An Early Christmas Gift!(???) · 4:04pm Dec 19th, 2015
Dear Loyal Watchers, Interested Visitors, and Confused Passersby,
Sometimes I get mad.
For those of you who've known me the longest, that is probably something of a surprise. I try my best to seem like a pretty "chill" guy, after all. But sometimes I do get mad. I've been mad at a number of things recently, too.
The thing is, I was mad. I was mad, but then this happened...
... and suddenly everything was bright and beautiful.
Suddenly there was no pain, no anger, no darkness.
Suddenly the world was a wonderful place, and you were all luminous beings at whom I could never, ever be angry and everyone was perfect and the world smelt of oranges, soap, and mild commercial anti-septic wipes.
So, a comic about Twilight and Spike interacting in the years before the series is about to happen. Well, happen in March, I guess... but it was announced last week so I'm counting it as an "early Christmas gift" from the folks at IDW to me specifically and to anyone else who has ever given a damn about Spike and Twilight's relationship.
The series threw me a minor bone this year when it talked about Spike and Twilight having traditions at Hearth's Warming that go back several years at least, but the exploration of what their lives were like in the "before" has been as elusive as her actually saying those three words to him that will make everything right in my world.
I suppose you can point out that the comics aren't canon, but as a drowning man will grasp at straws thrown in the water I'll take anything that even whiffs of Spike and Twilight's lives together that comes from any semi-official source.
This is either going to be the most perfect and best moment in the comics/fandom or the biggest disappointment in my two decades of following Internet fandoms. Here's hoping for a "Christmas Miracle" that makes it the former.
Stay Awesome,
-Desc
Oooo. Looks cool.
If you do get it, why not tell us your thoughts on it?
~Skeeter The Lurker
What did you think of the Christmas special with Twilight reading Spike the various stories? Maybe not everything you normally in visage but it was them acting like a family.
3628895
That would certainly be an option, Skeet.
3628896
From what little of it I saw I thought that it was okay. I can['t honestly say that I've seen the whole thing, but like "any steam engine is a good steam engine" it turns out that "any positive Spike and Twilight interaction is a good interaction."
I don't think anyone can be mad after seeing filly Twilight and baby Spike.
3628913
If they are, then there's something very wrong with them at a level best discussed with mental health professionals.
Very cool, thanks for pointing this out
The last one is adorable. The first brings back too many memories of sitting my nephew...
Aww! Yeah, the IDW comics have been something I've wanted to catch up on for a while.
Happiness and cheer, are the way to go, my friend.
Ah yes, where would Twilight be without her beloved Spike?
The comics "aren't canon" in the sense of "may as well be canon until the show fills those gaps in". Well, and also "not everyone reads them", but more's the pity for them, I say. :B
3629021 The same thing more-or-less goes for the books, although rumor has it Tiberius showed up in one of the recent books, so maybe there's hope yet that he's going to make the transition to the silver screen. (Although probably not the movie, darnit)
3629033
He did, and this is why side canon is best canon. :D
3629037 Hope springs eternal that some animator is currently saying, "You know, in this scene by Luna's house, if we put an opossum into just five or six frames as the camera makes this pan, nobody in the whole production will notice, but the bronies will go nuts..."
I'm honestly concerned, since... a preteen mother is a pretty crummy situation...
I am managing to be more pessimistic than you at the moment, though. That might be a mistake.
Should take my happy where I get it in this case.
And also, I guess it wasn't my imagination that you tended to put a lot of really pessimistic things lately in the Spike forums, was it?
Well, on the one hand the comics gave us that one Spike and Celestia story (because nevermind Twilight, Spike doesn't get enough interaction with ANYPONY[1]...) whcih was awesome... but on the other, they gave us that one with Spike and Luna with other dragons.
So... cautious optimism...?
[1]Notably, this season - unlike last - his episode was him struggling on his own (and doing a ridiculously good job considering, one that gets even more impressive the younger you peg him at) and not so much of him in the background.
'Spose we should be grateful he got a throne, though considering how much of a... ... ... entity... the Magic Table is to. say, Twilight herself, the fact it didn't make any attempt for him to do anything is not remotely surprising.
This is welcome news. I look forward to reading both it and your thoughts on in.
I'd love to hear what you think of them I haven't kept up with anything at all, tbh. I haven't even watched season four or five, but if this is coming soon, I'd love to see it. I like the adorable family time type things.
Certainly looking forward to this one. It's been a while since I really liked a Spike-heavy comic -- the Hearth's Warming Special was pleasant, but I really have to go back to the Celestia/Spike Friends Forever for one that truly satisfied. Like Aotrs Commander, I was a bit underwhelmed by the Spike/Luna one.
I wish they'd get on and release the Art Gallery II comic, though. That was originally slated for October, but seems to have been delayed indefinitely to avoid a clash with The Art of Equestria and Art is Magic books.
I really enjoy how the comics explore more than the show, especially Equestrian history and character relationships. This ought to be a very good issue and I'm sure full of Twilight making all the foibles of a new mother or sitter. It should be chock full of 'Dawww!'
I think all of us would be interested in your opinion on it, Desc. You really write the relationship with Twilight and Spike well and comments on the writers take on them would be, imho, very much welcome.
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas, good sir. I've been trying to find time to don my proper headgear but have misplaced the link. The spirit is in my soul, I assure you!
Be safe and be well!
Olden
3629128 I'd love to see a show episode where the table sends Spike somewhere by himself. I know, he has no cutie mark. But a good writer could find a way.
And an episode in which Spike unexpectedly gets a cutie-mark could be interesting, too.
sounds wonderful.where can i see this comic?
I hope it's everything you want it to be.
I'm highly looking forward this this particular issue.
I wouldn't get too excited. The comics have been steadily going downhill in quality over the months. First Reflections with Mary Sue Sombra, then the Spike/Luna issue that was written specifically to run counter to Dragon Quest and everything the show has shown about dragons, then the Bull Arc and Twilight "can't use magic on Equestrian citizens" Sparkle, then last month's Friends Forever plagiarizing clipart for a cutie mark, now the Seige of the Crystal Empire and another Mary Sue.
Yes, they spelled it "Seige."
3629455
Oh heck yeah!
Sadly, I think we're likely to see a Celestia-centric episode[1] before we get that...
[1] Seriously, five seasons and three movies, Luna's had, like three or four and Celestia has had less episodes than DERPY. (On that note, I really wanna see some Derpy and Spike, because they way they just teamed up like that in Do Princesses Dream, pretty much without so much as a word between them is just BEGGING for an exploration. It suggests that either Derps is pretty cool and sharp, on the uptake in itself, or (which I like to think) they actually must be pretty good friends (or have even done it before...!)
3629469
I don't think this one is out yet. IIRC, comic #38 is the most recent out while this one is #40
3629995
Oh horse apples
Thanks so much for sharing this fantastic news! Even if the comics are a huge disappointment, those covers are so fantastic they will help me have a wonderful holiday anyway.
I am glad you are feeling better.
I really need to catch up on my comic back-log
3628958
I am most glad to!
3628973
Heh! A little form column "A" and a little from column "B!"
3628978
I know, dude, I know.
3628981
Here's the perfect chance to do so!
3629000
I certainly agree!
3629021
True on both accounts, I must admit, Present.
3629093
People always question why Twilight would become Spike's caretaker at a young age. The problem is that we don't even know what age she is. If you accept the "old cast" theory, then she has to be about twelve when she hatched him, and with some guidance and help that wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility. Older children in most of the world outside of North America and Europe often tend to their younger siblings at that age. In my own mind, Twilight was part of a group of ponies who helped tend to Spike. Celestia and the Royal Nursery were involved too.
Besides... he's just a dragon whelp, not a foal. Who cares if she messes up, right?
Another thing to consider... Spike's a lot younger than Twilight would have been at that time, and look at all of the responsibility he's been given. Not caring for a child, obviously, but still plenty.
The thing that matters to me the most is that we get some actual proof that Twilight has a bigger connection to Spike than the series has allowed us. I hardly need to recite my "Descy's Mantra" to you, but while the employee aspect of their relationship has been expanded upon in recent seasons we haven't seen much that explored the other parts up until Hearthsbreakers. I am optimistic because just having any indication that Twilight had a role in Spike's early life "puts the ball in my court" as it were, and makes it so that there is some reason to hope. It already does away with the argument that they did not meet or know one another until Celestia assigned him to her.
I fully expect the comic to end with Twilight surrendering Spike back to some adult, but I doubt it will end without her having some endearing moment that cements a real bond between them. That's why I'm uncharacteristically happy about the possibilities...
... and I wouldn't say that I've been negative on the Spike forums—just realistic.
3629128
Very well then Aotrs... a healthy, frothy mug of cautious optimism all around, then!
3629215
I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you, Cyn!
3629237
I hope to be able to report exactly that, Twelve.
3629344
The art book certainly seems like it will be worth seeing... if and when that happens.
3629397
I hope to be able to give you my thoughts on it. Merry Christmas to you too, Olden!
3629455
I personally was hoping that the map would have sent Spike and Fluttershy on the last mission, as it would have left the running gag in place of Twilight being flustered by not going on Mapquests in place and allowed some interaction between two characters who have ever had much to do with one another.
3629469
I'll let everyone know when it comes out, okay?
3629502
I certainly have that hope!
3629584
As am I, DJ, as am I!
3629890
I'll certainly try to keep my expectations reasonable, TSG.
3630139
I had thought about moving on to a higher plane of existence, but it just felt like too much work.
3630276
Indeed! The last one especially. I'll have to try to figure out how to get all three.
3630534
Thanks! I hope you have a chance to get caught up on all of that.