover is such a highlight is how heavily it leans into the classic late 90s Sonic aesthetic, especially with the Blue Blur’s design, which sees him sporting giant eyes and a much smaller frame than his 3D rendition, adding a real retro feel to the entire illustration.

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Sonic The Hedgehog 30th Anniversary – One Shot

The Gang’s All Here, And Racing Across A Pretty Familiar Stage

IDW Comics decided to go all-out when creating the cover to celebrate Sonic’s 30th anniversary, ensuring that it is as colorful and vibrant as possible to emphasize the joyful tone of the series. While Sonic obviously takes center stage for this cover, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy can all be seen following him closely behind as they cruise through what appears to be a giant casino.

Casino stages have been appearing in Sonic games as early as the second entry in the series, and have therefore become synonymous with the franchise as a whole, so including it as the backdrop is a clever way to acknowledge the fans who have stuck with the series for so many years.

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Sonic The Hedgehog IDW Issue 6

There’s A Lot To Admire In This Epic Cover Which Features An Intriguing Medley Of Characters

Sonic and Shadow’s intense rivalry plays a big role in many of the games, especially Sonic Adventure 2, which is where it first kicked off, so it only makes sense that there would eventually come a cover that showcases the two going head to head. While the cover of the sixth issue of the modern Sonic the Hedgehog comic puts this on full display, it also showcases Team Chaotix, Rouge the Bat with a mysterious grin on her face, and Eggman, who watches the two hedgehogs battle on with glee in the background.

There’s no doubt that this is an action-packed cover that’s honestly hard to look away from, but while it could have only featured Sonic and Shadow, the decision to add in extra characters alongside a creepy illustration of Eggman, earns this particular page a few bonus points.

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Sonic The Hedgehog IDW Issue 68

A Rare Moment Of Peace That Subtly Showcases The Differences Between Sonic And His Best Bud

• Release Date: January 2024

It’s amazing how much readers can learn about these two best buds just from a single image alone. This cover already gets off to a great start with its dimly lit setting, which almost looks like a resting spot ripped straight out of a fantasy RPG. While Sonic can be seen snoozing off, Tails has a look of wonder on his face as he reaches out to grab the small green butterflies swirling around him.

This immediately conveys the key differences between the two, how Sonic is always acting laid back and cool, while Tails is more naive but also full of curiosity. It’s also just nice to see the two of them relaxing in a calm and peaceful setting, which is a rare sight considering they are usually always on the hunt for Eggman.