IDW Main Series #58 Review

With Season 7 back for a second half and the movie lurking just around the corner, the IDW comics were wrapping up their tie in prequel series, pushing out a delayed Legends of Magic for Sonambula (in addition to the planned one for Mage Meadowbrook), and another one-shot issue tying directly into the show. In this case, they decided on "A Health of Information" which was 18th in production order, but alas Discovery Family's quirky scheduling caused the episode order to be mixed up and "A Health of Information" was the 20th episode to air, which unintentionally caused this comic to predate the legend it was tied into. With #57 having shown that it was possible to do a tie in (albeit indirectly) to the show, was this more direct tie in able to achieve similar success despite when it was released, or did it just confirm that the show and the comics were better off going their own way? Well, let's find out.

We start off admittedly with no prior build-up or anything of the sort, we see Twilight, Zecora, and Cattail, all searching for leads on a flower called the Magenta Bloom, which Mage Meadowbrook was looking for in her last years before her sudden disappearance. When Zecora moves Meadowbrook's journal to make room for Fluttershy's snacks from Pinkie Pie, Cattail notices some hoofwritten notes, love notes for a pony called Aqua Vine. Apparently, Meadowbrook intended to send them in reply to Aqua Vine's own love letters, but never got around to doing so due to her obsession with finding the Magenta Bloom, which seemed to hold the potential to cure anything. Twilight is quite excited over this, and reading the notes she tracks Aqua Vine's family to Fillydelphia.

As luck would have it, Meadowbrook had pinned the location of the Magenta Bloom to somewhere near Fillydelphia, and a visit to Fillydelphia city hall confirms that one of Aqua Vine's descendants still lives in the city. Said descendant runs a greenhouse, and is thrilled to see Twilight, Fluttershy, Zecora, and Cattail. She agrees to go with the group after getting her brother to run the greenhouse, and reveals that Mage Meadowbrook's obsession worked against her, she misread the flower's reaction to salt water and assumed it grew inland instead of on the coast. She even warns Twilight that her family has regarded the flower as somewhat of a family myth in properties. She then asks Cattail for stories about his ancestor.

Cattail reveals one about how Mage Meadowbrook came to a town infected with a plague, and nothing she did could stop it. That was, until she discovered the source of contamination in a well, and against the suggestions of the mayor was able to de-contaminate it. She then went on her way, Cattail narrating that he always admired his ancestor's persistence, even when it's clear that this virtue also worked against her, costing her a chance at family. Things go to a brief halt when it seems the group is lost, but not to worry, Fluttershy can talk to animals and she's able to point them in the right direction. Zecora comments on how Fluttershy's ability to talk to animals is "strange" which prompts Aqua Vine's descendent to roll her eyes in an exchange I dare not spoil. Anyway, the group find the flower, and Aqua Vine's descendent is concerned about how Meadowbrook never exchanged letters with Aqua Vine, thus preventing her from learning about the flower, including when it was in bloom.

Twilight tries to fly up and retrieve the plant, but the wind and the cliffs contribute to blinding salt sprays that almost cause her to crash. Not one to give up so easily, Twilight rushes up the cliff even as Zecora and Fluttershy express concern that Twilight's ambition is bordering on obsession, since all she can think about are the flower's potential uses. She disregards the warnings and the cliff gives way, causing her to be blinded by pollen. Fluttershy fortunately steps in to blow the pollen and spray away long enough for Twilight to be rescued. That night, at a campfire, Twilight apologizes and comments on how she wanted to leave something behind like Meadowbrook's journals (she kind of already does but I can see why she might want a personal contribution to the world of magic, something she did on her own rather than simply following advice or completing another's work). She considers calling for back up to collect the flower, but Fluttershy and the others tell Twilight not to give up, they'll retrieve it as a team.

The next morning, Fluttershy and Twilight go back to the roles they had the day before, but Zecora, Cattail, and Aqua Vine's descendent all hold her on a rope and guide her to the flower. Twilight grabs it and is yanked back up, with everyone celebrating. It even seems like a possible relationship is blooming between Cattail and Aqua Vine's descendent. But we get a bit of a redundant scene where Twilight expresses more or less the same realization and concerns she had before, though this time Fluttershy and Zecora deliver the message about how friends can keep you grounded, and personal relationships can be a lasting contribution in the world as well.

And that's the story, so what do I think of the issue? Well, it's not as strong as #57 but it manages to maintain the new standard of quality #57 established. Everyone's in character, and the story manages to keep you interested with a few twists and turns on a narrative. The start is kind of abrupt since there's nothing that explains what touched off all this research, even one or two lines from Twilight or Cattail would've been nice to understand what touched off the search for the Magenta Bloom. In a lot of ways this feels like the second part to "A Health of Information", showing off a different side of Mage Meadowbrook in that much like Fluttershy, her greatest virtue was also a curse that worked against her, in this case robbing her of the chance to have a family (though considering what happens in the Season 7 finale, it may not be too late to at least make amends). Some might complain about Twilight being useless, but this feels like a situation where her personal flaws would reasonably get her into trouble rather than just being grounded and powerless to preserve tension and conflict. Plus, she actually does succeed in the end, with help from her friends, which not surprisingly is where most of her biggest accomplishments stem from. The only thing that was really not needed, was the redundant bit at the end where Twilight repeats more or less the same realization and lesson from a few pages earlier. Cutting that probably could've been used to provide a stronger start and maybe more closely tie the story to "A Health of Information". Still, this was a strong issue, in fact it ended up showing off Mage Meadowbrook better than her actual solo issue in Legends of Magic that came out at the end of September (which means Meadowbrook was the most focused on of all the new legends, she got two comics and an episode, Sonambula was next with a comic and an episode, while Rockhoof through Flash Magnus had to share an episode even though they got their own comics). Definitely pick this one up if you can, but don't go over $10 for it even for Cover B done by Sara Richard.