Present Perfect vs. IDW, Round 17 · 10:59pm Oct 7th, 2017
You know how people always complain that Sunset Shimmer doesn't get wings when she ponies up? It turns out, in the official novelization of Rainbow Rocks (I never bother with those, mostly because they're written really young), she does. I'm not sure if that makes things better or worse. :B
Anyway, it's comics time! I've got two groups of comics, here: the Movie prequel, and Legends of Magic. Weird, after so long spent ignoring the comics until I go "oh shit, I should read some", that we're finally in a position where the comics have a bearing on what's going on in the show. So hit the break to find out more about what you've been missing! Be warned, some discussion of the movie will necessarily take place.
My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel
This is a series of four comics meant to give us backstory on four of the new characters from the movie: the Storm King, Captain Celaeno (I thought it was Caelano?), Capper and Tempest. It also gives us some other information, like the fact that the Mos Eisley expy they visit is called Klugetown (the word only shows up in the movie's credits), and who Verko (the mole guy) actually is. Each issue focuses on one character, but there's a thread connecting them, in the form of magical macguffin, the "Misfortune Malachite". Let's take a look at each issue in brief.
I think the Storm King's is probably the best one. He breaks the fourth wall, he demonstrates that he's actually ruthless and competent despite being something of a chowderhead, we get a lot of his motivation, which was seriously lacking in the movie. And while he directly refuses to tell us who he is or where he came from, I was okay with that; this gave me something I needed (also we learn why Grubber).
The same cannot be said for the rest. In Celaeno's issue, for instance, we learn that she thinks of her crew as family (did not come up in the movie) and that she's rather risk-averse for a pirate (also did not come up in the movie). The pirates are given names, but I couldn't match them to faces if you asked, not to mention there are more pirates in the comic than the movie. It's not a bad comic, but it quickly becomes apparent that the purpose of these isn't "give background on the new characters so people will care about them", but "explain why everyone is where they are at the start of the movie".
Capper's issue is actually the best in terms of background. We find out cat people come from a land called Abyssinia, which the Storm King conquers in issue 1. We see him stow away on the Storm King's ship, then Celaeno's ship, then crash land in the desert outside Klugetown. It's, again, just trying to explain why he's in Klugetown, in debt to Verko, but it kinda hits you in the feels by the end. Capper was not my favorite movie character, but fans of his will want to read up through issue 3 at least. This issue really gave me a lot of appreciation for him when seeing the movie a second time. (That's why I read all this stuff today. :B)
Lastly, we have Tempest Shadow, who gets perhaps the most disappointing issue of the four. This is most likely because we get her backstory in the movie, but I still feel like something's missing. She wanders around, finds the Malachite, wanders more, ends up in Klugetown — which is strange, since she doesn't seem to recognize it, nor does anyone recognize her, and she is not the kind of pony you mistake for another — wanders around some more, gets captured by the Storm King. She's notably not the hardass we see in the movie, so this obviously takes place some time in the past. I guess just watching her have more or less zero agency was thoroughly dull. Plus, I agree with the angry commenter on the site I was using: what's the point of the Malachite? Tempest gets an official novel as well, but I have no idea where I'd find that.
So, what we're left with is a four-issue loose arc that doesn't explain what I was hoping it would. I mean, one out of four is still an improvement, but I was really looking for some reason to care about any of these chucklefucks — and notably, Princess Skystar and Songbird Serenade are among the new characters who don't get an explanation — and I just didn't get it. Are these a must-read? Probably not, unless you want to know more about Capper and the Storm King.
2.5/5
Legends of Magic #1: Star Swirl the Bearded
Fuck yeah, Star Swirl. :D Funny that the first issue of the comic is about the last Legend who's going to be in the show.
So this one's just straight-up great? Reminds me that half the reason I love the comics is they're so good to the Princesses. We start off with Celestia giving Sunburst access to Star Swirl's old study, because the former is researching Equestrian history, wherein he finds what is essentially this comic. (It's a book called Legends of Magic, is what I mean.) The tale therein is about Star Swirl trying to brave the trials of teaching Equestria's future leaders.
Oh my god, Celestia was so arrogant when she was young. XD And Luna was a lag-behind! And Star Swirl is just amazing. This has the right balance of comedy, action and solid character moments. If I have any complaint, it's that it seems to suggest that rock people from an evil dimension created Nightmare Moon, but I don't think that's quite what they meant to go for. In all, very glad I read this. :3
5/5
LoM2: Rockhoof
Hey, remember that really boring and weird tale AJ told in Campfire Tales? Well, this takes place after it, so if you were wanting to get an explanation for the bullshit that happens to Rockhoof, abandon all hope.
I'm being mean, though. This comic features a character named Steela Oresdottir, so you know it's quality shit. The story told, then, is of a former nerd suddenly being saddled with heroship and the adoration of his former betters, and just crumbling to pieces under peer pressure. It's a surprisingly compelling tale, and my god are there are a lot of hilarious panels. So yeah, I think it's safe to say Rockhoof was not giving fair shakes in the show. More evidence that there should have been six Legends episode this season.
4/5
LoM3: Mistmane
Like the last one, this takes place after the events we hear told in Campfire Tales, so Mistmane's already shrivelled. Fascinatingly, it deals with her investigating acts of sabotage hindering the building of Canterlot Palace. What a thing to have appear in the pages of the comics! Even more amazing is what she ends up teaching a certain other character to do. Ooh, I really don't want to give anything away, this one's a joy!
5/5
LoM4: Flash Magnus
The other interesting thing about these comics, aside from the tales themselves, is that these are new stories Sunburst is finding. This one, like the last, features a character the ponies know, but only in terms of one legend.
Weirdly, for all that this is based in olden days, it concerns an accident at the weather factory producing a superstorm. Kind of a weird letdown after we've already seen Flash fighting dragons, though the Captain builds up the tension pretty darn well. What makes it interesting is that the storm crosses the border into griffon territory, brewing up more tensions with accusations of it being a weapon. So this ends up giving us a considerably large amount of unexpected world-building. :) Good, since Magnus is not the most interesting character.
(Also, there might be a Rainbow Dash ancestor in there…)
4/5
LoM5: Somnambula
I'm still weirded out that they chose to name this character after a villain from G1. <.< This, again, comes after the actual episode, even referencing it (when were these published?), and…
Fuck me, Somnambula is a super-cutie.
She's a little shit sometimes, too, and the rest of the time, she's just so cheerful, you can't not love her. :D Also, you will learn a lot about snake anatomy, and all of it is true. :V It's a story about her being adorable and figuring out the mystery of said giant snake, and it's all very cute and lots of fun. :3 Also, we get Pinkie terrorizing Sunburst, and that is equal amounts of fun. FUN!
5/5
LoM6: Mage Meadowbrook
Boy, the art in this is great, I don't even know what it is. And it's not the most exciting issue, but Meadowbrook is extra cute, and it's got zombies. Better than 28 Pranks Later! Getting to see Meadowbrook in action was fun, and there's tons of atmosphere. (Also the narrative messing with her. XD) More importantly, you remember that time I was like, "the Legends ponies seem to represent new Elements of Harmony"? Well, they're enumerated at the end of this issue! Meadowbrook, notably, is healing. Not what I would have expected, but then I don't find "beauty" as good as "sacrifice" either. :B Oh well, whatever, this was nothing but fun, and this whole series (which isn't over!) reminded me of what I've always enjoyed about reading the comics. :)
5/5
Wow it sounds like I need to go out and buy these!
That is some glowing praise for the Legends of Magic series. I'll need to make them a priority.
Also, any kind of background on the movie characters would be appreciated, so there's that.
"Ach! Hans, run! It's the cherufe!"
I apologize for nothing.
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Y'know, I just looked up 'cherufe', and it comes from Central American mythology. c.c The world-building on this show sometimes...
Well, it makes "things" in general better, but it makes certain specific things--those where she should have wings but doesn't--worse. Clearly. <.<
I guess it kind of implicitly did in the sense that she's not still a pirate when it starts? But yeah, she wasn't all that much of a thing in the movie in the first place, so why would it?
What, you mean the one pony Princess Ember might be able to tell from the rest due to scar and broken horn and a color palette that's higher value/lower white balance than anyone except stallions with natural brown/gray horse colors? (Not counting ponies possibly not born that way.) :V
Oh yeah, the malachite does feel like it should have been a thing in the movie. What with it getting more development than anything else in the prequel series.
Screw Princess Skystar, her mom is what we need more of; she was possibly the best thing in the movie.
(The Starswirl one really was good.)
I'm sensing a theme in this episode of PPvIDW... :V
I may need to reread the Mistmane one... I don't remember much about it, but feeling frustrated because for whatever reason FIM seems to be bad at environmental messages...
My different (read: lesser) appreciation of "cute for the sake of cute" and Pinkie probably explain my divergent feelings re: Somnambula's issue.
Actually, maybe I should reread all of LoM, save I guess Somnambula. There was good stuff there, and it seems like it could be relevant going into the end of the season, or later in general.
I really enjoyed the LoM series as well, and I have a feeling I will go back and re-read them after the season finale.
You need to read Issue 59 like right now. Before watching the leaks. Because reasons.
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shiiiiiit D: