Legends of Magic #7 Review · 3:03am May 31st, 2018
With the movie finally being released in theaters, Season 7 of the show wrapping up, and the main series comics deciding to devote an issue following up on "Secrets and Pies", the Legends of Magic series decided to change things up a little. The first six issues had been mostly self contained, just Sunburst reading about the different legends introduced to us in the comics and the show. From here onwards until their final issue this past March (their annual in April involved an AU with Starswirl and the younger royal sisters facing the Pony of Shadows), the focus would be on a backstory for how the pillars united. We'll talk more about that overall arc once I've reviewed all the issues that make it up, but for now how did this issue fare in setting things up and shifting the focus from stand alone to continuity based? Well, let's find out.
We begin with something of a continuity snag from the previous issue, which ended with Sunburst discovering Starswirl's journal on the train ride back to the Crystal Empire and him declaring he had to see Twilight right away. Here, he's now back in his home in the Crystal Empire, looking over his notes. It is possible this could take place after "Shadow Play", but it's not made clear that's the case. An argument against it is presented when Sunburst receives a book with a letter that says simply "It is time both sides of the story were told", and is signed "S" (supposedly implying Shadow Locke from main series #52-#54, though adding him here just raises further questions about the necessity of his actions or what he even "accomplished"). Sunburst begins to read it, and we are transported into the personal memories of an unnamed scholar pony (of course we now know he is called Stygian, but at the time this issue came out his name was not yet known).
The scholar never considered himself a hero, he had no real magical powers or special abilities. He was just good at research and reading. He'd spent the past year reading all about Starswirl's accounts of the same heroes we learned about in the comics and the show, but what he had now become interested in were seaponies. Then, one day, while strolling along the beach near his village, the scholar was confronted by a trio of unfamiliar figures called The Dazzlings, who revealed themselves to be Sirens. Yes, that's right, it's the same Dazzlings from Rainbow Rocks.
Adagio expressed interest in showing off her magical singing abilities to the village, but the scholar pony was a bit skeptical when she mentioned power and control. He read up on sirens, particularly what Starswirl had written about them, but felt that if he could learn all there was to know about them and talk to them again, he might reap some exclusive benefits. He then pushed thoughts of the sirens aside, to aid an elderly mare on the outskirts of his village with her chores. That evening, as he made his way back home, the scholar pony found it odd that no one was around. Reaching a small ledge overlooking his village, he saw the Dazzlings perform their concert, and knew he was too late to stop them. Having only been spared due to being so far aware from their music, the scholar pony realized he could not hope to fight the trio alone. It would take a team of heroes to fight off the sirens and save his village.
To that end, he set off on a pearelous journey that eventually led him to the volcanic village Rockhoof called home. However, he soon fell into a crevice. And the issue ends with the silouette of a very familiar earth pony standing over it, ready to help him out.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the issue? The questionable continuity aside, it's a fine set up to an arc that probably could've been in the main series of comics if they'd really wanted to (and even if it meant losing #57 and #58, the last truly great ones in the main series to date, even the most recent ones have been relatively medicore or underwhelming at best). The introduction of the sirens and the focus on the scholar pony set up the hints of something greater, and subsequent issues would build on this hero's journey. It's definitely worth picking up, there's not much to say about this one other than it's a great set up for a pretty nice little arc.
It seems like an unparalleled timeline to me. XD
What’s it about
4873803 What is what about?
4873827
Legends of Magic
4873945 It's a series of comics that were originally about the pillar/legend six as a way to promote them and integrate them prior to the Season 7 finale. And then it was a six parter story about how the pillars were gathered together and the fall of Stygian.