I Just... I Don't Know... · 4:53am Dec 16th, 2015
So, like I do with every issue of the comics, I pre-ordered Siege of the Crystal Empire Part 4, and when you pre-order an issue of the comics, they become available for download at 11PM the night before the release date. Since I had nothing to do and I wasn't feeling tired, I decided to give the issue a read.
Since it's still the night before the actual release date, I'm not gonna reveal any major plot details.
When Part 3 came out last month, I saw a glimmer of hope that the story could end up being decent at the very least, despite the rocky and overdrawn setup, but unfortunately, Part 4 doesn't really follow through on that. There were moments where I thought "If you weren't gonna use this particular element to the fullest (or, in some cases, at all), then why introduce it in the previous issue(s)?"
Then there's the ending, which is a whole other thing entirely.
I just don't know about that ending...
I don't know if I like it, or if I hate it. The ending uses a particular element of the TV show that I feel is overused, and in some cases (especially recently), poorly used. They handled it a little bit better than the show usually does, but that's not saying much, all things considered. Still, I'm not sure whether or not I dislike this ending.
Even if I did like it, though, there's still all the other issues with this finale and the arc as a whole, and overall, whether the ending was good or not, the arc itself was disappointing. It was iffy in Part 1, REALLY iffy in Part 2, but in Part 3, I thought "Hey, this is pretty good. This might end up being a smooth ride from here on out." But then Part 4 just ends up being flat.
You guys don't understand how much I wanted to like this arc. For months I was hoping that this would be the arc that would put the main series back on track, that it would be the second coming of Reflections. Maybe that's somewhat my fault for walking into this with such lofty expectations, but even then, I know the comics, and this writer in particular have done better.
It's definitely not the next Reflections, it's definitely the weakest 4-part arc thus far. Will it make my Worst MLP Comics of 2015 list? To be honest, I'm not sure. I'd still hesitate to call it terrible (I'm less hesitant to call Part 4 terrible, tho), but at best, it's mediocre.
Welp, here's to 2016. Hopefully, the main series will start to get better come January.
Keep it sketchy, folks.
It was a mess all around, I'm afraid.
Maybe the biggest thing to come out of this storyline is that it pretty conclusively establishes the comics as a different universe from the show. We just had a return of Sombra in the show and it was nothing at all like this.
3621926
Well, the return was in an alternate present, so I'm not sure about that specific example, but I can see where you're going with your overall statement. It's probaby one of my biggest problems with the ending. Up until now, the comics were B-canon, but now we've crossed into AU territory.
The arc is pretty much the embodiment of all the negative stereotypes that people lobby towards the MLP comics, and I'm not looking forward to all the people that'll use this arc as "proof that the comics fucking suck". We really need a pallette cleanser for the main series next year.
3621937
Yeah. With this storyline they've introduced new characters to the present who aren't just minor supporting figures like Tiberius or the hippie ponies, but new Princesses and major villains. We can accept that Tiberius is canon without ever seeing him in the show (although it would be awesome if we did), but such a big change as the sudden appearance of a redeemed Sombra and a new Princess would significantly change the world scene in ways that would have to be acknowledged in the show before it could be considered canon. While I suppose it's possible they could do that, they've never included anything from the comics before. Even the chapter books get more references.
3622100
Maybe we can use the B-canon excuse to say that the show overwrites this comic and we can therefore pretend it never happened, like Night of the Living Apples.
orig05.deviantart.net/863e/f/2015/088/6/9/sad_kitty_facedesk_by_nakanoart-d5lncgv.jpg
Well, I had pretty low expectations for this final part. ... And it still managed to come in below that. I was honestly hoping for Chrysalis to at least appear in the final issue.
To sum it up: The Mane 6 were useless, the villains were useless (seriously, that one page in Part 3 was their closure?), Celestia and Luna were useless.
And there was so much POTENTIAL here, but we only got rare glimpses at it. If this story had been about Hope, Sombra and Cadence, then it might have worked. Sure, it would have been a gamble, doing an entire arc without the show's protagonists. But that could have really set the comics apart in a good way. Instead, the Mane 6 and the B-villains were shoehorned in there without rhyme or reason.
So, Princess Amore isn't dead. She can be reassembled and brought back.
Great way to destroy one of the most powerful scenes from the Fiendship miniseries. Well, you called it, Sketchy. Good on you. That's about the only good thing I have to say about that. But they had to go that route because of...
yet another 11th-hour redemption for the villain.
Disappointing. That about sums it up for me, just like the rest of this arc. And we know that they can do it better. I've never been the massive fan of Reflections that you are, Sketchy. But it's a good arc. And compare that arc's bittersweet and emotional ending with this trite finale.
This arc could have been so much more in terms of character interactions. Just to think about the possibilities in the set-up makes me weep for what could have been. Hope and Cadence, the Princess that could have been and the Princess that is. Celestia and Sombra, the villain with the face of the stallion she loved and who heroically sacrificed himself in an alternate reality. Not even a line to acknowledge that.
Nope, you get the same hack ending we've had a million times before, with the same message.
What a waste.
All that being said, I still don't think it's a bad story. But it could have been SO ... MUCH ... MORE!!!
An incredible story was right there in front of you, IDW, just waiting to be told, everything was set up, all you had to do was stretch out your hand and grab it, but you never reached for it.
Well, here's hoping the comic writers got all the bad and mediocre out of their system this year, and next year will bring one amazing story after another.
At least the Holiday Special was a fun read, so we don't go out out on a low note completely.
3622140
I hope that the CMC arc in January and February will be a nice pallette cleanser for the main series. Meanwhile, Friends Forever is offering some strong pairings for January, February, and March.
3622148
March will definitely be interesting.
Main series: A look back on Twilight and Baby Spike. Hoping that Velvet gets some panel time there. She's the obvious choice to teach Twilight about taking care of a little one, after all.
Friends Forever: Shining Armor and Blueblood. Just the idea of pairing these two up makes me smile,
and at the same time wonder why nobody thought of it sooner.
3622159
I'm just wondering why the Twi and Spike comic isn't a Friends Forever issue. It seems to be the perfect setup for one.
3622159
I did, but I didn't mention it to anyone
because I'm stupid like that. So now I have a deadline before the comics blow it out of the water.
3622173
Oh, right. You actually did mention to me in passing that you had an idea along those lines at some point. I remember.
The thing is, I really want to like this comic. I enjoy Jeremy Whitley's work immensely, he's up there with Katie Cook as one of my favourite comic writers. But I'd be lying if I said I walked away from this feeling rather underwhelmed.
The biggest issue as many have brought up, including Silver-Quill, is that there were just so many different elements and ideas in play that suffered due to the pacing, with some going unanswered completely, e.g. the lesser villains. It would've been fine if they were included in the battle scene, showing they were doing SOMETHING to atone for themselves, that would've been fine for me. But they just sort of... disappear. Maybe Jeremy Whitley intends to do something with them in the future regarding the siege, but even as it stands, it just feels unsatisfying in how it's unresolved. It only adds fuel to the idea many have touted that only Chrysalis and the Changelings were really needed here, an its hard not to see their point when you look at it.
That said, one major thing I just LOVED about this issue and the whole arc was Sombra and Radiant Hope's relationship. I love those two and have wanted to see them both come out of this okay, which naturally I'm glad they did. That scene with Sombra talking with Hope at the beginning was one of the highlights of the issue. I know the ending itself feels all too sudden and can see how many think its undeserved, but if the comics intend to capitalize on it for a sequel (like how Equestria Girls did with Sunset and how the show may be doing for Starlight), we may have to reserve total judgement for now.
The other highlight of this arc, of course, was Queen Chrysalis. She pretty much just stole the show whenever she appeared and it's good to know she's still out there causing problems for Equestria and standing as one of the few villains not redeemed.
Overall, I can't say I hated this issue or the overall arc, but I agree that it's sadly lackluster in numerous areas and could've beend one better. It's a great story idea with a heartwarming ending, but again, it all ultimately suffered from its pacing and unresolved elements (though we'll have to see what they do with it in the future). Would I recommend it? I probably would, since there's still good stuff to take away from it and that, for all its faults, I did mostly enjoy the ride.
My final rating: 6/10
IMO:
Main Pro: Sombra and Hope's relationship.
Main Con: The many instances of headdesk-worthy writing logic.