Sonic the Hedgehog has been one of video gaming's most enduring personalities, though many would agree that it has been rough sailing as of late, as fans eagerly await the moment SEGA "gets it right" and breaks free of the vicious and notorious "Sonic Cycle." 2008's Sonic Unleashed was something of a near-miss, as many loved the daytime portions, but loathed the more prominent nighttime "werehog" portions.

(Personally speaking, it was the airplane section which left me feeling like I'd wasted 20 bucks.)

However, Sonic the Hedgehog is not just a video game character; when SEGA created the Blue Blur, they took every opportunity to make him a multimedia property, and that is where his star has shone brightest at various points over the years. Some fondly remember the various cartoons which the license spawned, while others may have a favorite shirt or plush toy featuring his quilled mug.

But the most enduring product to bear Sonic's name has to be the comic book produced by Archie Comics, which celebrates its 200th issue this month.

200 issues. To help put that into perspective, that is over 16 years at one per month, and the only other licensed comic book to beat it is Marvel's Conan the Barbarian comic, which debuted in October of 1970, and ran for 275 issues until its end in December of 1993.

By comparison, Marvel's main TransFormers series ran for 80 issues. Their G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero book ran for 155 issues, and Archie's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures ran for 72 issues. Each of these have had various mini-series, spin-offs, and specials associated with them, but so too has Sonic; if one wishes to include those, then you can add 32 issues of Knuckles the Echidna, 15 "Super Specials," 8 other specials, 16 issues across 5 mini-series, and the 40-issue run of Sonic X, which was based on the anime of the same name.

That's over 300 issues in total.

But as for the 200th issue of the proper ongoing series, they are continuing the tradition of having a total blowout as Sonic, followed by his fellow Freedom Fighters (along with Knuckles and his squad of Chaoix) confronts Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik deep in the depths of what remains of his now-ruined empire.

As described by the solicitation:

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #200
200th ISSUE SPECTACULAR
"Turnabout is Fair Play": The epic anniversary issue you've been waiting for is finally here! Back in Sonic #50, Sonic managed to win against his arch-rival, Dr. Robotnik. In Sonic #175, the doctor got his revenge! Now they duel for the fate of the world! Will freedom come to Mobius? Or will the Eggman Empire rule forever more? Place your bets - but be ready for the startling conclusion! Don't miss this cranium-creasing, brain-bending, mind-blowing saga!
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn
PENCILES Tracy Yardley!
INKS: Jim Amash
Dimension-crossing cover by Patrick "Spaz" Spaziante
Shipping Date: May 6th, 2009
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 13th, 2009
On Sale on Newsstands: May 26th, 2009
32-page, full color comic
$2.50 US

And to get you started, here's a preview of the issue to get you warmed up:













And for what fans there may be of some of Sonic's supporting cast, such as Knuckles the Echidna and Shadow the Hedgehog, a new series has recently begun to spotlight what else happens on Sonic's world when he's not in the spotlight. Here's a look at Sonic Universe #3, which is currently on sale now:

"Old Soldiers": Shadow is sent into the remote mountains to find E-102 Gamma. At the same time, Dr. Robotnik launches the over-powered E-123 Omega to hunt down and destroy the rogue robot! It's a race against time to see if Shadow can save Gamma and offer him asylum - if Gamma even wants to be saved! It's the latest installment of this exciting new series presenting unifying continuity while spotlighting the many characters from Sonic's various video games and animated series.
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn.
ART: Tracy Yardley.
Shipping Date: April 22nd, 2009
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 29th, 2009
On Sale on Newsstands: May 12th, 2009
32-page, full color comic
$2.50 US

The Sonic comic has endured for a long time, even through the period when SEGA wasn't really even making any Sonic games (helloooo, Saturn-- no, Jam and R don't count), and it's still a fun read to pick up today. Certainly less complicated than buying every issue of Marvel or DC's enormous mega-event tie-ins, and less insulting than Spider-man selling his marriage to the devil and spitting in the face of all that's good.