Friendship is Card Games: Violette Tendencies and Endless Summer · 11:58am Sep 3rd, 2023
Going to split my focus between main issues and specials for a few weeks, especially since this special is a one-shot.
Well, a one-shot that’s part of an overarcing theme covering multiple franchises, much like the 20/20 issue. There’s no crossover element, which is probably a good thing given that Sonic the Hedgehog’s involved. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Violette Tendencies
The comic-original character on the cover, one Violette Rainbow, got a lot of attention when said covers were first presented. It’s certainly an interesting design; we see very few ponies with non-solid coats. (The colored fetlocks of G5 do change it up somewhat, but we rarely get this kind of asymmetry. Especially since it’s a hassle to do in Flash or ToonBoom.)
It’s also interesting to note that Violette’s cutie mark is nearly identical to Izzy’s. We may have another unicycler. at the very least, another artist.
And indeed, Violette got that cutie mark during a crafting class Izzy ran. (A point in the column of cutie marks working the way they did in G4, but the comics are only canon until the show disputes them.) There is the question of why Izzy appears to have baby photos of her, but that’s another matter.
Hmm. Violette does present something of a Shining Armor problem, in that she’s a lifelong companion of a main-character unicorn who we’re only hearing about a few years after the fact. Though she doesn’t undercut Izzy’s early character nearly as much as Shining did Twilight’s. Indeed, she may explain how Izzy was able to maintain hope and optimism in the dreariness of the Bridlewood.
Ah. Another traditional unicorn sleepover. Hopefully this one will involve less attempted larceny.
Hmm. Seems like Izzy never told Violette much about her time in Maretime Bay. Or the world at large. Seriously, if this filly is surprised by different forms of pony magic, I have to wonder what rock she’s been living under.
Heh. I’m not the only one who sees the resemblance between these two. Even Violette’s mother says as much. As Party Favor demonstrated, there’s something in the blood, even in unicorns.
Oh. Yeah, children can be cruel, and an obvious difference like a pinto pony will draw all kinds of bad attention.
And there’s the Catch-22. If adults do nothing, the torment continues. If they do step in, the torment may get worse afterwards.
I appreciate Posey’s immediate concern over a second, smaller Izzy in town.
“My mom says I have two left hooves.”
I’m going to hope that was the writer being clever. Also, seems like the locals aren’t completely over their corporate-instilled xenophobia, given how that gardener raced away from Violette. (That, or he’s also concerned about the implications of travel-sized Izzy.)
Oof. Explicit confirmation that Argyle has died. Yes, there weren’t many other options, but there’s still something terribly final in confirming that he’s passed away.
Part of me wonders what exactly goes into a rainbow swirl smoothie. The rest is afraid to find out.
And then Posey yelled at a filly. Because that’s the reasonable thing to do as the adult in a situation: Accuse the literal child of being bad luck.
They then proceed to Mane Melody… and Izzy sends Violette’s smoothie flying again. Violette snags it, but telekinesis and liquids don’t mix well… and the leakage falls right on an electrical socket. Causing a fire. Where Posey is sitting.
Has she ever considered that she’s bad luck? Despite her accusations, she’s suffered plenty of these sorts of mishaps before Violette arrived.
Also, Pipp, you can’t cite the salon’s “no food and drink” policy if you never mentioned or enforced it.
Seriously, Pipp blaming Violette for the fire may be the deplorable thing she’s ever done.
“Why would you blame Violette for the fire?”
“It was her smoothie!”
“And I was the pony who knocked it out of her hand!”
… Oh dear. The comic certainly claims to have an editor.
Violette runs off during the argument… and suddenly there are zebras.
No, seriously, the first two panels of this page just have the first zebras of G5 show up apropos of nothing. And Violette insists that the striped ponies she couldn’t have possibly seen before have no idea how it feels to be teased for looking different.
And apparently there’s been a community of zebras in the forest just outside Maretime Bay this whole time? What, did Zecora found Little Farasi at some point after Season 10? Alternatively, as Equestria grew more insular, the formation of enclaves of other species does make sense. Even as we see here, earth pony fear and prejudice certainly didn’t spare zebras.
Of course, given that Mariama (the mother zebra, who’s telling the tale about her own experiences) had apparently grown up in a community of zebras and was meeting earth ponies for the first time, there’s the question of why she thought they were the norm. Assuming the majority is the “default” is a dangerous mindset at any level of fictionality.
Also, the bit about a potion that would make her blend in with the earth ponies raises the question of whether zebra alchemy worked during the Ebb of Magic. And if the disenchantment applied only to the three tribes, that would make sense…
And Violette, young and full of pain, insists that she needs normal friends, not just weirdos of any figurative or literal stripe.
Labeling the “look normal” potion “Acceptance” feels like false advertising. Others may accept you, but you’re rejecting yourself. Still, good to see zebras have started labeling potions, unlike a certain shaman I could mention.
Young, in pain, and refusing to listen to dosage instructions. For goodness sake, Violette. She immediately pays for it, going from all brown to a “texture missing” checkerboard pattern to zigzags.
Also, one pony calls Violette a “thing” as her patches start to glitch. Real nice, lady. Sunny still has a lot of work ahead of her…
In the meantime, Pipp and Izzy have made up, no doubt helped by how there was no lasting damage from the electrical fire. Pipp also apologizes to Violette, which I appreciate. Posey does not, which I expected.
… And apparently the zebras are just a known and accepted presence in Maretime Bay, and Izzy conspired with them to help Violette accept herself after the filly’s mother let her know about the bullying problem. What the actual hell.
During Violette’s Pipp-provided makeover, Sunny does some research and uncovers a book on paint ponies, who had “artistic magical healing properties.” They also went into hiding due to looking different and were believed to have gone extinct… until today.
And apparently said paint ponies “wanted to create a pony paradise accepting everypony, everywhere, but the other ponies treated them horribly.”
And Izzy leaves Violette by giving her the necklace she made at the start of the issue and reminds her to be proud of herself and her heritage.
In all, this feels like the writer took advantage of getting an issue of the official comic to deliver a personal headcanon dump. It’s fascinating headcanon, yes, but it feels like a complete non sequitur given what we’ve seen in G5 thus far, to say nothing of the super-awesome, unfairly persecuted OC who’s the last scion of a lost race and the zebras who have totally always been there, you guys.
I’d love it if this generation had this kind of tone in general, with themes of understanding struggling against but ultimately triumphing over lingering xenophobia, all the while rediscovering lost lore from Old Equestria. But as is, this feels like fan fiction, and not always in a good way.
Endless Summer
Lovely cover, with each pony in their favorite season. Let’s just hope Sunny didn’t figure out how to move the sun to make the title a reality…
We open with all the joys of summer… which makes me suspect they’ll be short-lived.
Credit to the artist, Izzy bucking that volleyball is some of the most horselike behavior I’ve seen from this generation.
Filliehood of the Traveling Horseshoe (sic) raises some interesting questions. And as expected, the plot kicks off with the first cool, leaf-bearing breeze of autumn interrupting Sunny’s perfect summer afternoon, and her mood along with it.
Would a documentary called Colt Cases be about old cases, missing pony cases, or old missing pony cases?
In any case, the others quickly notice Sunny’s ruined mood and plan ways to help her through leaving her favorite season (handily identified by Hitch.)
Ah. Those weren’t necessarily their favorite seasons on the cover. Those are callsigns as part of Operation: Sunny Smiles.
“I wish there were a way to make it summer forever.”
Oh boy. They’re organizing this in the nick of time. Alicorns wanting things to last forever never end well.
Hitch, model of subtlety that he is, just asks Sunny to rattle off her favorite fall activities. He probably already knew them, because he already had some prepared.
Also, a reminder that Nightmare Night is still a thing, given the jack o’ lanterns, bedsheet ghosts, and crows. (That scarecrow is not pulling its weight.)
Some caramel apples and a dive into a leaf pile later, Sunny leaves much happier… and Hitch signals the winter team. At which point Sunny reaches the Snowball Crossing sign.
Cue the princesses, who have presumably figured out enough weather magic to get a considerable pile of snow set up. That or Zephyr Breeze has some ski resorts and they coopted a snow machine for royal business. Or both.
Ah. A common thread with all of the activities Sunny’s mentioned thus far is Argyle. Years later, the poor mare still misses her dad. Who can blame her?
And we do indeed see the snow machine in later panels. Darn, I was hoping for more meteoromancy… though given my reaction to zebras out of nowhere, I may have been disappointed that we couldn’t see the hiccups along the way.
Spring Forward This Way ->
“Ha! Now, that’s a clever pun!”
It’s kind of you to say, Sunny, but no. No it isn’t.
Izzy raises a good point: Argyle was a maker himself. Baking, the lantern, the hot air balloon for Sunny’s letter to the other tribes… He and Izzy would have loved each other. There’s a possible story to be had there.
Izzy couldn’t supply flowers that only bloom in the spring, but she could make her own, much to Sunny’s delight. (She even threw in plush bees!)
Again, these are some of the horsiest ponies I’ve seen in G5, and I appreciate that.
On the last day of summer, Sunny’s friends invite her to close out the season with a bang, and she thanks them for their help… and for making her spot the common thread I did earlier. Her friends acknowledge they can’t replace Argyle, but they can certainly help her make memories that are just as good as the ones she had with him.
Wonderful stuff here, and much more coherent when taking the rest of this generation into account.
Now, let’s see what I can make from these tales for all seasons:
Fortify the Beachhead 1W
Sorcery
Create a 0/4 colorless Wall artifact creature token with defender.
Flashback 3W (You may cast this spell from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
The return of beach season doomed Canterlogic’s anti-seapony campaign.
Stripesnare Zebra 2W
Creature — Zebra Warrior
Whenever Stripesnare Zebra or another Zebra enters the battlefield under your control, tap target creature an opponent controls. If that Zebra is black, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature.
Earth pony superstition inspired the very tactics they feared.
2/2
Sunny Radiance 2W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each creature you control.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life.
Alicorns of the sun emit a welcoming energy to all unburdened by darkness.
Harvest-Geist Medium 3W
Creature — Pony Cleric
When Harvest-Geist Medium enters the battlefield, exile target creature or planeswalker card from a graveyard, then create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying.
As farmer threshes wheat from chaff, so does priest coax soul from body.
3/3
Dazzle Camo 1U
Instant
Choose one —
• Untap target creature you control. It gains hexproof until end of turn.
• Tap target creature and put a stun counter on it. (If a permanent with a stun counter on it would become untapped, remove one from from it instead.)
Entwine U (Choose both if you paid the entwine cost.)
Missing Texture 1U
Instant
Until end of turn, target creature becomes colorless and loses all abilities and subtypes.
Draw a card.
An identity crisis is bad enough without everypony else getting involved.
Winter Engine 2U
Snow Artifact
T: Add U.
1S, T: Tap target nonsnow creature. (S can be paid with one mana from a snow source.)
“The old weather factory blueprints are still in the royal library. We’re just not ready to make most of them yet.”
—Princess Zipp Storm
Frostcrown Diarchs 2UU
Creature — Pegasus Noble Wizard
Flying
Whenever you tap an untapped creature an opponent controls, put a stun counter on it.
A single, echoed decree: “Wait.”
3/3
Stand Out from the Crowd B
Sorcery
Bargain (You may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token as you cast this spell.)
Put your choice of a deathtouch counter or a menace counter on target creature. If this spell was bargained, put both on that creature instead.
Maretime Bay Alchemist 2B
Creature — Zebra Shaman
Whenever Maretime Bay Alchemist or another Zebra enters the battlefield under your control, target creature you control gains deathtouch until end of turn. If that Zebra is white, that creature also gains first strike until end of turn.
“I’ve got just the thing to perk you up.”
2/3
Summer’s End 2B
Sorcery
Each opponent sacrifices a creature with the greatest power among creatures they control.
There is a season for bright, vibrant flourishing… and like all seasons, it is inevitably finite.
Acausal Counselor 3B
Creature — Zebra Advisor
Flash
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can’t cast spells or activate abilities that aren’t mana abilities.)
Whenever a creature you control dies, each opponent loses 1 life.
“Of course I’ve always been here.”
2/2
Lost Scion 1R
Creature — Unicorn Shaman
Haste
When Lost Scion enters the battlefield, if you control no other creatures, create a Young Hero Role token attached to it. (Enchanted creature has “Whenever this creature attacks, if its toughness is 3 or less, put a +1/+1 counter on it.”)
2/1
Unicycler Adept 2R
Creature — Unicorn Artificer
T, Discard a card: Draw a card.
Whenever you cast an artifact or Unicorn spell, untap Unicycler Adept.
Many materials are limited in the Bridlewood. Making full use of them is paramount.
2/1
Queen of Eternal Summer 3RR
Creature — Avatar Noble
Alicorn (This is also a Pony Pegasus Unicorn.)
This spell can’t be countered.
Flying, haste
At the beginning of combat on your turn, untap all creatures you control.
Stun counters can’t be put on permanents you control.
4/4
Electrical Inferno 7RR
Sorcery
This spell costs 1 less to cast for each artifact your opponents control.
Electrical Inferno deals 7 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or planeswalkers.
Confining lightning to wires only makes it angrier.
Foalhood Friend 1G
Enchantment Creature — Background Pony
Each commander you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
“Look, I need some kind of plot hook to get this campaign started.”
—Spike
2/2
Crown of All Seasons 2G
Artifact — Equipment
Domain — Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each basic land type among lands you control and has vigilance.
Equip 4
The full year’s bounty at your eartips.
Vernal Blossomweaver 2G
Creature — Unicorn Druid
Creatures you control have “T: Add one mana of any color.”
Even in the shade of the Bridlewood, spring brings a riot of beauty.
1/2
Painted Healer 3G
Creature — Unicorn Shaman
Whenever you cast a spell, if three or more colors of mana were spent to cast that spell, you gain 3 life.
The paint ponies were scorned by all tribes, as much for preserving Princess Twilight’s dream of harmony as their appearance.
3/3
Thornwing Scarecrow 4
Artifact Creature — Scarecrow
Thornwing Scarecrow has wither as long as you control a green creature. (It deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)
Thornwing Scarecrow has flying as long as you control a blue creature.
It doesn’t wait for the birds to land.
3/2
Cherished Memory (bg)(bg)
Sorcery
Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. You gain life equal to that card’s power.
“I wouldn’t be who or where I am without Dad. I’d forget my own name before him.”
—Sunny Starscout
Peak of Ripeness 1RG
Sorcery
Exile the top three cards of your library. You may play those cards this turn. You may play an additional land this turn.
Fruit is meant to be enjoyed within moments of picking it.
Make It a Double 2GU
Instant
Copy target permanent spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. (A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token.)
Sunny: “I think you’ve had enough.”
Izzy: “I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough!”
Izzy: “Yeah, what she said!”
Vernal Arch
Land
When Vernal Arch enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
T: Add C.
1, T: Add one mana of any color.
Walk through and see the world reborn.
Yeeeeeah, my eyebrow twitches every time I see the word "hand" come out of a pony word bubble. Spike or even a griffon saying it (though claw would be better) is forgivable but... It's like the editor is not even looking at what they are editing. They even made a joke on this in the first EqG movie with Rainbow saying, "What are hands?"
Yeah, in a series where many comics have felt like official fan fiction, though in a weird way of being unmistakably comics, the Violet issue feels more atypically fan fiction. With not half-bad ideas, but as noted, it barely gels with existing material, and for the G5 comics, that's saying a lot.
Somehow I'd totally missed the Endless Summer comic (granted, it's only four days old), so just read it now. Not really a summer spirit, so unlike some others, little personal sentiment here, though I can vibe with character in fiction feeling the same.
And, you know, it's fine. The good kind of fine. Outside of the handful of background gags, it's all pretty straight-laced, with little variety or wit to the dialogue or incident (not none, just little), a tendency to stay away from any depth beyond the level below the surface, and basically nothing I'll remember in two days time. But it is functional. If it feels fanfic-y too, it's the kind of nice and sweet and cute li'l heartwarming one-shot that puts one in a good mood. And, you know, I won't snuff at that too much.
Inside Baseball Alert: Scarecrows in Lorwyn/Shadowmoor block played in a similar space as hybrid mana: rewarding dual-color decks while still functioning for the monocolor they were trying to encourage. Thornwing sounds like a more Shadowmoor-y sort, which makes sense given how the block ended.
Erm, if it's missing pony cases, then the name suggests it's specifically about missing children which... doesn't exactly seem inkeeping with the tone of this whole thing.
Also, is it just me, or does Violette's horn move around on her head to an alarming degree? Like, I can definitely see that happening to a lot of unicorns in art, but usually their hair helps obfuscate things a bit. Here, though, not only do we see exactly where and how the horn meets the forehead, but her hair specifically draws attention to it by resting against her horn. The cover particularly makes her horn look really lopsided, like she should have a second horn poking out of her hair to balance it, not helped by her right (our left) ear being mostly hidden and the same shape, giving an impression like she's supposed to have an array of four horns. Weird thing to get hung up on, I realize, but it really sticks out to me.