Summary

• Sonic's speed and attitude hinder his ability to strategize and care for others, as seen in the winter-themed competitions in Winter Jam.
• The one-shot plays with readers' expectations by teasing new powers for established characters, but ultimately debunking them.
• Winter Jam incorporates tropes more effectively than the main continuity, potentially paving the way for more compelling storytelling in the future.

Warning: Spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter JamA new Sonic one-shot from IDW Publishing unexpectedly explores one of the blue hedgehog's biggest weaknesses, which is ironically linked to who he is as a character - his speed and attitude. An earlier issue from the main continuity touched on this dynamic but not to the extent as this new one-shot has.

Sonic's weakness is set on full display during winter-themed competitions that Dr. Eggman's Cubot and Orbot force upon him and his friends in Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam by writer Iasmin Omar Ata, artist Min Ho Kim, colorist Reggie Graham and letterer Shawn Lee.

Sonic first ends up getting himself and teammate Tails all tangled up in Christmas lights when he attempts to give their designated spot a "chill holiday party vibe." Next, his speed rips apart an Eggman doll that he was supposed to keep safe when navigating through a snowball fight arena. And while Sonic and Tails also lose the third competition, it isn't directly related to his attitude or speed except that he isn't a good ice sculptor.

Sonic's Speed and Attitude Negatively Affect His Ability To Strategize and Care for Others

While the Christmas lights debacle highlights Sonic's foolish decision to rely only on speed instead of analyzing his surrounding area, the second competition shows that Sonic doesn't for how his speed can negatively impact those in his care. Luckily, the only casualty is a doll, but it does cost him and Tails the win. The ways in which Winter Jam's first two competitions underscore Sonic's flaws match the tone of Archie's continuity, where Sonic's actions have major consequences or his he and Tangle rush into a battle instead of being strategic, much to their teammates' annoyance. However, there is no negative outcome for their rashness, unlike in Winter Jam. In fact, not only do Sonic and Tails lose these Winter Jam competitions, but Sonic actually starts to have some sort of emotional breakdown from constantly losing.

Sonic's Winter Jam One-Shot Plays with Readers' Expectations

Other Sonic the Hedgehog continuities have been able to expand the lore beyond what's seen in the Sonic video games. Similar to how this IDW one-shot explores the detrimental effects of Sonic's speed and attitude like other continuities have, Winter Jam initially appears to bestow one of its established characters with powers beyond the games. There's a moment when Big The Cat's companion Froggy appears to have incredible fire-breathing powers that don't appear in any games at all. This would have been massive, since IDW's comics are clearly heavily influenced by the games and can't deviate from them too much. However, Cubot and Orbot reveal that this isn't Froggy. They weren't able to acquire him and use their own Badnik instead, which Cubot and Orbot allude to earlier in the competition. It's possible that the moment when it appears that Froggy can breathe fire is a nod to other continuities that had more creative freedom. It's an exciting moment, nonetheless, and still is even after it's debunked.

Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam incorporates tropes more effectively than the main continuity, which is surprising when considering IDW's other earlier 2023 seasonal-themed one-shots like the Halloween special and Endless Summer didn't tackle such nuanced tropes. Hopefully, Winter Jam's compelling direction is a sign of things to come, which is possible, since the Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter miniseries is already suggesting it could change the franchise's lore forever.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam is available now from IDW Publishing.