Through The Fire & Filler | SonicSpeedReading

The girls go camping for three months. Let's talk about it.
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[@jonieljoestarzawarudo8172]

I don't know if you realized it, but that friendly motobug is the motobug that Mr. Tinker built while he was kidnapped by Starline.

[@Soufriere84]

When I first read the story, I missed it, but the Sonic-shaped manicured bush is a dead giveaway. I think Tinker just _fixed_ that Motobug, not built him from scratch the way Belle is.

[@Rhyusfox]

Maybe it was Jimmy?

[@dranoradragonqueen1494]

Wait what?! That's amazing!

[@saberwolf3675]

I’d wondered if anyone else thought that.

[@kirinbobarcana]

At least Belle has a brother

[@mr.skateandwatch]

Belle honking her nose to calm ash was touching. Mr. Tinker still lives on in his creations

With a straight face as well.

[@CyanicCore]

Based on the situation, I assumed she was actually trying to communicate something, and went back a few times to try and understand... not my finest moment.

[@WarFoxThunder]

IKR

[@FunnyFany]

"It feels like filler" leading straight to "i feel like some of these things will come up later" makes me think no one knows the meaning of filler anymore.

[@CometX-ing]

It can still feel like filler even if does have things that will come up. It plants the seeds for the future but those things don’t make the arc as a whole feel important. The things that happen here could have been added to other stories. It’s not technically filler, but it has the feeling of filler.

[@FunnyFany]

@@CometX-ing a character-centric mini-arc isn't filler. People are just so addicted to having plot shoved into everything, that they get antsy when the focus shifts towards interpersonal relationships (which are also important to a story if you want your audience to care about the characters the story is about). Filler looks like Naruto's main plotline -- the appeal of which is very dependent on its audience caring about the characters -- stopping dead in its tracks when all of a sudden they have to hunt down a ninja ostrich. A 3-issue mini-arc exploring side characters, giving them more depth and developing their relationships doesn't look like filler at all to me.

[@CometX-ing]

@@FunnyFany the thing is this arc was too short to properly feel like it even did much as a character centric arc. Its not like the characters go through some major change or like their characters are explored in any major way. Tangle is still the fun loving adventure girl from start to finish, she just quits the restoration, something which felt inevitable any. Belle suddenly decides she wants to save the badniks which is an idea born out of meeting one good one. And Jewel just gains more confidence in herself, which is nice and all but felt like something that was already covered when she became the director of the restoration. The story should have focused on one character rather than trying to handle three.

[@ChaddyFantome]

Yea... often people use it interchangeably with "I didn't care".

[@FunnyFany]

@@CometX-ing that's a valid criticism, I suppose it's the issue with the monthly comic format. I personally don't think it's enough to call it "filler-y", for the reasons I stated above, but I accept that others see it differently.

[@AngelRamirez-zd9hv]

Personally I like that in this issue, Sonic's "sneeze awareness" flares up when Amy brings up her tarot cards. A very obscure ability for sure.

[@torchdreemurr4082]

it's not really an "ability" of his it's just a general superstition that you sneeze if somebody is talking about you

[@vision4860]

Yeah it's just a trope. Sneezing when somebody is talking about you. And specifically what Amy was referring to was their meeting in Sonic CD (or whatever equivalent thereof in this canon). Her cards allegedly told her that she'd encounter Sonic at Little Planet during its visit to Mobius.

[@themissingbits6375]

it called Earth, not mobius

[@ordinarydork2515]

​@@themissingbits6375 no, it is mobius, our planet and their are 2 different worlds. At least for Forces and onwards

[@themissingbits6375]

The 2 Diffrent worlds was something one of the developers of the games Said to explain why some Sonic Games only has humans/animal characthers. Recently that no longer a thing, now it just 1 planet with humans and animals. And yes you heard me right, animal characthers not Mobians. Mobius was an localation change over in the West, in Japan it was always called Earth. Sonic Adventure was the game that used the term “Earth” to the planet, Though the Archie Comics still called it Mobius until the reboot happent, and yet some people don’t know about This and still Can it Mobius like that What it was called originally

[@azuroslazuli6948]

"Feels like filler" I guess it doesn't work as well in a comic format. As a writer, it's perfectly normal to have slow moments like this in movies and novels. Nothing feels slow to me; it's just taking some time to build the characters through their normal lives. I guess it would be boring to have to wait a whole month to only get a few chapters at a time, though. I'll keep that in mind for whenever I finally make some comics myself. XD

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Another important thing to keep in mind is that the world in these comics is barely developed. So if you want to do a story like this in your own comic, then you should outline your world at the beginning of tour work.

[@necrodeus6811]

I think comic readers tend to be more impatient then book readers in general, because of the serialization. They wanna feel like they got their money's worth with each issue

[@necrodeus6811]

@@thelossensei oh wow, the people who had to piece together Mr Balzac sentences in between publications had a rough time 🤣. I can appreciate that he didn't want to cut anything out! It's sloppy, but it sounds like it was done with love Thank you for sharing! Every medium has drawbacks. Comics/manga/graphic novel tends to be made on a time crunch too, so there are lots of storybeats where the writer is just trying to keep his/her job.

[@itsjDawG2]

I know what you mean, as a writer myself. It's a different perspective, because we know these slower moments are necessary for proper structure and realistic scenario, plus, when books are only being released on a weekly or even monthly basis, it makes these slower moments feel like theyre dragging on that much longer. At the same time, if it was all action and drama all the time, it would get exhausting fast.

[@Yuti640]

1:12 I love how Tails is the one that needs to have a player two when Tails is usually associated with being a partner nice reversal of expectations there

[@johnathanegbert9277]

Lol

[@shonenbois]

I swear the way Evan Stanley writes Amy is just so Great and these camp issues were honestly pretty good. That scene with Belle and the Kid was just adorable.

[@snowyvul]

funny clown nose

[@randomcatname7792]

Also going to say that Amy is drawn beautifully here too

[@peachcarton976]

Im pretty sure someone already has said this but card reading was one of Amy's original character traits and if i remember correctly was the whole reason she was obsessed with sonic, because the cards told her that he was her hero and would fulfill her. Its a cool call back.

[@galfinsp7216]

It was a reason why she was on little planet in sonic CD

[@rainpooper7088]

Yeah, she also used cards to attack in Chronicles in reference to that. I love little references like this, too bad the games canon barely does it anymore.

[@thelonemask]

I'm pretty sure Tangle covered up Belle's hand so that other people wouldn't freak out when they see her with an exposed endoskeleton.

[@SkyDude-wd3ow]

A nice detail i like is that mr tinker had fixed up a motobug that started designing plants, so this motobug is definitely the same one, so belle finally found another mr tinker creation

[@wanderlustwarrior]

That's a really great catch!

[@galfinsp7216]

How many more still exist. Wouldn’t be suprised if there were it, but it’s interesting to ponder.

[@burgergud2804]

That’s pretty cool

[@SkyDude-wd3ow]

@@wanderlustwarrior ill be honest, i wad reading it in class, and after 5 minutes of continueing, thats when i realised it

[@RadicalSoda]

3 minutes in, and holy shit is that Garfield next to Mr. Big

[@wanderlustwarrior]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that!

[@kingacastus8915]

Must have been a monday

[@mrchoochooguy4045]

Ye it is Won't find much lasagna in the lake (or at least not very good lasagna)

[@midnight_horizen8184]

time stamp

[@CyanicCore]

@@midnight_horizen8184 3:00 I think, top right corner

[@SerothTalon]

Idk about you, but personally I like these little adventures. High stakes storytelling isn't as effective without the quieter moments to contrast. Gotta show the peace they are trying to protect.

[@CometX-ing]

That works better when you’ve properly established the world. As is there isn’t much of a peaceful world to protect, just a bunch of random locations with little if any individuals we know living in them.

[@ChaddyFantome]

My thoughts exactly. You cant appreciate the high stakes adventures if you dont have more down to earth ones to give them context and establish what it is the characters have to lose by doing so.

[@burgergud2804]

Exactly Always chaotic adventure story’s are cool but I also like the chill and quite story’s. You gotta balance it

[@Soufriere84]

@@CometX-ing Establishing the world is literally what Evan has been doing since she took over as head writer. I agree there should have been more world-building within the first couple of arcs -- Ian tried to work it in but, let's be honest, it would have dragged down the story pacing even more.

[@Mysticgamer]

True, you need breather arcs to let the characters be themselves and organically set up more story later.

[@Graphomite]

I continue to be impressed by IDW's take on Amy. As a character who is capable of action yet infallible to solving emotional dilemma, she has truly become the counterpart to Sonic and equally invaluable. This emotionally intelligent pink hedgehog is much better than emotionally _unstable_ one we grew up with.

[@wanderlustwarrior]

I love that they kept Tails' house from Sonic Battle!

[@ghostgreen9771]

I love that house

[@alexrowe7063]

I can see why she'd want to stay away from fire even tho she has metal underneath, Belle would probably look horrifying with her exoskeleton exposed.

[@OmarRodriguez-pj3qy]

Yeah, I gotta say, when I saw her bandaged with Tangle's straps, I thought that was gonna be a sort of trope for her to continuously get beat and burned and get patched up like that, eventually turning her into a more grizzled looking fighter. Scars and exposed metal and all LOL. "grr... this is nothin'!" Also, I really really don't mean this in a snarky way and I already understood exactly what you meant. This is just a respectful FYI. Belle having her metal skeleton exposed doesn't make it an exoskeleton. It'd be an exoskeleton she was designed with it already on the exterior of her body like certain arthropods.

[@eur0be4t3r]

@@OmarRodriguez-pj3qy the wood is more like an exoskeleton

[@midnight_horizen8184]

@@eur0be4t3r I think its Endo not Exo

[@midnight_horizen8184]

@@eur0be4t3r Or rather the Wood is more of a shell

[@johnathanegbert9277]

He meant endoskeleton and not exoskeleton

[@MadDragonify]

I just had surgery yesterday, kinda in and out of sleep due to the post op meds, and this video came out at the perfect time to relax and get my mind off the pain for a bit. Thanks GameApologist, you've unintentionally helped a dude recover from surgery.

[@Patrick-vq2he]

Been there. Get well soon!

[@shawnsuckstm3353]

hope your doing well buddy

[@Magicghost23]

Amy is the kind of person who asks you what your star sign is.

[@UntalentedBrick]

Or your zodiac sign

[@johnathanegbert9277]

Lol oof

[@ObscureSwan]

Belle's Fortune Card was probably a bad one, like Devil or Hanged Man, but since all the cards in the deck relate to actual things in the world of Sonic, it probably was the Eggman card. Telling the gal that the card she got was a bad fortune and specifically had her "dead" father on it probably would've been hard on her, hence why Amy got rid of it.

[@Ataluster]

Her card was probably “The Eggman”

[@eur0be4t3r]

@@Ataluster Now I imagine the “The World” card but eggman

[@rjrowley3887]

@@eur0be4t3r now im just thinking about eggman having a stand

[@shawnsuckstm3353]

@@rjrowley3887 now all I can do is think of Dio with eggman voicelines and eggman with Dios

[@Sunshine_The_Sonic_Fan]

Or it could have been the reversed version of a usually good card

[@angelrgrimaldo1374]

My opinion is that if you get a long running comic book you might as well take the time to slow down and explore your characters

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Yeah, don't mind the slower filler long as it's good. No need to rush to action

[@urdeadnotbigsuprise7439]

@@MagillanicaLouM My only problem is it's taking a month to get a new issue, that's all.

[@CometX-ing]

@@MagillanicaLouM That’s fine, but the world still feels far too under developed.

[@ChaddyFantome]

Yea, I blame the release schedule more than the arc itself.

[@PEHfinale]

I agree, but the fact that they are stretched into 4 issues for a trade is the real problem. Not every story needs to be the same length.

[@mistersp3753]

The bear cub's name is Ash? It's like his dad was expecting him to be burnt to a crisp someday. Either that or it was a tribute to Smokey Bear. Either way, that park ranger was playing with fire.

[@wanderlustwarrior]

Maybe he just wanted his son to be a Wisp Master!

[@mistersp3753]

@@wanderlustwarrior That's probably it. He just wanted Ash to be the very best, like no one ever was.

[@The_AGL_Group]

It may also be a slight reference to the Ash Bears from Bionicle, as it's already been confirmed that one of the inspirations for Whisper's personality and design was Kopaka from the same series.

[@dasirrlicht5415]

Wasn't there a thing about not naming characters or they are forced to become permanent installations because Sega will gobble the copyright up in fear of another incident about character ownership?

[@mistersp3753]

@@dasirrlicht5415 It's probably fine. Sega wouldn't want to promote a character whose name immediately reminds readers of a popular franchise they don't own.

[@leritykay8911]

You know how good this writing is? I saw an article that went something like "Sonic comics new Girl Power story arc fails spectacularly." Or something dumb like that. And I was just like... Girl Power..? Oh, right! They are all girls aren't they? I didn't even realize. I mean, to me it's not just a bunch of girls going on a trip, it's Amy, Jewel, Tangle, and Belle going on a trip, who are characters that just happen to be girls.

[@enjoyerofcake2123]

Panic Puppet during Belle's breakdown and now Angel Island's burning Act 2 as the forest burns. Love your musical choices!

[@KraziShadowbear]

Personally, I loved seeing all the little details and funny moments of this comic like the moment after Belle honks her nose and tells Tangle not to tell anyone or she'll disassemble her bicycle or the fact that the Motobug clinged onto Tangle's tail during the river rapids ride since it couldn't stand on the log with the others because of its mono-wheel or the fact that this Motobug was the EXACT same one that used to help Belle when Mr. Tinker was around. Love seeing you react, read, and cover these comics, Nick! :D

[@themagicweedbus1319]

THE MOTOBUG JUST CHILLING IN THE WATER, I LOVE IT

[@CometX-ing]

This arc feels like something that would realiy have benefited from IDW having a Sonic Universe-eque sub series like at Archie. It does the job of setting up the motivation of certain characters, like Tangle setting up on her own and Belle wanting to reform Eggman’s badniks(?) it also alludes to Surge and Kit. But on the whole it feels like a distraction more than anything. Like I get that at least for the moment IDW isn’t really doing a major Adventure after the Zombot arc, but three relatively low key mini arcs in a row just kinda makes the comic feel directionless.

[@sylver_sonic7726]

This mini-arc was good, but I think most of us were more interested on certain two new characters... Anyway, Evan still did a good job with this story.

[@donisamwentete5079]

Nice

[@markmorales7958]

2:55 I see they’re making an Adventure 2 Reference with Big the Cat making small cameos… 5:01 Ah, it’s one of those Japanese gags where someone mention someone that’s very far away, and that same someone sneezes in response.

[@creepy.bstanbtsbtw]

Sonic sneezing might actually be a reference to the original concept of Sonic sneezing when sensing danger. Something that was used in Sonic CD, same game Amy debuted in.

[@Tkscz]

Nice touch playing the Angel Island on fire music when the forest fire happens.

[@cesarvictoriano8072]

Can’t wait for you to cover Imposter Syndrome. Surge has quickly become my favorite evil Sonic counterpart. Sorry Shadow, since you’re good now you’re benched from that spot.

[@Joshua-pt1ck]

Sonic: "This is the weekend Amy and friends go camping! Would it be nice if they got lost in the woods and never came back?" fr love this arc!

[@ryninja5788]

Y’know, after watching this story a couple times from different people, I’m wondering now if the friendly motobug is a reference to that one “motobug in Sonic 1” mod by that one guy who’s name I forgot. It’s the same thing that heavy rider’s motobug is based on in tribute. Wonder if this is the comic’s way of paying tribute to them.

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

Heavy Rider’s Motobug was named Jimmy after Polygon Jim, the programmer of that Sonic 1 hack. Therefore, I vote we call Belle’s new friend “Polygon” to honor Jim once more.

[@cay7809]

@@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho rip to the hack creator

[@Soufriere84]

@@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho It shouldn't be any surprise to anyone that Evan is well aware of that hack and Polygon Jim's sad passing. She said she _really_ wants to name that motobug in his honor but Sega hasn't given clearance.

[@tipulsar85]

3:00 Well we know that a Monday hating cat exists in this version of the Sonic comics. Look near Big.

[@jblockman_59nunyabidnis68]

Thinking about the tarot card reading she either drew the death card or something to do with betrayal.

[@Wyrmshield]

I absolutely LOVED the tarot scene! While irl it's of course bogus, in fiction they drawings are -always- relevant. Tangle getting the card about a strong partnership and saying she doesn't think it applies to her while she is literally sitting next to Jewel, her best friend who she joined the Restoration to be with, and Jewel's look of pain as she realizes they aren't very close anymore. It makes Jewel want to leave early and in doing so leaves her leadership card on the ground, hidden from the others behind the log. And of course Belle's card being at first unknown and then set ablaze is just beautiful foreshadowing.

[@phanto-64]

I honestly love the slower style. Giving every character more time to individually shine and act as more than helpers for sonic

[@AwesomelyVideos]

I think the book definitely needs to start having some backup stories. I think one weak area of the book is how they'll prolong mysteries or reveals even though we already know what's going on, like Belle being created by Mr Tinker. I do enjoy the more lighthearted arcs but they don't need 4 or even 3 issues to cover them. Like the latest main issue, it's a chaotic story that is short and straight to the point and I wanna see more issues like that.

[@theamazingmaymay123]

Watching these makes me really wanna go and read the actual runs. I love the writing and how Well Amy is being handled.

[@theotakubrony7635]

I always love a good Big the Cat cameo.

[@BlackFlash09]

You know, I've been wondering something. Amy has shown good leadership skills throughout the media. But once she started leading the Restoration, detractors found something else to hate her for, calling her a Sally rip-off. However, the events of the Metal Virus arc took a toll on her. She isn't someone who works behind the scenes; she works better on the field. Unlike Knuckles, Amy made sure Jewel was ready before she passed leadership duties onto her. So, what I want to know is are people hating on Jewel and calling her a Sally rip-off? Come to think of, did anyone call Knuckles a Sally rip-off?

[@johnathanegbert9277]

How do you call Knuckles a "Sally ripoff"? He's Knuckles! He's his own boi!

[@BlackFlash09]

@@johnathanegbert9277 Because he led the Resistance originally. And apparently, you can't lead an organization of heroes in Sonic's world without being compared to Sally in some way.

[@caraprism9074]

What are you talking about? Knuckles is clearly a sally rip-off. Knuckles and Sally are basically the same person and completely indistinguishable from each other (/s in case it wasn’t obvious)

[@copilots3159]

Omg I love how it shows sonic and tails outside of the borders of the other panels when Amy mentions the cards brought her to someone important.

[@CGHawkatoo]

The eerie thing about this comic was the fact it was being issued during the two major California Widlfires in 2021; one of them was in South Lake Tahoe where the ash and smoke went into Carson Valley, where I live, and it went on for about three months.

[@sonicrose8430]

weren't they also Arson as well

[@blue-hat-hedgehog]

Did you notice Garfield just chilling next to Big the Cat? Best cat bros ever!

[@CyanicCore]

As usual, when it seemed the references were all found, you find more! Missing the statue is a bit disappointing after all the hours of CD, but I've at least got a new name for it! Tarot cards have been rare items through my life, so knowing them almost exclusively from Sonic meant this sequence was much more bearable for myself than it was for you. Considering the story's set is customized, any idea what Belle could have pulled? Giving Belle fire seems risky, but just reasonable enough. After all, she's had roughly every other construction tool, and heat/fire is key in various engineering processes, especially soldering. Tangle offering athletic tape felt a little less viable, but what can you do? (I'm justifying her kick having such an effect by juxtaposing Amy's hammer, Tails' flight, etc.) Speaking of Tangle, her development was likely the best justification for this mini-arc. Every moment of reflection was shown incredibly well, even from others (Jewel coldly stating she's not a night owl where Whisper would be). All in all, it felt authentic, even realistic, and that's a feat for comic relationships. That Motobug raised quite a few questions - especially without noticing the hedge, but with the length between these issues it wasn't too hard to connect. The bot's surprisingly likeable, but brings so many questions. Is it realistic for this grunt-style bot to have such developed ai? Will, should it get development such as a name or colors? As you brought up - the most concerning - does an animal remain inside? In every game I can think of, Motobugs all did... Though indeed slower - to the point I thought issues were missing, I wasn't upset with this one. It's much better than the Chao Race series, and had a ton of good moments! Besides, the real reason behind a less developed world may be due to the attempt to keep all Sonic stories close more than anything else. Edit: After the hints in this episode, just read the next issue and laughed way too hard 🤣

[@SuperSonic68]

3:08 I'm certainly not the first to point this out, but... Izzat Garfield next to Big? It is.

[@thegamingembassy1543]

This is a good refresher for the big run to issue 50. Entertaining as always.

[@aurawarrior1367]

“It feels like they (the tarot cards) we’re designed to be marketable later” That aged well

[@jackusy3414]

Tangle “funny clown nose…” Belle “if you tell anyone, I will disassemble your bicycle and hide every piece “

[@Gat720Dua]

Tails asking Sonic to be his player 2 is pretty funny to me.

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Filler is great content long as it's fun, and this seems to be. Love the idea

[@SONICX1027]

I’m excited to see how you cover the Archie Sonic Comics, because for what I have seen, hoo boy. It’s going to be wild

[@Ninjaman50]

I still enjoyed it for the most part. It actually made me really like Jewel more, considering she's the character out of the 4 that some would probably forget about. I also think it's worth the read because it's great foreshadowing of Surge and Kit.

[@concentratedcringe]

I'd like to point out that plenty of good detective/mystery stories have the characters figuring out stuff that the audience already knows (Columbo being a great example). The fun lies in seeing *how* the characters figure it out.

[@ianmurphy3840]

I love how Big and character who resembles Garfield are fishing together.

[@AkiDave]

I never expected a Smokey the bear reference in Sonic but here we are

[@ChaddyFantome]

Personally, this arc was some of my favorites in IDW. I love how Amy is characterized here and how the strength of her character being properly utilized, something I feel just wasnt done in the beginning of the book. I also liked how we got a more laid back mini story amongst all the havoc that was happening. It's not something you get often. I feel the plotpoints see up for the future are rather underplayed here. A lot happens even if it might be subtle. Another thing I really like is if you pay attention, the motobug Belle finds is the one Tinker put together back when Starline was trying to restore Eggman. He even made the bush same as him. It's interesting to think where it'll lead in that regard.

[@WierdozJunkary]

About halfway though this at the time making this comment. But I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the friendly moto bug seems to be that moto bug that mister tinker fixed up when Starline was trying to revive Eggman.

[@GameApologist]

Good eye!!!

[@Splonton]

I love how the comics just ignore the fact that infinite existed. He was so unimportant that the comics which take place after forces, completely ignore him

[@ironmask4568]

Honestly I wish they didn’t because I fell the current writing team could make him a interesting character

[@Splonton]

@@ironmask4568 yeah, me saying I love it was mostly sarcastic, I wish they'd do something cool with him too

[@itsjDawG2]

"It's like they made them to actually be marketable" fast foward to February 2023 and it turns out they, in fact, did design them to be marketable

[@rylewolf2671]

This Amy reading Tarot Cards thing was carried over from the archie comics I think. I remember this specifically because it was also a thing in Sonic Chronicles, where she would put a status effect on the enemy by reading their Tarot. and I remember that the reason Amy follows Sonic in the first place is because She read her own love fortune and it told her she would marry sonic one day. So Amy and fortune telling is kinda sorta her staple and I like it cause it's another face of her personality

[@ChaddyFantome]

Amy reading Tarot is from the games. It's a thing that is repeatedly mentioned in her profiles that she loves fortunes and mysticism. Its actually how she met Sonic in CD. Her cards foretold a destined encounter on Little Planet, and it ended up being her meeting him. Sonic X actually has n epsiode where Amy makes a goodluck bracelet for Sonic to help him swim for example, and Amy mentions in Sonic Battle she was able to find Sonic with her cards. It's also one of her moves from chronicles. Amy's belief in destiny and the mystical is pretty central to her character.

[@rylewolf2671]

@@ChaddyFantome ohhh yeah I forgot the thing about Sonic CD and Sonic Battle. Again I just love that about her character

[@cyberwolf5896]

I know it’s gonna be a bit before he covers IDW again but honestly I can’t wait for his review of the imposter syndrome mini series, just a reason to keep watching these videos till it comes out

[@mechajay3358]

This maybe Filler, but it's GOOD Filler. I'm enjoying these Slice of Life aspects of the Comics.

[@Nbjk01]

from what i've noticed and IdW does this with alot of their properties or comics. is they like to split important details in small comics fillers that give a bit more depth to the world while sharing character info. like with badguys, and the tangle and whisper shorts, those are meant to come after the first issues of these arcs, and i think that we could call this the bell/plati arc or perry the platapus arc. where we see him establish himself as a main threat. all these little stories even those that are filler like this fire episode are their to set up what he's trying to do much like how the war led to tinker lead to robotnic which led to zombie apocalypses they're just putting the pieces down and we'll see what the puzzle looks like at the end, but like you said these are for kids so us grown ups don't need to put to much thought into it, doesn't make it less fun. I just see it as a way to stabilize these new boys and girls in the story and give readers a chance to meet these characters, and hopefullly not compare them to the ones we've known sense we ourselves were children

[@Jarack25]

I know it was most likely intentional, but gosh it was such a missed opportunity to call this "Through the Filler & The Flames."

[@thespookymage6294]

Maybe its just me but filler is fine so long as it's not too long and is enjoyable. The last few arcs after the metal virus have been pretty light and fun which is fine for me, not including imposter syndrome cuz that is getting pretty dark.

[@habberdasher8492]

Angel Island Act II playing when Amy comes out of the tent, Panic Puppet for Belle a couple videos ago... I don't know how you match the music so perfectly

[@mr_indie_fan]

Your channel and this series of videos is definitley underated! Love your narration over the comics btw!

[@Sunny-uz8cw]

Man, these seem like such good reads! I wish I could put some money aside to catch up with all of them, but college is super busy. Thanks for these, I'm glad I can at least keep up with the summaries of the series!

[@JeffBuilds]

8:00 Amy drew the Carbunkle. It ate itself.

[@aluminum8160]

Thank you for posting all of this coverage in the IDW comic!! it's been really helping me get through a lot of schoolwork AND also helped make a big impression of IDW comics to me and many other people.

[@spooderspuder5779]

belle seems to have a metal endoskeleton with a wood exoskeleton

[@johnholthaus6474]

I’m sure someone else has already pointed this out but Tails’s house is the same one as in the GBA game “Sonic Battle.”

[@SnaksiXD]

A couple references I really loved to see was just straight up Garfield hanging around with Big and Sonic sneezing A la Sonic CD intro when Amy refers to him.

[@firerulezz116]

The place I live has a lot of outdoors space, we attract lots of hikers and the like. My camping experience was always more secluded, setting up tents atop sand and rocks halfway between treelines and rivers, the types of places folks might go for a walk but far enough away from town and the mountain paths that very few people came to all that frequently. That said, it's been a good number of years and population/tourism is booming (as much as tourism can these last few years), so I don't know what it'd be like now.

[@reene_the_mess]

3:06 garfield is beside big i love it

[@KingRumar]

So happy to see Team Chaotix getting some detective work coming up

[@bluetheblue4179]

I imagine that Belle probably got a card that symbolizes Death (Maybe represented by Dark Gaia?), which is why she was relieved that everything ended well, since "Things would have gotten really bad". Death symbolizes a new phase of your life, a major, sudden event that results in loss of something of value, and a need to change your perspective to continue foward. A very negative card that is associated with loss, failure and destruction. What kind of loss, is yet to be seen.

[@nicktoons125]

Just wanna say thank you kind sir for the excellent videos, and I'm happy I found your channel! Keep up the excellent stuff sir!

[@fedupN]

This seems awesome ! Filler, maybe. Feels more like a side story to me. And I'm totally down, at this point that is, with new characters. Yes, the Archie stuff was awesome (Enerjak! Wooo!) But that era ended with a victorius Eggman holding his wine glass high as he reset reality. At least that's how I see it. So now we have all this new cool stuff that is rolling on really well. It's bloody charming! Also, if the mystery is solved, then it's simply a thriller for the in universe characters. Different but still fun.

[@InvaderZim07]

This doesn’t feel like filler at all. This actually is some awesome character work.

[@Blaze4ification]

ALL THE REFERENCES, you didn't mention it, but pretty sure that's the same house Tails has in Sonic Battle... the game with Emerl for those that don't know, takes place between Sonic Advance 2 and 3.

[@Wyrmshield]

Another quick moment I really like is when Tangle is wrapping Belle's hand. Belle tries to tell Tangle that she was the one who caused the fire, but Tangle, who could probably guess that was what happened at this point (since no one knows about Surge yet), interrupts her and says to tell her about it later. Tangle knows Belle is going to be lost in despair if she starts dwelling on what happened, so she encourages her to keep her head in the present and find a way to stop the fire. It doesn't matter -who- is at fault for causing it, especially if it was Belle herself, because what's more important is that she helps fix it. It feels like a very Sonic sort of mindset which is appropriate since Tangle is basically a mini-Sonic at this point

[@HedgehogY2K]

The cards are exactly how I imagined them?! How the???

[@abedou7932]

Keep going you're truly a blessing !

[@jackhumphries1087]

I judging by what tails says about the game he wants sonic to play with him, I wouldn’t be surprised if that game happened to be sonic 2

[@younggoat2174]

Always nice to see a upload Nick.

[@dasirrlicht5415]

I like to think that reformed small badniks let their critters be removed in favour of traditional power methods by the restoration. Also, the small ones being able to go rouge on Eggman proofs something I always had as my personal head canon: Eggman sucks at programming, and just reuses the same self learning template AI on all his robots, running on a level appropriate to their computing power. He is a Engineer, he makes machines, not programs! At least only rarely so. That also explains why his robots need training courses, and why apparently improved versions can fail where the older prototypes still work. Metal Sonic has probably hunderts of small, internal shackles by this point cause him going rouge with all his intelligence as Eggmans finest creation must have made it nessecary to install limiters after the fact. Our wooden puppet runs a pure, freshly made version of this self learning AI, so no strings bind her to the man. Tinkerer did not have such worries, he created a good helper robot... Belle is by the way, Rock Lightm, aka Megaman. The comparison seems fair to me. Orbot and Cubot are lacking a lot of features like weapons to worry about, their full capabilities can be set to develop their own personality and learn from experience. Eggpawns are higher quality then mere standard batniks, but probably get a already pre-learned copy of the AI so their further development is stunted a bit by having to remember how a lot of things work so they can use them as needed. The small batniks just do not have a lot of brain power to begin with, so they do not develop a lot of personality normally. This of course also explains why Eggman controls his Mechs usually personally. He both enjoys the hands on approach, and knows that giving his creations to much of their own development can go bad for him easily. Smart things only get made in small numbers, because having to many around is a issue, not because it would be hard to mass produce them. Code can be copied. At least, thats my theory on all this.

[@nahuelwolfrunner1433]

I love your videos! Great job

[@Luke_Craft]

I'm excited to see the next Sonic Speedreading episode! I anticipate what the Mecha March Madness hype is about this year!! There is still so much promising content coming from you, Nick, and I gotta say I am hyped! :D Always enjoy hearing what you have to say- :3

[@scrumptioustelevision9764]

I swear to god you play the right music at the right time. Angel Island Act 2 during the forest fire. XD

[@justinmyers7587]

A good mini arc but I'm glad we are getting to the good parts

[@gameyfirebro9645]

I frickin love that motobug!!!!!!

[@FettManTAG]

I feel like Bell's metal hand is a Star Wars parallel, Luke Skywalker has a robotic hand just like Darth Vader, it's a subtle connection to his father and a sobering reminder of the dark path he could take if he's not careful. Belle was made by the kind hearted Mr. Tinker and just went through the realization/trauma that the evil Dr. Eggman is one and the same. It makes sense that the hand with a lighter inside would be metal at it's core, but the cold hard metal under the soft wood could also serve as a reminder of who her father is currently. When Luke's hand is damaged and the robotics underneath revealed he wears a glove to cover this up, and I feel like Tangle covering up the exposed metal of Belle's hand is for a similar purpose. And if that is the case, I like that there's no dialogue rubbing that into the ground, it's just a quick and moment and then they move past it.

[@joeywinebarger202]

1:07 I like that little Sega reference put in there

[@Rustybot-vh8yc]

Bells threat of dissasembling tangles bike had me😂

[@destroyerkitty9434]

This was one of my favorite arcs. A small lighthearted yet emotional story with a lot of great characterization and development for Belle and the girls. It’s also a masterclass on fun character moments and funny moments. One of my favorite parts of this comic. Side-note, I adore the background characters in this comic. No matter how small or inconsequential, they have designs that are just as good and unique as the main characters.

[@TempestGhost]

I just caught onto this but that Moto Bug is likely the same one Eggman repaired as Mr. Tinker.

[@michaelbutmr1263]

notice how he plays angel island act 2s theme a literally BURNING stage when the forest fire starts

[@callanevermelt6392]

omg Bell the Tinkerer is so precious, must protect at all coast

[@Hollowed_Trinity]

ive never been a huge sonic fan, always more facinated with not that popular games (starcraft 2, BTD, binding of isaac) or classic games (TF2, Left 4 dead, minecraft). but these comics have gotten me into a series that i have not explored much. from banger tracks to decent games, these comics are the best. i hope for more content!

[@punkypony5165]

I really liked this arc. It was very comfy and gave good development.