March of the Ponies: MLP Comics (Pinkie Pie One-shot)

[NOTE: Links to other March of the Ponies stories will go here as they are published.Part 1 - Abridged MLP history, Part 2 - Review of Lauren Faust's prior works, Part 3 - MLP Comics (Micro-series of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, CMCs/Celestia, Spike/Luna; Nightmare Rarity arc (main series)), Part 4 - Equestria Girls review, Part 5 - Fan-made episodes (Dusk's Dawn, Double Rainboom, Snowdrop), Part 6 - Fan works (Music,Doctor Whooves, Parody/Abridged Series, Fanfictions), Part 7 - Season Reviews: Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Magical Mystery Cure, Season 4 (to date)]

Pinkie Pie's story is next, and to the staff's credit, they picked the perfect story to go with.

An over-the-top cover for an
over-the-top issue.

The plot is simple and straightforward: Pinkie goes to see a clown who inspired her to be funny in the first place, and he's actually depressed because he's going to retire soon.

She then goes to the extreme length of showing off her skills in an attempt to re-instill the passion for the art of clowning.

Quite honestly, it's not a plot that's super interesting. The story is kind of predictable and the resolution, while sensible, really screams of half-hearted writing toward the end. It's clear they were really just looking to belt out jokes.

That said, the jokes are all really, really good. This is Pinkie Pie at her funniest, and Ben Bates (Amy Mebberson as colorist) do a great job of making the art just over-the-top enough to get the mood across without being hyper-aggressive.

This is more a book that's pretty to look at, not one that will stir you to read it over and over. But the art is good enough to have repeat viewings and the story is a good complement that doesn't intrude on the fun of the art.

Overall, I'd give this issue an 8.7/10.

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