REVIEW: Starlight Glimmer and The Secret Suite · 11:01pm Oct 30th, 2016
Last time, Axis_of_rotation asked me to review the IDW My Little Pony comics. I didn't think I had much to say about them, but after catching up on all the issues I'd missed, I got inspired. So I'm gonna try writing a new series of posts about them, with a different format from these book reviews. 
On the one hoof, I'm not sure how many people here are interested in comics storytelling, since this is a fanfic site and all the advice focuses on prose. On the other hoof, comics is something I know rather well, and I can strongly critique them beyond just characterization and enjoyability.
And I'm not gonna go easy on that critique. Not after all the pain they put me through. 
Starlight Glimmer and The Secret Suite
by G. M. Berrow
I do like Starlight Glimmer a lot. She struggles to fit into the status quo of the show, and I think that opens up new possibilities for stories. The mane 6 already know each other extremely well, so their episodes have leaned toward character development or adventures. Glimmer's relationship with Twilight seems to be the best vehicle for those Friendship Lessons that started off the show in the first place.
And I really like her as a former villain who was never actually defeated, but chose to surrender at her moment of victory. What I see in her in Season 6 is that instead of searching for friendship and forgiveness, she receives so much of it. Yet she's not convinced she really deserves any of it, and is terrified by the responsibility involved. I think it's a nice twist on the standard "reformed villain" arc.
The problem is that I have to extrapolate a lot of this from hints in her s6 appearances, since she gets so few episodes. I empathize with her from the scraps of hints we get, but I easily see how for another viewer without that subjective connection, her character seems bare-bones and not convincing. We really needed more episodes to see all the facets of her personality, just like we got to know the Mane 6 across all of Season 1. For example, you may not personally LIKE s1 Rainbow Dash, but at least you know her pretty well. 
This is why I quite enjoyed this chapter book. It feels like the missing s6 episode we needed! It confirmed my understanding of Glimmer, while showing how she interacts with Twilight, Spike, and their castle. G.M. Berrow should write for the show. 
Wait, she did.... She should write another.
The plot involves some kind of mysterious hidden room in Twilight's Castle, that only appears when you need it.... ok, it's stolen from Harry Potter. Twilight isn't aware of its nature, and used it to store excess books she's planning to donate. Only Glimmer figures out that its entrance moves around the castle on a whim, and it can be sealed off from the outside world. She uses it as a private hiding spot to get away from Twilight's overbearing attention.
While hiding out in there, she accidentally activates a hidden magic vortex that amplifies her experimental spell to ridiculous levels, which messes with time and gravity and crazily ruins Ponyville's boardgame holiday (
!!).
This is an opportunity that I think the show has completely missed out on. Ever since that decorating eppisode, we know next to nothing about Twilight's Castle, besides the recurring throne room with the map. I think the most interesting detail was that cobweb-filled dungeon in the hypnotism episode. What's so special about this castle? Although Berrow is taking inspiration from Hogwarts, she gives it a little sense of magic and mystery. For something made of sparkling crystals and shaped like a tree, it feels so DEAD in the show.
So I appreciate what Berrow's trying to do here. Even though the whole magical subplot introduces too much stuff out of nowhere, and the rules for this spell aren't clearly defined. And Twilight keeps worrying about some urban legend called Comet Tail's Curse, though it's not explained what it is until nearly the end. It doesn't quite work as a magical adventure - magic happens, magic gets solved, don't gotta explain nuthin. But it does work as a magical slice-of-life, it feels nice that there's something new and strange for Twilight to discover about her world, instead of having her literally know everything already.
The character relationships are what matter in a slice-of-life, and we get to see more of Glimmer and Spike. Much like in the s6 premiere in the Crystal Empire, they have an interesting chemistry. Perhaps as two friends who understand each other, both having to live under Twilight's shadow. He's sympathetic to Glimmer wanting to get away from Twilight, though he doesn't realize he's enabling her unhealthy Avoidant personality. There's also a few scenes where he acts as a foil to Twilight, and she gets to be a little snarky toward his childishness. This triangle of characters works out well.
Now that I think about it, Spike didn't get a chapter book, and he rarely appeared in any of them either. Even in the show, his friendship with the ponies seems unconvincing, and I don't just mean the obvious issue of "Spike abuse". Like I mentioned in the previous review, the very first episode offered a Fluttershy + Spike hook, but the show completely ignored that to focus on the unrequited Rarity crush. In my opinion, they chose the hook with much less potential.
So, this book's pacing feels kinda rushed, and would need some cleaning up before becoming a proper show episode. But I really enjoyed it, because it digs up all these missed opportunities buried by the show writers. Trixie stole the show in most of Glimmer's s6 episodes, so I guess I would call this book the best standalone GlimGlam episode.
BONUS:
This right here is the canon floor plan for Twilight's castle! It is mandatory you use this to make sure your fanfics are accurate! Pass it around to everyone on the site! 
PREVIOUS ENTRIES:
Book 1 / Twilight Sparkle and The Crystal Heart Spell
Book 2 / Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party!
Book 3 / Rainbow Dash and The Daring Do Double Dare
Book 4 / Rarity and The Curious Case of Charity
Book 5 / Applejack and The Honest-to-goodness Switcheroo
Book 6 / Fluttershy and The Fine Furry Friends Fair
Book 7 / Princess Celestia and The Summer of Royal Waves
Book 8 / Discord and The Ponyville Players Dramarama
Book 9 / Princess Luna and The Festival of the Winter Moon
Book 10 / Lyra and Bon Bon and The Mares from S.M.I.L.E.
Book 11 / Princess Cadance and The Spring Hearts Garden
I've always wanted to write something about the tree's many rooms. Maybe someday.
4277913 better hurry. they're planning to blow it up in S07E01.
I'm very interested in hearing you talk about comics! Though admittedly by the sound of this...
...I think I should be afraid.
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I'm exaggerating! I'm not gonna be that mean
................. to the good ones
I should read some of these.
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I love the comics, but I will admit there are some rather dull entries. But there are also some utterly wonderful campy adventures that feel like good fanfiction except they're comics and they're official and people were paid to create them and allow me to buy them and I think that's wonderful.
I basically either walk away from the MLP comics feeling as though I've wasted precious minutes of my life or practically crying tears of joy.
Blog catchup!
Actually it's that "focus on the prose" that I think is a large problem with discussions and advice-giving on how to write well.
Traitor!
Have I ranted to you about Starlight yet? No?
Yes, I agree, technically, but see the problem is we didn't really need new possibilities. In my opinion we have always had lots and lots of possibilities, but most go untapped, because the writers are
dumbuntalenteddon't understand the world and characters very well (recently). For example, the season 6 opener. Here you have Twilight's very first niece being born to her favorite babysitter (and fellow princess) and older brother who she looks up to and admires. Twilight is also a known neurotic with obsessions of getting approval.There is so much you could have done with her in this episode! So much personal conflict and learning and growth: she wants to be a good aunt, she doesn't want to disappoint Shining or Cadance, she wants to use this to prove she's a capable princess, so she wants to impress Celestia and Luna and Cadance. Instead all we get is a lame and mostly sidelined "gotta be a good teacher" arc.
Starlight IS an interesting character, and I like watching her because of that. She irritates me because she gets to have interesting conflict while Twilight and the others mostly don't--particularly Twilight--even while there's still so much potential. To me, the only reason Starlight's even here is because the writers simply don't know what to do with Twilight anymore, and that just plain drives me nuts. Twilight and co. have not run out of gas by a long shot. The writers just cant see the fuel gauge.
I agree, it is a nice twist. But to me that makes Starlight a watered down redo version of Luna.
Yeah they do have an interesting chemistry. I'd like to see more of it. I'd also like to see Spike's relationship with Twilight explored more.
4309546
yeah, the focus on prose reminds me of like, interviewing an artist and asking about his tools (it's always the most boring answer). or that old commercial asking Michael Jackson if he's good because of his shoes. I suppose that didn't stop him from selling millions of shoes, so it works.....
this is hidden reason #4 why I can't review show episodes!
I totally understand this, and it's something a lot of fans don't specify when they talk about newer seasons. there's a big difference between disliking the direction chosen, and disliking the execution... and I see too many fans pretending they're critiquing the latter ("Writer X sucks!") when it's mostly the former.
i'm kinda okay with the Glimmer route (it means more Trixie!) though at the same time I admit they didn't execute her story very well (needed 1 or 2 more episodes). so I feel guilty for defending her because I fully understand why the haters feel their way, and can't really convince them otherwise. oof.
If I were running the show, there's a lot of things I'd change about the overall direction of the Mane 6, because I think that's actually where the weaker episodes are..... oh hrm, that's one thing I notice. people who complain about Character X being developed all wrong, but don't provide an alternative for how THEY'D do it.
4310631
Sorry! >.<
4310631
Good grief I posted the stupid comment one sentence in! Ugh.
Yeah I know that can make it tough. But don't feel guilty! If Starlight clicks with you she clicks with you.
Really?? What kind of changes would you make?
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I think their development has actually frozen since Season 3. such as Dash in the Wonderbolts, or Rarity's boutiques, they seem to be advancing, but it's more like running in place. it's been going exactly as we expect. partially I think this is because of the uncertain future of the show every season.
Kinda like how Magical Mystery Cure had to be written and directed as if it could be the last episode ever, just in case. No obvious loose ends, but with a little possibility open in case there's a season 4. It's easy to notice this with Princess Twilight, but I think they did it with the rest of the characters too. and Season 4 was produced in a way that it could be the end if it had to be. and Season 5 as well. (but Season 6 definitely wasn't)
I think each of the Mane 6 needed something further to unfold after S3, something new to develop beyond their S1 goals. That's what I'd do, even if it means taking a risk on the show ending prematurely. This is why I think the show has recently been focusing a lot on side characters and reformed villains, while the Mane 6 get these rather mundane storylines (and Map Missions). The producers think the field of ideas has gone barren for the Mane 6, but they just forgot to replow it.
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Exactly! Yes yes and yes. It pains me to see the show having these problems.
That's interesting, I hadn't really thought of that solution. Mine has been that they screwed up the mane six achieving their goals, making it about as unsatisfactory as they could, so they should have just not done that. :P "Running in place" is a great way to put it, I think, because even though they've "reached their dreams" (sort of), nothing has really changed. So the achievement doesn't feel like it means much, because it doesn't do much.