Archie Comics and SEGA have announced plans to publish Sonic Boom, a new comic book in the popular Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series. Sonic Boom is based on a new series of video games and CG cartoon series set to debut on Cartoon Network and is a new branch in the ever growing Sonic universe.

The new ongoing series, set to debut in October, will be written by current Sonic comic scribe Ian Flynn with art by Evan Stanley. Set in the story universe of the cartoon and games, the world of Sonic Boom will differ from the established universe, but not too much. In an exclusive interview at IGN, editor Paul Kaminski is quick to point out:

It’s everything you know and love about the cast already, only with a fresh twist on design and personality.

Along with the new look and feel, the key cast members of Sonic—Tails, Knuckles, and Amy—will get a new companion. Sticks will be joining the core cast and will add another female voice to the traditional male dominated cast.

The tone of the series will also differ from what has been seen so far. The stories will feature more stand-alone adventures with plenty of action and comedy. “The first arc sets the comical, whimsical tone for the series,” says writer Ian Flynn in the same IGN interview. Fun is the keyword for this series, though it will feature some overarching elements that will build up and come into play later on. So far, only Dr. Eggman has been confirmed for the villains, but old favorites are bound to come back, and hopefully Sega will allow new ones as well.

Sonic Boom will be a great addition to the Sonic universe. The stand-alone nature of the stories will make it easy for new readers to jump in, and the emphasis on comedy and adventure will appeal to the more casual comic reader. While the death of Archie in the Life With Archie continuity has been stirring up mainstream media and getting headlines, the Sonic line of comics are Archie Comics’ consistently strong sellers in the direct market in terms of single issues. Sonic Boom will only add to that success.