IDW Legends of Magic #2 Review

With the first Legends of Magic having proven itself to be a great success, the pressure was on to see if it could keep up the quality a second time around and thus prove it was a series worthy of being part of the comics roster. Deciding to go with a brand new legend never before mentioned in the show, was this second issue able to prove Legends of Magic had staying power or did it already indicate the series might not live up to the hype? Well, let's find out.

This issue centers around the story of a stallion named Rockhoof, who singlehoofedly saved his town from a volcanic mountain using only a shovel, and for that he was allowed to enter what appears to be a predecessor to the royal guard. Worth mentioning is that Sunburst is reading this story to Princess Luna, though the two are mostly just background characters in terms of the narrative focus. It is interesting to see Sunburst's relationship with the princesses explored and expanded, even though he didn't really get much time to interact with Princess Celestia in the previous issue.

Anyway, Rockhoof entered the guard and woke bright and early on his first day to start training. He soon proved himself to be better than the others in every way, but he allowed himself to be pressured into going out with some of his guards members for a night on the town to enjoy some oats. Getting into one of those challenges where if you eat a big portion in its enterity the meal is free, Rockhoof ended up a bit sick to the stomach the next day but still out performed everyone in training. The days turned into weeks and the weeks into a month, and Rockhoof found himself tempted more and more by the offer of friendship to let down his guard and just hang out. In the process, he let himself go.

This proved to be a problem when Rockhoof was called upon to investigate a volcano that was shooting off fireballs. He was bogged down by his own physical deteriation, and his choice of companions who kept inventing excuses as to why they should just turn around (though they do bring up one good point about falling rocks, at the least you should hold off until you're sure there's not a rock slide). Rockhoof discovered that the source of the disturbance was an unnamed creature that spoke in a bizzare language. He attacked it with his shovel, but was forced to retreat and had his tail singed by a fireball. Forced to report to his captain, Rockhoof accepted the blame for his failed assignment and went back to his old training routine to whip himself into shape. He then accompanied his captain back up the mountain to tend to the creature, and this time he saw the problem for what it really was. The creature was a mother, trying to rescue its young which lay buried inside the mountain's crater.

Sunburst narrates that the story ends with Rockhoof learning the importance of balance between having good friends to hang out with, and staying sharp with his skills. However, while Princess Luna requests Sunburst read her another story some other time, Sunburst opts to read the next one alone since Luna advertently slipped into her Royal Canterlot voice once or twice and damaged poor Sunburst's ears.

And that's the story, so what do I think of the issue? Well, it doesn't give me as much to talk about compared to the first one, but I feel like here the series find more of its footing, focusing on new legends and examining the true story behind them. Think of this as the pony equivalent of exploring the real life figures behind legends such as John Henry and Johnny Appleseed, showing what they're known for and then revealing that it's just a small part and perhaps not the defining part of who they were. Like I said before, Sunburst and Princess Luna are mostly just background characters for the sake of the narrative, and the real story focuses on Rockhoof. Rockhoof himself seems to draw some inspiration from Marvel's Thor, at least in terms of design and possibly in weapon choice (Rockhoof wields a shovel much like how Thor wields a hammer, though Rockhoof's shovel isn't a gift from deties, it's just a weapon he forged himself). I still give the edge to the first issue, seeing as that one in spite of a few continuity snarls and being rough around the edges, seemed to have more weight behind its story. This one was by no means bad, and it manages to subvert the usual direction these kinds of stories go in, showing that you can have a little of both, fun and business, it doesn't always have to be one or the other. But I feel like this is gonna be a common flaw throughout all the issues of this series, we've never heard any of these legends be talked about before or be mentioned in the show, so we don't feel the same connection that the in universe characters have, and the comics admittedly don't want to spend all their time describing these legends in depth. With the first issue, we already had a feel for who Starswirl the Bearded was and had his appearances in earlier comics to get an idea of what he was like and why he was so respected. Celestia and Luna drawing closer to each other and bonding as a result, is ultimately what will likely keep the first issue as the benchmark by which all other issues are judged for the forseeable future. But I'd still recommend this issue if you can find it cheaply, don't go over ten dollars though.

I've got two more comics on the way, so expect reviews on those whenever they arrive.