IDW Comics Revisited - Main Series #1 · 1:25am Sep 17th, 2020
I know there are some people and groups that are starting to do rewatch threads and reviews for episodes of the show, and maybe eventually I'll at least go back and touch up on my reviews from Seasons 1-4 (and possibly Seasons 5 and 6) to better reflect my opinions of them now that I've had more time to think about them, but for right now I don't quite want to do that. What do I want to do is go back and update some of my comics reviews from years past, particularly the early ones for at least the main series.
The first on the block is the one is that started it all back in late 2012, the very first main series comic. There was quite a bit of anticipation and hype surrounding the comics release in the months leading up to it, especially in light of what most were feeling about Season 3. Of course most of the early comics are now officially de-canonized due to the events of the show, so with that knowledge does that affect comics such as this one? Well, let's find out.
The story begins late one night in Fluttershy's backyard with the Cutie Mark Crusaders trying to get their cutie marks in jungle exploring. There are a few decent jokes here but the only one that really stands out is the joke about the study of ponies and Apple Bloom's reaction to it. What this does is set up the CMC to be kidnapped, and I have to kind of wonder how even if this was just Fluttershy's back yard no one was watching them? If it were daylight I could understand since Equestria seems pretty lax about children going wherever they want without any supervision, but it seemed rare that they'd go anywhere at night with no one watching them.
Anyway, next morning dawns and Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash notice the Crusaders acting rather odd. It sound turns out that the whole town is acting strange just as Twilight was hoping to assemble a watch party for the viewing of a rare comet called the Secretariat Comet. Back in 2012 I don't think most people knew that Secretariat was an actual horse name, a horse that was one of the few to win the Triple Crown and did so in the early 1970's (I would attribute increased knowledge of it at least in part to Bojack Horseman basing a character on Secretariat). There's some of the standard mane six introductions, including Rainbow Dash being blunt just to be blunt and Pinkie Pie saying something random that's party related. I guess it was understandable why they'd do it here, but it feels like these introductions are unnecessary when they keep cropping up in so many works. There has to be a better way to gradually get new fans up to speed with what makes these characters click.
So the girls realize that the whole town has been replaced by imposters and retreat to the library. Twilight is the only one to deduce that this is the work of the changelings, with Rainbow Dash claiming that she doesn't remember the events of the royal wedding all that well because of Pinkie's excessively sugared up punch, and it feels like a bit of a cop out to have that since this could've given the comics time to address some of the fallout from the Season 2 finale (they would go on to do it for the Season 4 finale, but I think that was more opportunity than genuine desire). Still, they decide they need to take action when Princess Celestia isn't available (no mention of Princess Luna but I would assume they believe that if Celestia is unavailable then Luna is too). Pinkie tells them that they need to blend in and act like the imposters, which works. The six (and Spike) sneak around and find that the changelings are trapping their victims in cocoons, with most of them being held prisoner inside of town hall.
Upon entering town hall the changelings try to use a variation of their mass confusion technique from the royal wedding, except this time they decide to basically rip off "Too Many Pinkie Pies" (maybe the comic writers didn't know about Season 3). We have some good action and jokes, particularly when Rainbow Dash convinces Fluttershy to get angry and Fluttershy gets a bit biploar (mad one moment and nice the next) and Rarity styles Pinkie's mane to look like her (Rarity's) own so as to tell the real Pinkie apart from the clones (if it was that easy why didn't the rest of the mane six consider something similar in canon? Not necessarily physical differences but anything that could separate a Pinkie from the others), all culminating with Pinkie blasting the changeling army with her party cannon that's been inexplicably loaded up with an extra sticky bubble gum cake.
The towns ponies are freed (along with Zecora who can be seen in the crowd) but there's no sign of the CMC even after the cocoons have all been opened. Spike then starts choking on something until Rainbow forces it out of him, and this is an egg like device that serves as a crystal ball substitute, allowing Chrysalis to contact the mane six. It's never explained how they know her name since in canon she only identified herself as "Queen of the changelings" and at no point in this comic does she identify herself as Chrysalis (this would be carried over to show canon along with the dropping of the echo filter that alledgedly made Chrysalis hard to understand). She reveals that she's holding the Crusaders captive in her own kingdom and is giving the mane six three days to come and free them, largely because the Crusaders are so annoying that she can barely tolerate them. It's possible they're being annoying on purpose, but it does odd that they're not concerned that they're being help prisoner.
Twilight deduces that Chrysalis' plan is to take advantage of the passing comet to become more powerful and Rainbow Dash correctly deduces that it's a trap. But Applejack insists that trap or no trap she's going to rescue her sister with Rarity in agreement, and isn't going to wait around to see if the royal guard will be available. The rest of the mane six reluctantly agree, though I have to call out Fluttershy's initial hesitance here. She doesn't seem to be motivated by the fact that the Crusaders are being held prisoner by an evil creature and might be in danger, and has to be convinced by Pinkie Pie to go along. Even with the timeline this is supposed to take place in I don't buy it, Fluttershy was motivated whenever someone pointed out that her friends were in danger or the bad guys were going to win. It's one thing to be hesitant about getting into a fight, especially one where you're out numbered, but it's another thing entirely if you have to be convinced to save a loved one because you're too afraid to do anything about it. Anyway, the story ends with the mane six setting off as Twilight takes charge of the map within the egg device. There is also a mini-story entitled "How Much is That Pony In the Window" where Pinkie Pie can't stay still for three seconds and stains a dress she was supposed to model for Rarity, which isn't really bad so much as it is forgettable and feels like it was just there to fill a page quota.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the issue? Looking back on it now it's definitely rough around the edges even for a first issue and even despite it no longer being canon to the events of the show. There's a good set up for the plot here, but it feels fairly standard in the whole "Imposters/bodysnatchers have taken over" angle and some of the characters behavior here feel like they're just there to remind you of who they are because every story has to introduce them somehow. I think what really helps to sell this are the artwork and the comedy, as well as the fact that this was part of an ongoing story that would play out over multiple issues. It did a good job of establishing the comics early on, but nowadays I don't know if this is the best jumping on point for them. And this might be the only one where you'll have to go outside the usual five to ten dollar range, as there was a bunch of exclusive covers focusing on a different member of the mane six, as well as some annual covers and special artist ones, so if you're looking for a particular cover you may find that sellers will charge a higher price than usual for them.
And there you have it, I'll probably be doing these comic revisitions at least up through the "Reflections" arc, so come back tomorrow for a revisitation of Main Series #2, the first issue to start running into problems.
How is it no longer canon to the show, exactly? Because of Season 6?
Good review!
I particularly LOVE the art of the comics.
The way Andy Price draws the Mane 6 just has this nostalgic vibe to it that I adore.
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5356822 Yes. There is no indication in the show that Chrysalis' abduction of the CMC or her showdown later in this arc occurred, and it's never acknowledged even in "The Times They Are a Changeling".
5356874
The events of the comic aren’t even to Twilight and Spike’s knowledge in Season 6, correct?
5356888 Yes. It's still possible that it did occur and they've just forgotten about it, but it seems unlikely, especially considering the comics would have Chrysalis imprisoned and then freed but not return to her hive.
5357181
Funny thing.
I’ve often wondered if anyone was interested in building their own remake of “The Return of Queen Chrysalis”. It’s been quite a while since I last read the story, but I remembered one of the arcs being similar to “The Return of Harmony” in some ways because of the changelings causing the Main Six to fight and split up. That, and I thought “To Where and Back Again” had better plotting and a sense of something unique compared to the comic.
But, I did check out the transcript of “The Times They Are a Changeling” and “To Where and Back Again” just now. Correct me if I’m wrong, but while I didn’t see any mention of the comic’s events in the dialogue, I haven’t found any lines that would debunk the possibility of it happening.
5357200 You're right that there's no proof either way. But if you look at what happened to Chrysalis in the comics after this arc compared to the show it would not be possible this arc to be canon.
5357213
Are you talking about what happens to her at the end of the comic or the fifth Fiendship is Magic comic?
5357237 Yes, and "Siege of the Crystal Empire".
5357239
So, you're talking about not only "Siege of the Crystal Empire" but the fifth Fiendship is Magic comic?
5357244 Yes.
5357298
Thank you. That’s all I wanted to know.
Perhaps how Chrysalis got out of her imprisonment at the end of “The Return of Queen Chrysalis” some other way, and afterwards she and her army returned to the hive, where she’d come up with her new plan to conquer Equestria and kidnap Twilight and the others.