New Details on Upcoming Archie Sonic Legacy, Knuckles Archives Launches

Legacy Series Gets B/W Treatment; All & More Get Graphic Novel Treatment

Archie is trying its hand at the graphic novel market using one of its most successful adventure franchises: Sonic the Hedgehog.

A feature in Publishers’ Weekly outlines what’s to come.  Over the next several months, Archie will begin publishing a series of several compilations from the Sonic comics in graphic novel format.  That will make the books larger in size than their comic book counterparts–”phonebook size,” according to Archie Sonic editor Paul Kaminski in the piece.

The effort will include Sonic Legacy as well as newcomer Knuckles Archives.

The big surprise is that the recently launched Sonic Universe series will be a part of this re-issue, and looks to focus on The Shadow Saga, which was covered in the first four SU issues.  Furthermore, Sonic Legacy will indeed be 512 pages as was previously reported, and appears to be composed of re-issues from the early series beginnings in the 1990s, but with a big twist: the interior will be only in black and white.

“This is along the line of the DC Showcase and Marvel Essentials titles, where they are able to compile larger groups of stories and keep the cost down because it’s in black and white,” said Kaminski in the article.

That indeed is the method to the madness with all these compilations: to make sure they look good, appeal to teens and older demographics, and can compete with larger comic book competitors with graphic novels of their own already on sale.  The volumes will be available at major bookstores, as well as comic book stores and through digital downloads.

There will be incentive to buy the hard copy.  The article notes some features on the Sonic Universe volume include spot varnish on the cover and other not yet known “deluxe” perks.

The Knuckles Archives will be re-releases from the original 32 issue arc, published from 1997 to 1999.

Thanks to Ziggyfin for sending this information in.  If you have news to share, be sure to share it with us by clicking Send News Tips at the top of every page.