Summary
- A new Justice League/Sonic comic series will begin in March 2025, with Shadow the Hedgehog reimagined as Batman.
- Sega is calling 2024 the Year of Shadow, with the popular character recently appearing prominently in games and promotions.
- Sonic X Shadow Generations will be released in October, and Shadow will also appear in the live-action film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 this December.
Shadow is already a dark avenger in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe, but a new crossover is taking things a step further by reimagining the popular character as Batman. Sega has declared 2024 the Year of Shadow, with the edgy black antihero of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise starring in plenty of games, promotions, and other media over the past few months. The festivities will continue in next month’s Sonic X Shadow Generations, followed by Shadow’s big screen debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in December.
At his core, Shadow is a dark, brooding figure haunted by the tragic death of a loved one, standing in contrast to the brighter and more lighthearted heroes he frequently teams up with. This same description could also apply to DC’s Batman, and it seems the similarities haven’t been lost on Sega as it celebrates its resident antihero. During this year’s Batman Day, Sega released a brief animation of Shadow dressed as the Dark Knight, stalking a criminal from the shadows and delivering vigilante justice.
Sonic X Shadow Generations Teases New Villain
Sonic X Shadow Generations teases a brand-new villain that will be a part of Shadow's solo story, alluding to his Black Arms heritage.
As it turns out, this short segment signaled the start of a bigger crossover between the worlds of Sonic the Hedgehog and DC Comics, as confirmed during this week’s Sonic Central livestream. Actress Tiffany Smith and Sonic the Hedgehog franchise head Ivo Gerscovich announced that a new Justice League/Sonic comic series will begin in March 2025. Longtime Sonic writer Ian Flynn will pen this new series, which will release one issue a month and reimagine Shadow as Batman, his rival Sonic as the Flash, Amy Rose as Wonder Woman, Miles “Tails” Prower as Cyborg, Silver the Hedgehog as Green Lantern, and Knuckles the Echidna as Superman.
Shadow and Company Will Become the Justice League in New Comic Crossover
This Sonic/Justice League event will carry over into 2026 and include a series of tie-in merchandise like toys and apparel. Some of the other Shadow-centric licensed products announced during the Sonic Central livestream include a LEGO set of Super Sonic and Super Shadow’s climatic battle against the Biolizard at the end of Sonic Adventure 2, a Shadow motorcycle helmet HJC, and a Shadow PalVerse Pale figurine.
The DC/Sonic crossover might be one of the most unexpected developments to come from this year’s Sonic Central. Ironically enough, current Sonic voice actor Roger Craig Smith has voiced Batman in numerous DC projects, and now it's his rival Shadow’s turn to don the Dark Knight’s cowl and strike fear into the hearts of Gotham’s criminals starting next year.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a prolific game franchise that started life on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Covering both 2D and 3D iterations through the generations, Sonic is known for speedy movements and interesting platforming mechanics.
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