Comic Review: Issue #10 (Zen and the Art of Gazebo Repair, Part 2) · 3:09pm Aug 28th, 2013
One week later, and we're blessed with another comic. Will Big Mac manage to find those pesky nails? Will the gazebo get fixed? Will Sweetie Belle be able to hide the bodies in time?
The comic opens right where the last one left off. The hardware store was destroyed by the CMC's mishandling of fireworks, and the only way for our intrepid stallion to get his nails now is to hunt down the store's owner, Lugnut, and ask him for some. Unfortunately for him, this means heading back into the madness. Will he survive this time?
As before, the issue is mostly a collection of individual scenarios, with Big Mac going from one to the next in search of the elusive Robert Denby Lugnut. As such, we'll look at them individually again:
- Big Mac runs into a carnival barker who puts him up to that one game where you try to knock over the bottles with baseballs. You know, the one where the bottles are weighted and it's impossible to win? Outside of some references, this moment wasn't all that humorous. I did get a kick out of the “Guess your weight, height or sex” sign, and it does end by setting up one of the issue's running gags: Fleetfoot following Big Mac around and him unwittingly giving her stuff.
- The CMC return, having burned down the tent they were in and needing to move their catapult to a more appropriate venue for the fireworks show. But fate kicks him in the rump once again when Snips and Snails show up and, in the process of discussing the former's Cutie Mark, end up launching the explosives. I wonder where they'll land this...
Okay, they end up blowing up the gazebo. It's not revealed until the last panel, but it's such an obvious punchline that the comic really doesn't expend any effort hiding the fact.
- Next, he runs into the parade, complete with a Dodge Junction float and Daring-Do and Mare-Do-Well balloons. When he tries to sneak across, he's mistaken for the missing dancer from Sapphire Shore's backup group, and ends up inventing a new dance craze while taking the opportunity to look for Lugnut. This scene is hilarious in and of itself, but what makes it really funny is when the same dance shows up near the end. There's also a very short bit with Photo Finish, continuing the trend of everypony lusting after Big Mac's...bigness.
- Spike shows up next, having set up a makeshift booth to sell his “custom pony figurines.” This...is a bit too on-the-nose for my taste. Still, what makes it work is when Spike starts crying over how nopony wants to buy his stuff, guilt-tripping Big Mac into purchasing a figure of himself...and then we see that Spike is actually sitting on a giant pile of bits. Rarity has taught him well.
- After an inconsequential panel with the Flim-Flam Brothers, Big Mac reaches the hoedown. Unfortunately, he gets dragged into the crowd and ends up giving another mare, Tea Love, head trauma. And like with Fleetfoot, she falls instantly in love with the hunky stallion and fantasizes about their awesome life together, this time framed as an action spy movie kind of thing. But of course, this does not sit well with Fleetfoot, who was clearly stalking him first...
The issue starts wrapping up when Big Mac runs into Cheerilee, who starts rushing things towards their inevitable conclusion. In the end, Big Mac's journey proves to be pointless (for more reasons than a blown-up gazebo), but for all his frustrations, he realizes that he still had fun. And thus, the whole trip was worthwhile...sort of.
Overall, this issue was a solid follow-up to the first part. Big Mac still plays the perfect straight stallion to the insanity going on around him, the jokes come fast-and-furious, and the art continues to be perfect. If you enjoyed the first half, you have no reason not to see how Big Mac's quest for nails finally concludes.
And next month, we have Shining Armor in his young, geeky days trying to woo Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Will he succeed? Will people ever shut up about his mere existence? Only time will tell.
…
Also, the comic offers canon proof that Princess Celestia is physically stronger than Big Macintosh. Now I just need to finish that battle with Lex Luthor...
Damnit, the guy in my group who buys the comics is on vacation for the next 2 weeks...I have to wait...
Gotta say, I loved these two issues from beginning to end. They really worked for me.
Pics or it didn't happen.
1313854
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/8/28/412848.jpg
1313897
http://derpibooru.org/412848?scope=scpe347d770d5be84195840b261b9bef0719261dea5e
or here
Link? It's dangerous to go alone!
1313886
Curse that picture of Big Mac getting a kiss from Luna.
It's out?!
I MUST GO.
I'd say my favourite background event is Derpy has apparently moved into the pod that she was shoved into by the changelings in the first issued, after prettying it up a bit (that's a bit tragic if you think about it).
My second is probably the cat fight with the mare acting like real cats.
Big Macintosh's strength varies randomly. Sometimes he can pull a house (Hearts and Hooves Day) and sometimes he can barely lift a cake (Mmmystery on the Friendship Express).
Or maybe the cake was made of dark matter.
1316447
Nuetronium sprinkles.
Besides, most think that was more about the cake being AWKWARD than heavy.
I took one look at the panel where Luna kisses him and thought, "Gee, I wonder what will be the most talked-about thing in the comic?"