Ghosts of the Future is a fan-comic by Evan Stanley, who even got a job at Archie comics and now works for IDW.
The plot is a lot darker than the games, but it is executed in a way that transitions the reader to accepting that point. The main plot is set around Sonic and Shadow trying to get Silver to accept his position as "the chosen one" and track down the chaos emeralds. Did I mention Sonic is a ghost and the reason he's dead is that Shadow killed him?
Yeah.
But hold on, don't get scared off. It gets very good. I'm above to dive into spoiler territory, so if you're interested,
here is a link to the first issue.
General
I have to say I kind of had my doubts. I typically stay away from fanfics because anything goes (
ANYTHING). Shady. But once I heard about this comic and how popular it was, I decided to check it out--and I'm glad I did. It's definitely worth reading.
Visuals
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| Original issue |
GotF has gone through an amazing transformation. While the original issues had their plot going for them, they looked a little off. Sonic and Co didn't quite have their right shape. Too human-ish?
Slowly the drawings get better, get in color, and then: BLAMO! Suddenly they look amazing. Evan Stanley does a great job and the colors and details look very professional.
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| Issue 17 |
Their are some weird details that continue through out, though. This includes a mix of: no gloves, no shoes, added pants or shorts, added shirts, other clothes, different shoes, etc. Although it isn't exactly "normal" or typical Sonic, it hardly gets in the way of the story and sometimes has comedic effect.
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| Silver in early GotF (left) and Silver in IDW (right). |
Plot/Story Arcs
Although the main plot (find the chaos emeralds) hasn't changed, there have been plenty of other plots and it is well balanced with the main characters. The first issues mostly just set up the story. It starts picking up with the Secret Rings arc and never really stops. Some issues are better than others and the later ones especially are addicting. Flashbacks have been added, and they are a nice touch, really helping to understand certain characters.
There are a couple points that are a little confusing or hard to understand, like that thing with Sonic and Metal Sonic. Hopefully that will be expanded on later.
The series has also started "crossing over" into other series. First Archie (though with Scourge and Mobeius, not the main/"prime" crew). Now Fleetway. I'm less enthusiastic about Fleetway but to be fair I'm not exactly a STC fan (or Boomer or whatever). Something I'd really like to see is an appearance by Silver/Gold/Von Shelmmer from
Sonic Universe's"the Silver Age" (and it's likely to happen, given that Stanley wrote that arc). Something else that has been suggested on Evan Stanley's blog is them meeting another universe/world like their own yet very different. That could be interesting, too, but we'll just have to wait to see if any of this happens...
The series has been able to add in hints of the games and I'm
waiting for Blaze to met other-dimension Blaze. That'd be cool.
While I'm rambling: I find the background "lore" a little complicated if not disturbing, but that's mostly explaining how this world is different and doesn't have too much of an impact on the comics.
It's got it's awkward moments, but it will exceed anybody's expectations. It's pretty amazing, actually.
Characters and Dialogue
Silver--it was pretty weird seeing Silver living a "normal" life, but that doesn't last long. He's has the same personality from the games, but with a bit of added awkwardness. That being said, Silver's himself is a bit awkward, but that's a good thing.
Sonic--Sonic is his same old, cocky self, but he's got a lot of sadness, too. He lost all his friends, and it's hard when versions of them remind him of that time. He's also ghostly, so he's got various skills like possession. I think that's interesting, but it's a bit disappointing that he's not the "real" Sonic, or however it's explained (that's part of my confusion). I'd say the best thing about GotF Sonic is actually how he interacts with Shadow (which is very amusing). These versions of Sonic and Shadow have spent years together and so...
Shadow--If Shadow seemed emo before, it's worse now. He (under Eggmans control, thanks to Nicole) killed Tails, Amy, Knuckles, and Sonic. At first I was worried he seemed a little too funny (don't worry, serious funny not Sonic-funny), but it sorta dies down as they get into the bigger stories. He's pretty awesome; I like the flashbacks, too.
Blaze--I didn't really like GotF Blaze at first. She was too...she, like broke up with Silver and they weren't even a couple yet...if that make sense? But later when she comes clean with Silver and opens up to him she becomes one of the comic's best characters.
Tikal--We don't see Tikal to much, yet we seem to see her more here than in the games. She's sort of like a teacher, the guide. But we also get to see that she's not perfect, either.
Nicole--Nicole was a shock to everyone. Awesomely evil. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of her, either...
Other Minor Characters--Silver's family plays a bigger role than it seems. I really like Vinnie, and there's something going on with Metal Sonic...
Guest Stars--GotF has seen several guest stars from the games, or versions of them. This is great because of how it impacts the different characters. I also like that the interpretations are respectful to their origins (for example, Scourge symbol-swears like he did in Archie).
Final Thoughts
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| Also, Tikal and Sonic look cute together. |
It's a little mature. So for teens and older, it's awesome, but for some of the younger "kiddie" fans I would recommend waiting a few years (but I doubt those kids would find this anyway).
Issue 16 is probably my favorite. After a lot of stressful events, it was a nice moment that brought all the characters together.
The whole thing is pretty awesome and good for Evan (that she's kept up with this series and that she's pro now). It's a good comic that has grown both with it's plot/characters, and with it's art.
