Warning! Minor spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog #53!
A new breathtaking cover of an Sonic the Hedgehog issue hints that Whisper the Wolf will finally return after an absence to help battle Sonic's cyborg replacement Surge the Tenrec.
Amidst the sea of new female characters in IDW Publishing's series, Whisper is the only capable fighter without a problematic quirk, but she, unfortunately, chose to leave Sonic's Restoration last year and was even missing during Sonic's all-girl issue. Probably the strongest female character besides Whisper is Tangle the Lemur who shares a special miniseries with Whisper herself. But Tangle is portrayed as a highly energized and inexperienced fighter, causing more damage to her teammates than her opponents. Meanwhile, the most deeply haunted and compelling female character besides Whisper, Dr. Eggman's daughter Belle the Tinkerer, is overly clumsy and unsure of herself. Although these personal shortcomings give these characters room to grow, it's unfortunate that the majority of Sonic's female cast aren't well-rounded warriors, unlike every male hero including Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Shadow, and Silver.
But after more than 10 issues, Whisper will finally return in Sonic the Hedgehog #53 as per the issue's cover by artist Mauro Fonseca. The only thing better than seeing Whisper again in any official capacity is her being showcased as the main focal point. And this is very much the case here, as Fonesca renders the bashful wolf in the forefront of the dynamic cover, battling an opponent who appears to be Sonic's cyborg replacement Surge the Tenrec. The official synopsis of the issue verifies Surge's identity, too, as the installment will feature the tenrec in a different, more powered-up form as she rampages through Central City in Sonic the Hedgehog #53 by writer Evan Stanley and artist Adam Bryce Thomas.
It's possible that Whisper is able to return because Surge will be invading Central City. The last time readers saw Whisper was during a flashback when she confided to her friend Tangle that she would be leaving since she was being targeted by a powerful foe and didn't want to put her friends in danger. It's likely that Whisper has been sheltering in Central City where Surge will just so happen to attack, bringing the wolf back to the spotlight. On the surface, this means that Sonic's team will finally have a capable female fighter besides Amy - who not only specializes in sniping but wields numerous types of weaponry that are powered by her fellow Wisps. Whisper's only downside is that she was named quite aptly as she is soft-spoken and overly shy, hiding behind her mask whenever showing her face becomes too unbearable. While this could be perceived as the perpetuation of an unfortunate stereotype, Whisper comes across it honestly, and it's better than her being portrayed as a weak, inexperienced girl who needs to be rescued.
More crucially, Whisper is so timid and prefers to work alone because of how profoundly her past still haunts her to this day, adding to her overall appeal. (She was once upbeat and giggly.) This is similar to Belle the Tinkerer whose tragic backstory is also her most defining quality except Belle's past demons affect her on the battlefield, like every other new female character, forcing her to depend on their male counterparts. Whisper the Wolf doesn't need anybody, though, she is strengthened by her friends, which is why her return is all the more exciting for longtime Sonic the Hedgehog fans. Hopefully, she's here to stay. She's been sorely missed.
Look for Whisper the Wolf's return in Sonic the Hedgehog #53 when it releases on September 2th!
