god it really sucks that sega is so dead set on Shadow's current characterization because like... Ian hates it too. like, he's always the target of criticism when it comes to Shadow in IDW and the TailsTube, but i really wish people would consider:

he also hates that this is the direction they're dragging the character. he wants Shadow to experience emotions again. like, fuck, dude, he writes a damn good Shadow when he's allowed some freedom, but Sega will not give him that anymore. you cannot read preboot Archie and then tell me he's not invested in giving Shadow depth and nuance.

and it's so frustrating because like, we've seen what Shadow can be when he's allowed to be a character. we've seen what he can be when he's written by people who care about the story and not just a cardboard cutout. we have seen what he can be when there's not a fucking crayon lodged in his prefrontal cortex

i get why people are upset, i really do. but for the love of fuck, Ian Flynn is not the problem here, and he never has been. hell, he's on your side. he's not happy about it, either