Friendship is Card Games: From the Shadows · 11:31am Aug 26th, 2018
Thanks to the magic of early airings, I have a hole in my schedule. One that’s just big enough for the first comics that demonstrated how Season 7 was the season of cross-media connectivity.
I do have to love how Twilight has her hair up in a beehive for the performance of Bridle of Frankenstag. Spike hiding in it is icing on the reanimated cake. It makes me wonder if her human counterpart has ever considered cosplay.
Also, I have to say, the light and shadow work on this first page is amazing; we rarely see any MLP during actual sunset… though the fact that everoyne’s shadows always seem to lie in front of them cuts my appreciation a bit.
“Princess Twilight has returned with her dragon!” That is a pretty darn epic line right there. Doesn’t excuse the perfect demonstration of why Twilight could use some guards for the Palace-Tree.
Kind of funny to have Twilight teleport in a Symbol of Chaos, especially just after the Accord arc.
The mysterious intruder has weaponized book forts! Truly, he is a worthy adversary to Twilight.
Nice. They have the same bed setup as “Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?”
I’m hard-pressed to believe this is the first time Spike’s seen Rarity with a face mask on. I suppose he just wasn’t expecting it, especially since he’s wearing one in the very next panel (which raises the question of what effect it’ll have on scales…)
One of Pinkie’s tamer dreams, I’m sure.
I’d ask why the castle’s kitchen had the supplies for Pinkie’s breakfast sundae… but remember, this castle grew from the Tree of Harmony. I’m pretty sure the kitchen is its Element of Laughter.
That locator spell is a lovely bit of subtle visual impact, literally blazing a trail across the map. Shadow Lock’s spell is less subtle, but no less impactful.
I love how not only can Twilight hear books, Spike can smell them.
I’m pretty sure if Applejack brought Twilgiht in, she could expedite the whole interrogation process. “Tell us what we want to know and I won’t turn the saloon upside-down.” Granted, Starlight would probably be the one who actually put that sort of plan into action.
Ooh, arcane supply shop. Nice touch with the drippy candles and copious amounts of garlic.
I’m not sure what I love more, Fluttershy using her feminine wiles or her calling it a “wrestley-doo.”
I really should’ve seen this coming when Pinkie proposed the sweet shop. The question is whether Dash is holding her back or deliberately weaponizing her.
The nature of Shadow Lock’s spell leads to some questions. Does it affect all copies of a given book? What about information contained in both that book and others? Can writing down the information preserve it against the spell? Recording it? Chiseling it into stone or otherwise encoding through removing matter rather than adding it?
I have to love how Shadow Lock doesn’t respond to Twilight at all until he’s finished checking out his books. As such, his dramatic counterpoint is triggered by Fluttershy’s entirely reasonable prodding.
The defictionalization spell makes me wish Shadow Lock had been on hand to face off against that bookworm.
The monster selections give a fascinating glimpse of pony culture ancient and modern. The Ponyssey implies not just the Trotian War, but an entire pantheon of all-too-equine deities who messed with Ponyssues for the lulz punished the clever hero for his hubris. Frankenstag carries the fears of the mad alchemist in an age where the promise of reason might exceed the sense of ponies, the modern Pronkmetheus burning himself on the divine fire of life. And H. Pony Lovecart not only echoes that sense of a loss of meaning in an increasingly understood cosmos, but also some disquieting undertones about racial purity that I’m going to hope didn’t carry over from Earth to Equestria.
On a less analytical note, I do love how Frankenstag’s monster feels the need to point out how he is not the doctor… though I will note that the original did take on the name Frankenstein himself.
I adore how once Pinkie hears how those who commune with the Old Ones are driven to madness, her reaction is “Challenge accepted.”
Shadow Lock’s approach does admittedly have some merit to it, as I’ll discuss later. But, as Twilight, notes, it’s still not the best approach. Forewarned is forearmed, and blinding everyone to save them from a gorgon isn’t doing them any favors.
Also, it seems that the answer to one of my questions is clear: Shadow Lock has to erase every book that has the information in question to guarantee it’s removed from everypony’s memory.
Marsh Attacks? Really? Can’t say I was expecting that one.
Ah, it’s one part Mars Attacks!, one part War of the Worlds. Makes sense.s
Pinkie Pie: Too spicy for Cthulhu.
Given what happens to Polyphemus, it’s no wonder Twilight never shut the book on him. And why he’s happy to help clean up.
Foreshadowing for Applejack’s classes in the School of Friendship, I see.
Feel free to involve the guards, Twilight.
Huh. Apparently Equestria has enough of a corporate culture for office comedy a la Dilbert. I suppose I could see that in the big cities.
Oh hey, Trenderhoof! Nice to see what publication he writes for.
Colonial Whinniesburg raises a lot of questions about Equestrian history. Especially the “colonial” part.
For all that I’m praising this comic for the continuity tie-ins, I have to wonder where the Cutie Map went.
Okay, Fluttershy lampshading the Crusaders spending an unusual length of time in the same grade made me smile. But dang, Shadow Lock, you couldn’t have been a bit more careful with the erasure?
As we’ve seen lately, Twilight has no issue with risking the safety of historical artifacts for far less pressing concerns than catching those seeking to wipe the slate clean.
Huh. I wonder if Scorpan donated his amulet to the museum’s collection.
One could do a lot with Spike’s thoughts on the medieval pony-dragon wars.
Good on Twilight to try the diplomatic approach. It’s where she truly shines.
I really don’t have a lot to say about everypony getting pulled into the exhibit descriptions. It’s some genuinely cool stuff.
As I said before, this storyline started a long string of comic-show integration, including foreshadowing the Pony of Shadows half a year before “Shadow Play.” It’s honestly really cool to see them set this up in hindsight, even the subtle bit of Shadow Lock’s parents moving south to Somnambula for their retirement.
Also, a castle? Dang. Not sure what Stygian’s descendants got up to in the intervening centuries, but they clearly did pretty darn well for themselves.
Stygian did play a fairly central role in a critical point of Equestria’s history. It makes sense that he’d be remembered. And Shadow Lock’s dedication to erasing that memory explains how the seventh Pillar was forgotten in modern times. Until recently, he hadn’t been.
Ah. I see Cleopatrot was an Anugyptian pharaoh. Given Somnambula, that wasn’t guaranteed.
Much like I love the group getting trapped in the exhibit description, I love the limitations of being sealed in a small informative blurb. There’s only so much the magic can work with.
The funny thing is, Shadow Lock is completely justified in worrying that someone reading about the Pony of Shadows will inspire them to bring it back. Just not in the way he expects.
On the other hand, Twilight has a perfect counterargument that she only pulls out obliquely: She only knew about her very first villain and how to defeat her through historical research.
Dash, how many millennial threats has your group already faced down?
And we close on the blind buy barrel, and Star Swirl’s journal within. As I said before, great to see the comics and show working together like this.
In all, while Shadow Lock’s evasiveness got irritating at times, this was still a fantastic storyline. Small wonder I’ve seen people ship him with Twilight. What better match for her than a pony who specializes in narrative magic?
Now, let’s make sure I get these designs down before I forget them.
Closed Space 2W
Instant
If a creature would leave the battlefield this turn, instead exile that creature, then return that card to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step.
Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel leads back to the first station.
Ponyville Investigator 2W
Creature — Pony Soldier
Protection from Horrors
Whenever a Horror enters the battlefield under an opponent’s control, investigate. (Create a colorless Clue artifact token with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
“I’ve seen worse.”
3/2
Scalebane Lancers 3WW
Creature — Unicorn Knight
First strike, vigilance
Scalebane Lancers can block Dragons as though it had reach.
In Equestria’s early years, the nation and its military were both tempered in dragonfire.
4/3
Whinniesburg Minutemares 6W
Creature — Pony Soldier
Flash
This spell costs 1 less to cast for each creature attacking you and planeswalkers you control.
Whinniesburg Minutemares can block any number of creatures.
3/6
Thaumic Supplier 1U
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
T: Add C. Spend this mana only to cast a noncreature spell.
T, Sacrifice Thaumic Supplier: Draw a card.
She’ll sell her own horn if you offer a good price for it.
1/1
Ponysseus the Cunning 2UU
Legendary Creature — Pony Soldier
Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets Ponysseus the Cunning, creatures you control can’t be blocked this turn.
The king of Ithacolt’s mind got him out of slightly more trouble than it got him into.
2/2
Frankenstag’s Monster 3UU
Legendary Creature — Zombie Unicorn
Trample
As Frankenstag’s Monster enters the battlefield, exile any number of creature cards from your graveyard.
Frankenstag’s Monster’s power is equal to the total power of cards exiled with it, and its toughness is equal to the total toughness of those cards.
*/*
Legacy of Darkness 1B
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each black creature card in your graveyard.
”Evil forces twine around my family tree like parasitic vines.”
—Shadow Lock, expurgator
Mummified Leprechaun 1B
Creature — Faerie Zombie
Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, create a colorless Treasure artifact token with “T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.”
The priests and the foreign creature agreed that there were few more suitable guards for gold.
2/1
Marshan Invaders 2B
Creature — Elemental
Flash
Deathtouch
Made as much from raw black mana as peat moss, marshans live to destroy everything they see.
2/1
Treasury Guards 3B
Creature — Jackal Warrior
Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, each opponent loses that much life.
Anugypt was not a kingdom known for its generosity.
4/2
Eldritch Horror 4BB
Creature — Horror
Whenever a creature blocks or becomes blocked by Eldritch Horror, that creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn unless its controller discards a card.
Neither mind nor body is safe from its unspeakable power.
5/4
Hardcover Avalanche 2R
Instant
As an additional cost to cast Hardcover Avalanche, exile the top five cards of your library.
Hardcover Avalanche deals 5 damage to target creature or planeswalker.
Twilight’s outrage was matched only by her grudging respect for such a skilled bibliomancer.
Canterlot Robbers 3R
Creature — Pegasus Rogue
Flying
Whenever Canterlot Robbers deals combat damage to a player, discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
The money is a side benefit. The real thrill is getting away with it under the princess’s nose.
2/2
Primitive Herd 3R
Creature — Pony Warrior
Primitive Herd can’t be equipped.
Tool use didn’t come easily to a species without thumbs.
4/4
Torch-Wielding Mob 3R
Creature — Pony Berserker
When Torch-Wielding Mob enters the battlefield, you may have it deal 3 damage to target artifact creature or blue creature.
”I keep an eye on Ponyville’s pitchfork consumption for a reason.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
3/3
Pinkie’s Expertise 3RR
Instant
Copy target instant or sorcery spell twice. You may choose new targets for the copies.
You may cast a card with converted mana cost 4 or less from your hand without paying its mana cost.
”No one expects a surprise in another surprise!”
Adversarial Dragon 4RR
Creature — Dragon
Flying
1R: Adversarial Dragon deals 1 damage to each creature defending player controls. Activate this ability only if Adversarial Dragon is attacking.
He burns them because they charged at him. They charge at him because he burned them.
4/4
Roaring Cyclops 5R
Creature — Unicorn Cyclops
Trample
”Bronco asked, ‘Why do you scream and cry, what happened to you?’ And Ponyphemus replied, ‘It was Nopony, Nopony blinded me, and Nopony with his stallions ran away.’”
—The Ponyssey
5/5
Pyrophobia XR
Sorcery
Pyrophobia deals 1 damage to each of X target creatures. Those creatures can’t block this turn.
”Fire bad!”
—Adam Frankenstag
Burly Buffalo 3G
Creature — Ox Warrior
As long as Burly Buffalo is blocking or blocked, it gets +2/+2.
He is a surprisingly gentle creature, exerting himself to his fullest only in times of strife.
3/3
String of Garlic 1
Artifact
2, T, Sacrifice String of Garlic: Target creature gains deathtouch until of turn.
T, Sacrifice String of Garlic: Destroy target Vampire.
”Would that all of undeath’s banes were so savory.”
—Princess Luna
Teetering Bookcase 2
Artifact Creature — Wall
2, T, Sacrifice Teetering Bookcase: Teetering Bookcase deals 4 damage to target creature it’s blocking.
Twilight soon regretted getting all seven volumes of Long Wind’s How to Kill Insects.
0/4
Hopping Reagent 1(ur)
Creature — Frog
Sacrifice Hopping Reagent: Add CC. Spend this mana only to cast instant or sorcery spells.
Ponies don’t know why amphibian life force is so magically potent. They just know every spell could use more frog legs.
1/1
Shadow Lock, Expurgator 2UB
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Skulk (This creature can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power.)
Whenever Shadow Lock, Expurgator deals combat damage to a player, that player reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a nonland card. Search that player’s graveyard, hand, and library for all cards with the same name as that card and exile them. Then that player shuffles their library.
1/3
Pharaoh Cleopatrot 3WU
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Cleric
Flying
Each creature card in your graveyard has embalm. The embalm cost is equal to its mana cost. (Pay that card’s cost and exile it from your graveyard: Create a token that’s a copy of it, except it’s a white Zombie with no mana cost in addition to its other types. Embalm only as a sorcery.)
2/3
Unless you're Pinkie Pie
I've been missing out on the comics. I download them from YP and their list hasn't updated since like #52-53 I think.
A very enjoyable post! This also makes the Shadow Lock arc sound very appealing. Heck, this bolsters my interest in Shadow Play, which I otherwise found to be a lackluster finale.
You know, with all the leaks and weird oversees schedules, I've lost track of the official US air dates, so I didn't realize you would review a comic instead of "On the Road to Friendship" today. That said, this comic sounds like it's worth a read. Maybe it'll even give me inspiration to re-write the last chapter of "So You Escaped From Limbo."
Still disappointed we haven't had an issue that addresses Stygian and Shadowlock's relation. Would be a nice aside as part of the Pillars adjusting to modern day.
Also I just love the image of scrawny little bean boy Stygian, who grew up as a nobody scholar in a backwater village, standing next to Shining Armor-sized Shadowlock, who apparently was born into such wealth that his parents can just leave him his own castle when they retire.
Also I just realized that it was one of Stygian's descendants who retired to the village named after another Pillar. Cool.
Personally, I'm not a fan of this arc. Like Shadow Play itself, it's very nicely presented, and I can see the appeal, but its continuity and world-building is kind of a mess. As entertaining as it was to see ponifications of Frankenstein and Lovecraft brought to life, From the Shadows forgets that the comics already had ponifications of Frankenstein and Lovecraft before under different names, thanks to Andy Price's many background gags. This comic might have started the closer integration of the show and comics, but it was also the start of the older comics being ignored and retroactively removed from canon, something which seasons seven and eight have done a lot of.
I also really don't like Shadow Lock as a villain. He erased his own memory of the entity he's setting out to erase all memory of, and doesn't know what he's doing. He literally doesn't remember his motivation. Villains don't get much weaker than that.
The most prominent question for me, which I'm surprised you didn't ask, is just how much knowledge was lost as a result of this adventure? Because we saw, by the end of his book-burning spree, Shadow Lock was basically targeting books indiscriminately. If the CMC really will have to be kept in school for longer because he erased that much of what they learned, then how many more ponies must be similarly affected? How much offscreen damage are we not seeing?
Hold up. Yes, Stygian played a fairly central role in a critical point of Equestria's history. He was a companion to the Pillars, and the one who assembled them. And then Shadow Lock erased any books he could find that mentioned the guy. Yet people still know who the Pillars are? The Mane Six can still remember and tell their legends, totally unaffected by Stygian erasing all these books that must have mentioned them? None of this makes any sense. Stygian was basically the Spike of his day. He had no importance except in the context of the Pillars. Any books about him must also mention them, and yet... nothing. What even?
Also, no, I don't think he was remembered at all, even before Shadow Lock went on his rampage. Back in season four, Dash and AJ knew so little about him, they thought that the Pony of Shadows was a lingering remnant of Nightmare Moon haunting the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Y'know, confusing him for the actual lingering remnant of Nightmare Moon haunting the castle in that episode, which was apparently totally unrelated. Or at least, that's the only Watsonian explanation I can think of for such a glaring contradiction.
...Call me crazy, but I think that the Pillars/Pony of Shadows arc wasn't thought out very much.