Sonic Select is a series of graphic novels published by Archie Comics, featuring SEGA's mascot video game character Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic Select books reprint stories from the numorous Sonic Specials and Mini-Series, as well as the occasional selection from one of the ongoing series'. They are 128 pages long and printed on 6 x 9 inch high-grade paper. As of Book 3, the cover of the series was printed on a glossy material, similar to the first edition of the first two volumes of Sonic Archives. The series is currently capped at 10 books, with no further books currently planned.
Official Solicitations[]
Volume 1[]
By popular demand, we are happy to follow-up the speedily selling "Sonic Archives" series with a brand-new reprint collection: "Sonic Select", which will reprint many of the much-loved stories from the Sonic Super Specials! The best of the best will be featured in this series, including stories starring fan favorites Knuckles the Echidna, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Princess Sally Acorn, plus characters who don’t often get to hit center stage in the main series. Not only that, but "Sonic Select" will also be filled with everything from both the classic era of Sonic super-team Mike Gallagher and Dave Manak, to the later stories with varying artwork from such Sonic legends as Art Mawhinney, Patrick "Spaz" Spaziante, Steven Butler, Ken Penders, and others! It also features the first appearances of many of the biggest fan-favorite characters! With reprints from "Sonic: In Your Face", "Sonic & Knuckles", "Triple Trouble", and "Sonic Live!", this is one Sonic compilation you will not want to miss!
Volume 2[]
''THE NEW SERIES OF SONIC COLLECTIONS FEATURING CLASSIC TALES FROM SONIC SUPER SPECIALS CONTINUES! Following in the smashing success of the Sonic Archives series, Archie continues the proud tradition of reprints with Sonic Select! These fully restored and re-mastered 6x9 inch graphic novels feature the best stories taken from the original Sonic Super Specials! Volume 2 presents stories from such classic specials as "Knuckles' Chaotix", "Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles", "Mecha Madness", and "Sonic Live!" Now these hard-to-find stories are conveniently collected in this handsome volume, allowing fans from today and yesterday to add to their stash of Sonic comics, or start a whole new collection! Join the fun and become a part of Archie-Sonic history!
Volume 3[]
The highly acclaimed Sonic Select series of graphic novels returns with a vengeance! Inside you'll find three epic tales: "Battle Royal," where the Freedom Fighters throw down against the Chaotix, "Brave New World," the series changing fan-favorite, and "Return of the King," the story that set off the "World Tour Saga"! All that and more!
Volume 4[]
This fourth volume of the popular Sonic Select series collects for the first time the alternate-reality madness of the Zone Wars saga from the Sonic the Hedgehog Super Special comic books plus the entire island adventure from the Sonic Blast Special.
Sonic's in for more than a world of trouble as he tackles the biggest baddies the multiverse has to offer. It's a case of mistaken identity as the devious Dr. Eggman and Dimitri swap the minds of Sonic and Knuckles... a "Crisis of Infinite Sonics!"
Volume 5[]
Blast into the past at Sonic speed with this flashback-themed edition of the hugely successful Sonic Select graphic novel series! You’ll catch the early adventures that turned Sonic and the Freedom Fighters into the heroes they are today! From the founding of the team to the secret past between Princess Sally and Knuckles – it’s all here! But this volume doesn’t just live in the past. Sonic and the leading ladies of the comic tell and experience major events in their lives, shaping their characters and events in the comics for years to come! Sonic Select 5 collects stories from Sonic Super Specials #5, 8, 9 and 11.
Volume 6[]
Sonic must face Dr. Eggman’s deadliest creation in this - the “Death Egg Saga!” Here you’ll get the complete “Sonic Quest” trilogy telling of Sonic’s first confrontation with the famous battle station - the Death Egg! Sonic and Tails must race against time to stop the monstrous flying fortress before it turns everyone into robot slaves! Also collected in this volume are the first hints and the dramatic reveal of the Death Egg II! Sonic Select vol. 6 collects the ultra-rare “Sonic Quest” three part mini-series, Free Comic Book Day issues from 2010-2011, and selections from Sonic the Hedgehog #224.
Volume 7[]
Sonic the Hedgehog's most popular graphic novel series is back! Princess Sally Acorn is the single most famous Sonic character to come from Sonic media other than the games! Debuting in the cartoons and living on in the comic series. Sally has endured as the tomboy rebel leader and Sonic's love interest. This volume of Sonic Select collects signature Sally stories, including the entire hard-to-find Princess Sally mini-series!
Volume 8[]
Volume 9[]
Volume 10[]
Publication Dates and Featured Stories[]
Book 1 (April 30, 2008)
- Sonic In Your Face: All three stories- "The Quest", "The Mirror Zone" and "Tails' Tallest Tale"
- Sonic and Knuckles: All three stories- "Panic in the Sky", "Fire Drill", and "Lord of the Floating Island"
- Sonic Triple Trouble: All three stories- "T-T-Triple T-T-Trouble", "Submersible Rehearsal", and "First Contact"
- Sonic Live!: One story- "The Substitute Freedom Fighters"
Book 2 (November 19, 2008)
- Knuckles Chaotix: All three stories- "The Chaos Effect", "Tag! You're it!", and "The Hunt is On"
- Super Sonic vs Hyper Knuckles: Both stories- "Crash of the Titans" and "Fathers & Sons"
- Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness: Two Stories- "Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness", and "Don't Let the Island Hit You on the Way Down!"
- Sonic Live!: One story: "Knuckles Quest 2"
Book 3 (March 24, 2011)
- Battle Royal: Both stories- "Battle Royal!" and "The Map"
- Brave New World: The single story- "Brave New World"
- Return of the King: One story- "The Return of the King"
- Sonic & Knuckles: Mecha Madness: One story- "Eel of Fortune"
- Sonic Blast: One story- "Bugged Bunny"
Book 4: Zone Wars (December 13, 2011)
- Sally Moon: Two stories- "Zone Wars: Prelude", and "Den of Thieves"
- Crossover Chaos: One story- "Zone Wars: A Tale of Two Hedgehogs"
- Turnabout Heroes: Both stories- "Turnabout Heroes", and "Giant Robotno"
- Sonic Stew: One story- "Law of the Land"
- Sonic Blast: One story- "Sonic Blast"
Book 5: Sonic Kids (May 15, 2012)
- Sonic Kids: Two stories- "When You and I Were Young, Sally", and "Stop... Sonic Time!"
- Sonic Kids 2: All three stories- "Zoneward Bound", "My Secret Guardian", and "Eve of Destruction"
- Girls Rule!: All five stories- "Princess Sally: Ascension", "Hershey: Solo", "Lupe: Family", "Bunnie Rabbot: Upgrade", and "Julie-Su: Shadows"
- Sally Moon: One story- "Running on Empty"
- Sonic Blast: One story- "The T.U.F.F. Awards"
Book 6: The Death Egg Saga (October 16, 2012)
- Sonic Quest #1: The single story- "The Death Egg Saga: Scrambled"
- Sonic Quest #2: The single story- "The Death Egg Saga: Poached"
- Sonic Quest #3: The single story- "The Death Egg Saga: Over Easy"
- Free Comic Book Day 2010: The single story- "Hide & Seek & DESTROY!"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #224: Selections from- "Chaos and the Crown" - Part Two
- Free Comic Book Day 2011: The single story- "The Rematch"
Book 7: (March 5, 2013)
- Sonic the Hedgehog #20: One story- "Deadliest of the Species" - Prologue
- Princess Sally #1: The single story- "Deadliest of the Species" - Part One
- Princess Sally #2: The single story- "Deadliest of the Species" - Part Two
- Princess Sally #3: The single story- "Deadliest of the Species" - Part Three
- Knuckles the Echidna #29: The single story- "My Special Friend" Guest Starring... Princess Sally (the cover artwork renumbers the issue as #26).
- Sonic the Hedgehog #222: Selections from- "The World Can Wait"
Book 8: (September 24, 2013)[1]
- Sonic Triple Trouble: One story- "Submersible Rehearsal"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #28: One story- "Growing Pains" Part 1
- Sonic the Hedgehog #29: One story- "Growing Pains" Part 2
- Tails 1: The single story- "Southern Crossover" - Part One
- Tails 2: The single story- "Southern Crossover" - Part Two
- Tails 3: The single story- "Southern Crossover" - Part Three
- Sonic the Hedgehog #149: One story- "The Chosen One" Part 1
- Sonic the Hedgehog #150: One Story- "The Chosen One" Part 2
Book 9: The Games (March 11, 2014)
- Sonic Halloween Comic Fest 2013: The single story- "Sonic Lost World"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #160: One story- "Sonic Rush: Part 1"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #161: One story- "Sonic Rush: Part 2"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #180: One story- "High Stakes on the High Seas" (the story is accompanied by an extra page consisting of the flashbacks seen in Sonic Universe #1)
- Sonic the Hedgehog #191: One story- "Invaders from Beyond"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #197: One story- "Knight Time"
- Sonic and the Secret Rings: The single story- "Sand, Spirits and Sonic Speed"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #193: One story- "Sonic Unleashed!"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #219: One story- "Sonic Colors"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #230: One story- "Sonic Generations"
- Sonic Super Special Magazine #3: The single new story- "Time for a Comeback"
- Sonic Super Digest #5: Single new story- "Sonic Jump"
- Sonic Super Special Magazine #10: Single new story- "Sonic Dash"
- Sonic Universe #45: The single story- "Race for the Stars"
Book 10: (January 2015)
- Free Comic Book Day 2007: The single story- "Unburying the Hatchet"
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch #28: One story- "Some Enchantra Evening: Part 1"
- Crossover Chaos: One story- "Some Enchantra Evening: Part 2"
- Sally Moon: One story- "Running on Empty"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #247: The single story- "At All Costs: Part 1- Fate Interrupted"
- Sonic the Hedgehog #252: The single story- "At All Costs: Part 2- A New Lease on Life"
- Free Comic Book Day 2014: Both Sonic stories- "Sonic Comic Origins: Sally- The Exiled Leader" and "Sonic Comic Origins: Rotor- The Exiled Inventor"
- Sonic Super Digest #8: The single new story- "Sonic Comic Origins: Antoine- Little Lost Soldier"
- Sonic Super Digest #9: The single new story- "Sonic Comic Origins: Bunnie- The Belle in the Machine"
Cover Gallery[]
Background Information[]
- The Sonic Select volumes are referred to as books instead.
- Unlike the Sonic Archives, the cover for the Selects are all drawn in the modern day Japanese "Sonic Channel" style, even in the earlier volumes when the printed stories where from the classic era.
- When one compares the remastered art to the original source, many changes can be seen at a second glance. For example, Sonic's eyelids are now colored blue/indigo instead of the color of his muzzle, similar to his recent design. Shading is more prominent and noticeable. Various small or nearly unnoticeable changes also coexist to uplift the quality.
- Sonic Triple Trouble's "Submersible Rehearsal" and Sally Moon's "Running on Empty" are the only stories to appear in the books twice: the former appeared in books 1 and 8 and the latter in books 5 and 10 respectively.
- Each of the books following Book 5 runs on a certain theme. Book 6 focused on the Death Egg, Book 7 focused on Princess Sally, Book 8 focused on Tails (or more specifically, his "Chosen One" storyline), Book 9 focuses more on video game-based events and Book 10 on Sonic being controlled by various adversaries as well as the changes to the Freedom Fighters following the reboot.
- After releasing the first two volumes in 2008, the series went on a two year hiatus through 2009 and 2010. The reason for this has yet to be explained.
- Book 4
- This is the first of the Sonic Select volumes to actually have an extended title. The extended title; however, is not on the actual book, but is an extended title that seems to be given to the book on various websites including Archie's official website and product description.
- Book 5
- The advertisement did not mention that it would include any stories from the special, Sonic Blast, even though the book winded up including that special's story, "The T.U.F.F. Awards".
- The table of contents did not include Sally Moon's "Running on Empty" and Sonic Blast's "The T.U.F.F. Awards".
- The story "Princess Sally: Ascension" had the art edited to give Sally her vest throughout, while the original print didn't have her wearing her vest for the whole story (except flashbacks) as she entered into the pool of the Source of All. This was probably done to censor her 'nakedness' throughout the story, as her design being more humanlike had caused controversy among parents dating back when Sonic SatAM was still airing.
- Book 6
- This is the first of the Sonic Select volumes to have its extended title included on the book itself, unless the "Sonic Kids" writing included in the artwork of Book #5 is considered a subtitle.
- The font used for the word "Death Egg" is Gaslight, the same font used for the Zone title cards in Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Sonic and Knuckles.
- Book 7
- When this book was first announced, a slightly different cover was released which featured Geoffrey St. John in place of Espio. It's believed Geoffrey's exclusion from the cover was due to the then ongoing Archie/Penders case, which has since ended.
- This book is the first to not have the title written in simplified font at the very top of the cover.
- The cover artwork to Knuckles #29 renumbers the issue as #26. It's believed that this was done in order to prevent confusion from the shuffling of future issues included in the Knuckles Archives.
- Book 9
- This is notably the first time that the Sonic and the Secret Rings comic has been physically released in paper format.
- The video game controllers the characters are using on the cover are from the Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, respectively.
- Interestingly, this book was released approx. five months after the release of these consoles' successors, the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
- Assuming that the cast is playing a "normal" Sonic game (e.g. Sonic Generations, Sonic '06, Genesis Games, and to a lesser extent, Sonic Riders) on the standard controller layout, Knuckles would be the only one to move his character, since his hand is on the left analog stick. Sonic, holding the right analog stick, would only be moving the camera, Tails does not appear to be holding any of the buttons at all, Rouge is holding the D-Pad (and possibly left bumper), and Shadow appears to try to press the Xbox Home button.
- Evidence exists suggesting that the line-up of stories was changed before the final release. Early solicits hinted at "This Island Hedgehog" (StH#13) and "Sonic Adventure 2" (#98) being included in the book. The inclusion of the former was backed up when an updated cover featuring credits where released, which included Ken Penders, who wrote said story. In the end, all stories were those from Ian Flynn's run.
- All stories included in this book are part of what the game Sonic Generations considered the "Modern Era" (the games from Shadow the Hedgehog and beyond.)
- Strangely, the only video game adaption from this era not to appear in the book is the Sonic Riders 2-parter. Odder still, this is the second time the 2-parter has failed to appear in a book, after previously being confirmed to appear in Best of Sonic the Hedgehog: Villains, when it ultimately didn't.
- Two of the stories in this book, Sonic Jump and Sonic Dash where originally published just two months prior in their respective Super Special Magazine and Super Digest issues: the shortest original print to graphic novel reprint gap in Archie Sonic history.
- Book 10
- This is the first time the crossover with Sabrina the Teenage Witch has been reprinted in its entirety.
- When first announced, the cover featured an earlier, non-finalised version of Bunnie's post-Super Genesis Wave design, and Antoine's nose was shown to be shorter. These were all changed for the final release.
- The reprint of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic cover omits the small picture of actress Melissa Joan Hart (since Archie may not have the rights to use her image in future Archie media now) and the comic story removes the captions that tell the reader to read a previous Sabrina story.
References[]