Comic Review - Friends Forever #31 · 8:51am Sep 3rd, 2016
I know we've all repressed the memories, but remember back to Season 1 when buffalo were a thing?
Yeah, me neither.
So in an oddity, this issue is written by Tony Fleecs, an artist, not a writer. Guess he saw the stories being put out and snorted he could do better, I doubt he can do worse. Even more oddly, the art here was split between Heather Breckel and Sara Richard, a new artist. Sara did pages 5-9 while Breckel did the rest. I presume those four pages will be something unique then.
We open on me dry heaving. The lazy rainbows are back. Oh Heather, you just can't help yourself can you? The show uses stock vector art all the damn time, just look up the HTML codes for the six colors in Rainbow's mane, and stick to them! The color pattern does not go "dark orange, orange, yellow, pale green." I know I keep harping on her for this, but it continues to frustrate me. You'd be upset if Fluttershy had a red mane, or if Twilight was pink. And this isn't a stylistic choice because in the very next panel on the same page, Rainbow's mane has its proper red and deep green colors. Heather, it's called a shit - give one! For the purposes of you guys probably being sick of my bitching, I will attempt to keep my criticisms of Breckel's coloration to a minimum for the rest of the issue unless she does something truly awful.
Rainbow, Fluttershy and Tank are flying high in the clouds when Rainbow sees a smoke signal coming from the direction of Appleloosa. The smoke looks like her cutie mark so she presumes she's being called and runs off to investigate. Rainbow lands in Appleloosa in a snowstorm where Little Strongheart has made the signals. We get some cute banter here as Rainbow asks if she wants to race, then presumes the "no" means she forfeits. Strongheart says she wanted Rainbow's help with their crops, and Rainbow mentions Applejack is the farmer and reminds Strongheart which cutie mark she is. Strongheart takes Rainbow to Chief Thunderhooves, who explains the snowstorm has ruined their crops. Rainbow volunteers to buck the clouds away but Thunderhooves says "they've tried" and it doesn't work. Um, how, exactly, you aren't pegasi. They don't mention asking other pegasi, they just mention they tried and failed. Anyway, Thunderhooves says Rainbow has to find the Rainbow Crow.
We now get the reason we have a special artist for four pages - yes, this is a huge art shift from anything the comics have done. I'm not art expert but it's like a pencil crayong sketch-type drawing, very nice to look at and befitting a story about an old legend. When the Buffalo first came to these lands they found it the perfect place to put down roots, but for the bitter cold that gripped it. Stubborn and determined they settled anyway, presuming the cold would past. It did not. The next pages are absolutely gorgeous artwork, rainbows of colors in a variety of shades. The buffalo found the crow high in the mountains and adored her beautiful singing, and asked for her aid. The crow flew to the sun and sang to it, and it gifts her with fire in thanks. The crow returned to the buffalo with the fire, but the flight through the atmosphere burned her black and filled her lungs with smoke, destroying her voice. The buffalo used the fire to melt the snow and bring spring to the area, and the crow was forever disfigured, but would sometimes gleam once more with rainbow light when the sun struck her just right.
Rainbow asks the buffalo what they need from her, and they explain they've passed down feathers from the rainbow crow as keepsakes, sometimes burning one in memory of her during long winters to bid them end soon. But they're out of feathers now and want Rainbow to find them a new one. They don't know if the crow is still alive, but know where her nest was long ago, and Strongheart knows the way. She and Rainbow set off, racing until they reach the badlands. Strongheart says the area is dangerous and they should keep to the ground, but Rainbow says she'll do it her way, flying off before Strongheart can warn her of coyotes. Cut to the two of them at the other end of the badlands with a coyote hanging off Rainbow's tail. "Okay, we'll try it your way."
They get through the jungle and emerge on a swamp where Rainbow flies Strongheart over it. As they fly she comments the tradition with the feathers seems silly, but Strongheart defends her traditions. Rainbow says she prefers to just take on her problems head-on, and Strongheart suddenly grows angry and demands to be put down. She'll go her way and Rainbow can go hers. And as they part, for no real reason the tribute gift Rainbow was carrying for the crow snaps its string and falls forgotten. Next panel Rainbow, tired and exhausted from the cold winds and mountain goats, is stunned to see Strongheart relaxing - there's a cave under the mountain, buffalo water slide.
They reach the site of the crow's nest, a giant rock pillar. Rainbow flies up it and suddenly realizes she lost the tribute gift. As she panics the crow wakes up. Rainbow stutters through an explanation of what's going on, and the rainbow crow leans down and whispers that all she wants is a hair from Rainbow's mane. Rainbow obliges and returns to Strongheart with a bundle of feathers. They return to the buffalo as Rainbow explains about how she could have just talked to Celestia, and Strongheart is surprised to learn Rainbow knows "the day-bringer." Rainbow explains about Celestia and Strongheart replies they aren't primitive, they know Celestia is a real pony. They just keep to tradition because it's their way. And the story ends with the feather being burned and an array of those pencil colors lightning up the sky as Rainbow looks in awe.
I really like this comic, but there is one tiny flaw with it.
The world building is awesome, the story of the rainbow crow is very cool and told well through amazing art and good dialogue. There's a lot of good humor and banter, and aside from Breckel's oft-miscolored rainbows, everything is bright and colorful. The story is simple but told well, a bit short but it doesn't overstay its welcome. Also Tony is an artist and this is his first time writing a pony comic so I'll cut him some slack.
My criticism is that this isn't really a Friends Forever issue. Strongheart is completely shoehorned into events, contributes nothing but someone for Rainbow to talk to, and the conflict and pathos between them is completely forced and manufactured. There is no reason Rainbow couldn't have gone on this quest alone and come out just fine for it. Friends Forever, again, should be about the bond between characters, and this issue isn't.
However, that's a minor nitpick, in the meantime we have nice art, good humor, no OOC or angering behavior, and great worldbuilding.
I didn't like this issue. I felt the humor was dull and unfunny, Rainbow was forced to act more an idiot than usual for no reason, and then there's the main problem I had with this issue:
Chakotay Syndrome.
I see stories like this that try to do Native American mythology shit and Native American culture and make a half-assed mess of it and I cringe.
Sara Richard has done art for the MLP comics before. It's just all been covers, like the awesome Dia de Los Muertos alts for the FIENDship is Magic series.
I'm not sure how to feel about this issue. I mean, Rainbow Dash specifically points out the buffalo could easily get Celestia to clear away the snow, no worry, no fuss. I just don't know if this is the kind of tradition the buffalo should be keeping, what happens when the Rainbow Crow finally dies? What then?
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At least Strongheart never had to box anyone.