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| Spin-off hopefully coming... Please... |
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Arrow Season 2, Episode 17 review
We had the first Birds of Prey sighting on TV since that awful WB series they tried to force upon us. How'd it go? Here are my thoughts.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
March of the Ponies: MLP Comics (Nightmare Rarity arc - TPB Vol. 2)
[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, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, CMCs/Celestia, Spike/Luna), 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)]
Now that I've polished off 10 individual one-shots of the most important characters in the My Little Pony series, it's high time that I cover the main line of comics from IDW.
I won't be touching on the new "Friends Forever" series because the first trade is not out, and I only really had the budget for one story, so I went for a main line tale.
So the big question for today: Why did I go with Volume 2 (the Nightmare Rarity arc) instead of the first trade of the series (the Return of Queen Chrysalis arc)?
The answer is simple enough: I had only watched the first season when I bought the trade, so when I was informed by the good folks at my local comic store that a Season 2 villain was used in the first arc, I was directed to this volume.
Full disclosure: The trades I've read this past week are NOT the first MLP comics I've seen. I saw one beforehand, which is the one that convinced me to give the series a try in the first place. So if you want to grant any element of the fandom credit for getting me to give this world a crack, it's that comic.
It's not getting a review because the comic (which I gave to my cousin as a Christmas present) was a word-for-word, shot-for-shot comic adaptation of the pilot episodes. If you want my thoughts on the episode, you'll see it in a few weeks, or you can hear a few of my thoughts in the audio.
Anyway, I was introduced to Nightmare Moon through that means, and so I was interested in a Nightmare sequel. And honestly, it was a solid read.
I thought the artist (Amy Mebberson) was the right call, though her art in smaller panels and from a less ideal angle for muzzles were not as solid as they were in the Celestia comic.
That said, this title is actually older, so maybe she has grown as an artist since this trade and I'm comparing this art to her improved art.
Unfortunately, this trade rears the ugly head of one of my art pet peeves: making people shiny when they shouldn't be. The fantastical element of the story excuses a lot of these panels, but not all of them.
As for the story, Heather Nuhfer makes her MLP debut in this arc, and she doesn't do a terrible job by any stretch. She adds a great leg to the mythos and puts together a pretty well-paced story.
Her main slip-up in writing comes in the fact that she chooses to have monologues that set up the mood or are stereotypical villain monologues, but she doesn't explore what's going on in everyone's heads as things are going on.
This is especially a problem with Luna, who I hoped would get a deeper look into what caused her to become possessed in the first place, what scared her from confronting the spirit after being freed, and how the Mane Six's friendship restored her confidence and made her strong again. It's all implied, so I don't knock it too hard, but she could have found time to touch on it more.
What this arc does do well, however, is give a look into Rarity's innermost fears and show where her insecurities lie. It also gives Spike a real moment of heroism, which I appreciated. I am always a proponent of non-main characters making the biggest difference in a confrontation because it shows how anyone can be a hero.
Overall, I thought the trade was well-put together and the issues came together to tell a pretty solid story. Rating the issues individually, I'd give issues #5-8, respectively, 7.8, 8.8, 7.3 and 8.3 out of 10.
The trade, as a whole, I'll give an 8/10. (And, no, I'm not averaging the issues together to get it. I'm judging the story as a whole.)
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Now that I've polished off 10 individual one-shots of the most important characters in the My Little Pony series, it's high time that I cover the main line of comics from IDW.
 |
| The most deceptive trade cover EVER. |
So the big question for today: Why did I go with Volume 2 (the Nightmare Rarity arc) instead of the first trade of the series (the Return of Queen Chrysalis arc)?
The answer is simple enough: I had only watched the first season when I bought the trade, so when I was informed by the good folks at my local comic store that a Season 2 villain was used in the first arc, I was directed to this volume.
Full disclosure: The trades I've read this past week are NOT the first MLP comics I've seen. I saw one beforehand, which is the one that convinced me to give the series a try in the first place. So if you want to grant any element of the fandom credit for getting me to give this world a crack, it's that comic.
It's not getting a review because the comic (which I gave to my cousin as a Christmas present) was a word-for-word, shot-for-shot comic adaptation of the pilot episodes. If you want my thoughts on the episode, you'll see it in a few weeks, or you can hear a few of my thoughts in the audio.
 |
| Best-drawn panel in the whole story. |
Anyway, I was introduced to Nightmare Moon through that means, and so I was interested in a Nightmare sequel. And honestly, it was a solid read.
I thought the artist (Amy Mebberson) was the right call, though her art in smaller panels and from a less ideal angle for muzzles were not as solid as they were in the Celestia comic.
That said, this title is actually older, so maybe she has grown as an artist since this trade and I'm comparing this art to her improved art.
Unfortunately, this trade rears the ugly head of one of my art pet peeves: making people shiny when they shouldn't be. The fantastical element of the story excuses a lot of these panels, but not all of them.
As for the story, Heather Nuhfer makes her MLP debut in this arc, and she doesn't do a terrible job by any stretch. She adds a great leg to the mythos and puts together a pretty well-paced story.
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| See, this would've been a good trade cover. |
This is especially a problem with Luna, who I hoped would get a deeper look into what caused her to become possessed in the first place, what scared her from confronting the spirit after being freed, and how the Mane Six's friendship restored her confidence and made her strong again. It's all implied, so I don't knock it too hard, but she could have found time to touch on it more.
What this arc does do well, however, is give a look into Rarity's innermost fears and show where her insecurities lie. It also gives Spike a real moment of heroism, which I appreciated. I am always a proponent of non-main characters making the biggest difference in a confrontation because it shows how anyone can be a hero.
Overall, I thought the trade was well-put together and the issues came together to tell a pretty solid story. Rating the issues individually, I'd give issues #5-8, respectively, 7.8, 8.8, 7.3 and 8.3 out of 10.
The trade, as a whole, I'll give an 8/10. (And, no, I'm not averaging the issues together to get it. I'm judging the story as a whole.)
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Tuesday, March 25, 2014
March of the Ponies: MLP Comics (Spike and Luna one-shots)
[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, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, CMCs/Celestia; 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)]
We have come to the end of the Micro-series issues with the Spike and Princess Luna stories!
The audio for each will precede the issues' text reviews. So let's get to it.
Issue #9 (Spike)
Spike's story is pretty much straightforward. He wants a pet of his own so he gets mail-order sea beasts to take care of. Not satisfied with their progress, he creates magic food that basically allows them to experience evolution in the span of a week.
By the end of the story, the glorified sea monkeys have grown into sentient, humanoid lifeforms. Their gradual evolution runs alongside Spike trying to teach them the history of everything.
This is pretty much a ridiculous issue, but the over-the-top art is at least good for a laugh. Also, it's really good to see Spike step it up and be a leader of men, even if they are magically created super sea monkeys.
I was actually surprised that Spike using questionable magic was not a plot point addressed. It was glossed over and seemed at times like the story was totally cool with the decision. Not sure how I feel about that.
Anyway, rating this issue, I have to give it only a 7.2/10. There's good stuff in there, and plenty to call the issue 'good,' but I can't recommend people pay for it.
Issue #10 (Princess Luna)
I flat out believe my audio serves as a better review for this comic than my text will, but I'll take a crack at it.
Luna is excited at the end of her work night, and Celestia is taking about how she prefers the day shift. She takes it as a challenge and chooses to run the day for one shift while Celestia gets a proper day off.
The day is incredibly mundane and Luna goes stir-crazy. Eventually she acknowledges that Celestia is better suited for the day because she's got the patience for it.
What I like about this issue is not necessarily the plot. (The plot itself was pretty pedestrian.) What's great about it is it shows the difference in how Celestia and Luna rule and why each one has the shift they have.
I really go deep into this in the audio, but I never felt it was more clear that Celestia and Luna represent the yin-yang than in this issue, so I really liked that.
The art is pretty impressive, though I kind of wish it had gone even more over-the-top. (That seems to be a common thing with this artist.
I really enjoyed this issue and think it was one of the top installments from the series. I wavered a little on what number in the audio I wanted to give it, but here I'll lock it in for sure at 8.7/10.
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We have come to the end of the Micro-series issues with the Spike and Princess Luna stories!
The audio for each will precede the issues' text reviews. So let's get to it.
 |
| If you didn't know, he likes gems. |
Spike's story is pretty much straightforward. He wants a pet of his own so he gets mail-order sea beasts to take care of. Not satisfied with their progress, he creates magic food that basically allows them to experience evolution in the span of a week.
By the end of the story, the glorified sea monkeys have grown into sentient, humanoid lifeforms. Their gradual evolution runs alongside Spike trying to teach them the history of everything.
This is pretty much a ridiculous issue, but the over-the-top art is at least good for a laugh. Also, it's really good to see Spike step it up and be a leader of men, even if they are magically created super sea monkeys.
I was actually surprised that Spike using questionable magic was not a plot point addressed. It was glossed over and seemed at times like the story was totally cool with the decision. Not sure how I feel about that.
Anyway, rating this issue, I have to give it only a 7.2/10. There's good stuff in there, and plenty to call the issue 'good,' but I can't recommend people pay for it.
 |
| The stylized art on this cover made it stronger than the original one, I think. |
I flat out believe my audio serves as a better review for this comic than my text will, but I'll take a crack at it.
Luna is excited at the end of her work night, and Celestia is taking about how she prefers the day shift. She takes it as a challenge and chooses to run the day for one shift while Celestia gets a proper day off.
The day is incredibly mundane and Luna goes stir-crazy. Eventually she acknowledges that Celestia is better suited for the day because she's got the patience for it.
What I like about this issue is not necessarily the plot. (The plot itself was pretty pedestrian.) What's great about it is it shows the difference in how Celestia and Luna rule and why each one has the shift they have.
I really go deep into this in the audio, but I never felt it was more clear that Celestia and Luna represent the yin-yang than in this issue, so I really liked that.
The art is pretty impressive, though I kind of wish it had gone even more over-the-top. (That seems to be a common thing with this artist.
I really enjoyed this issue and think it was one of the top installments from the series. I wavered a little on what number in the audio I wanted to give it, but here I'll lock it in for sure at 8.7/10.
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March of the Ponies: MLP Comics (Cutie Mark Crusaders & Celestia one-shots)
[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, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, 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)]
So we now move into Vol. 2 of the MLP Pony Tales issues, and I'll admit outright, I own none of these issues. (The audio reviews will be listed next to each issue's section.)
I read all four in a trade at a nearby comic shop and so I can't go back and reference them while I'm reviewing. But I tend to have a good enough memory of the stories and found enough pages scattered through image searches that I feel comfortable with my ratings for these books.
That said, I'll be reviewing the issues in pairs so that the ones I'm not solid on don't take up a full blog.
So let's get to it!
Issue #7 (Cutie Mark Crusaders)
The CMCs' issue was not a terrible read, but the lesson that was going to be learned became apparent way too quickly.
They find a creature known as a mimic, which is searching for the final form it will take, so the CMCs decide to make it an honorary member and help it find its final form. Unfortunately, it just devolves into a battle over which of them will get the mimic to turn into what they want it to.
This issue gets across the impulsiveness of the fillies across as well as their inherent ethics once they realize they've been treating their 'friend' as property.
It's a good lesson for the CMCs to learn; my issues are that this story just feels kind of flimsy. Maybe if one of them had been questioning their actions it would have been better, but when the moral is this telegraphed and no one in the plot seems to notice it, reading the story becomes irritating - both because of the rude actions being taken and because you're thinking so far ahead of the story.
The art isn't terrible, and it's actually by the Pinkie Pie art team that I praised. But how can I put this... I don't think the art style translates to smaller filly bodies, especially when their movements aren't as over-the-top as Pinkie's were.
Even Amy Mebberson's coloring wasn't at its top form. Why are the CMCs shiny? It's like they were trying some experimental art style.
Anyway, for what it is, it's not a bad issue, but it's not worth paying for. I give it a 6.9/10.
Issue #8: Princess Celestia
Celestia's issue is much more a step in the direction I wanted these stories to go. Georgia Ball is the writer for this issue, and she makes the most of her debut in the micro-series by telling a story that encapsulates who Celestia is.
The story is pretty straightforward. Celestia is at an event for the school of magic, where everyone seems to be tired of this aging teacher who eventually messes up the event with her 'more efficient' magic.
There are legitimately good emotional moments when it's revealed that the teacher has a history with Celestia, helping her during a crisis when she was in charge of night as well.
And there's a sequence at the end where Celestia worries if her friend might be losing confidence in her own abilities due to her age, raising the very real point that Celestia doesn't really age and has to watch all her friends age and fade away.
However, the story isn't without humor. It's shown how Celestia always thinks the best about subjects she knows and can be funny when she wants to be. She's also shown to be very smart and a true leader when given time to plan.
The main downside to the story is that the conflict resolves itself in a manner that's far too cliched. Still, the emotional moments make up for it.
The artist is Amy Mebberson, who did the coloring for the previous issue, and it's clear her shinier style was a practice for this issue. The artistic style for Celestia was great and really gave an elegance that is necessary for the Princess of the Day.
Rating the issue as a whole, I'd give it an 8.3/10. It's not a perfect story, but it's exactly the kind of story Celestia needed.
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So we now move into Vol. 2 of the MLP Pony Tales issues, and I'll admit outright, I own none of these issues. (The audio reviews will be listed next to each issue's section.)
I read all four in a trade at a nearby comic shop and so I can't go back and reference them while I'm reviewing. But I tend to have a good enough memory of the stories and found enough pages scattered through image searches that I feel comfortable with my ratings for these books.
That said, I'll be reviewing the issues in pairs so that the ones I'm not solid on don't take up a full blog.
So let's get to it!
 |
| Probably the best cover for this issue. |
The CMCs' issue was not a terrible read, but the lesson that was going to be learned became apparent way too quickly.
They find a creature known as a mimic, which is searching for the final form it will take, so the CMCs decide to make it an honorary member and help it find its final form. Unfortunately, it just devolves into a battle over which of them will get the mimic to turn into what they want it to.
This issue gets across the impulsiveness of the fillies across as well as their inherent ethics once they realize they've been treating their 'friend' as property.
It's a good lesson for the CMCs to learn; my issues are that this story just feels kind of flimsy. Maybe if one of them had been questioning their actions it would have been better, but when the moral is this telegraphed and no one in the plot seems to notice it, reading the story becomes irritating - both because of the rude actions being taken and because you're thinking so far ahead of the story.
The art isn't terrible, and it's actually by the Pinkie Pie art team that I praised. But how can I put this... I don't think the art style translates to smaller filly bodies, especially when their movements aren't as over-the-top as Pinkie's were.
Even Amy Mebberson's coloring wasn't at its top form. Why are the CMCs shiny? It's like they were trying some experimental art style.
Anyway, for what it is, it's not a bad issue, but it's not worth paying for. I give it a 6.9/10.
 |
| Just a well-designed cover. That is all. |
Celestia's issue is much more a step in the direction I wanted these stories to go. Georgia Ball is the writer for this issue, and she makes the most of her debut in the micro-series by telling a story that encapsulates who Celestia is.
The story is pretty straightforward. Celestia is at an event for the school of magic, where everyone seems to be tired of this aging teacher who eventually messes up the event with her 'more efficient' magic.
There are legitimately good emotional moments when it's revealed that the teacher has a history with Celestia, helping her during a crisis when she was in charge of night as well.
And there's a sequence at the end where Celestia worries if her friend might be losing confidence in her own abilities due to her age, raising the very real point that Celestia doesn't really age and has to watch all her friends age and fade away.
However, the story isn't without humor. It's shown how Celestia always thinks the best about subjects she knows and can be funny when she wants to be. She's also shown to be very smart and a true leader when given time to plan.
The main downside to the story is that the conflict resolves itself in a manner that's far too cliched. Still, the emotional moments make up for it.
The artist is Amy Mebberson, who did the coloring for the previous issue, and it's clear her shinier style was a practice for this issue. The artistic style for Celestia was great and really gave an elegance that is necessary for the Princess of the Day.
Rating the issue as a whole, I'd give it an 8.3/10. It's not a perfect story, but it's exactly the kind of story Celestia needed.
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Sunday, March 23, 2014
March of the Ponies: MLP Comics (Applejack 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, Pinkie Pie, 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)]
Applejack concludes the Mane 6's one-shots, and I feel like the title is a little off. It really should have been an intro to the entire Apple family. (I do review the trade as a whole in the audio, too, hence the longer run time.)
The only real insight I took away from Applejack is that she's stubborn, she wants to do things herself so that her family members' lives are easier, and she's the reincarnation of Wil E. Coyote.
This story focuses on Applejack's attempts to catch a Sass Squash (yes, that's a thing) without the aid of her family. The lesson being taught is apparently that it's ok to ask family for help.
The main issue with this story is that this issue was kind of already touched on in the first half of Season 1. I like that we get an issue focusing on the Apple family and like that Applejack loves her family enough to inconvenience herself so that they can be comfortable.
All that said, though, while the slapstick and sarcasm used in this issue were great, they felt more like an homage to Chuck Jones than a story that exemplifies Applejack.
In the audio, I talk about how Applejack's Element of Honesty is similar to Wonder Woman being the Spirit of Truth. I'd like that to be explored more, with Applejack unknowingly acting hypocritically and needing to take a harder stance on a situation.
But that's a wish-list thing, so I'll stick to the book at hand, and I will say that Applejack does come across as a likable character here. She's focused to the point of driving herself crazy, and I actually could see a path where she could have been a Looney Tunes character at some point. That's a high compliment.
Applejack's humor is far underused, this issue showed me, and there really should be more issues/episodes done with the Apple family as a unit.
Overall, the issue is kind of all over the place and the art kind of dipped a little compared to previous one-shots. Still, though, a lot of good is there and I think people could have fun if they read this. I'll give it 8.5/10.
As for the TPB itself, the issues seemed to constantly raise in quality and then tail off a little at the end. Looking back, I'd have opened with Rarity and then closed with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie at the end. Still, I liked the format they had and all the alternate covers were cool.
As a whole, I'll say the trade is worth a pickup. These issues give a good feel for the world and a good amount of the characters, so you can make a well-reasoned opinion on most of them by the end of it.
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Applejack concludes the Mane 6's one-shots, and I feel like the title is a little off. It really should have been an intro to the entire Apple family. (I do review the trade as a whole in the audio, too, hence the longer run time.)
 |
| Only two-thirds of the characters pictured are used. |
This story focuses on Applejack's attempts to catch a Sass Squash (yes, that's a thing) without the aid of her family. The lesson being taught is apparently that it's ok to ask family for help.
The main issue with this story is that this issue was kind of already touched on in the first half of Season 1. I like that we get an issue focusing on the Apple family and like that Applejack loves her family enough to inconvenience herself so that they can be comfortable.
All that said, though, while the slapstick and sarcasm used in this issue were great, they felt more like an homage to Chuck Jones than a story that exemplifies Applejack.
In the audio, I talk about how Applejack's Element of Honesty is similar to Wonder Woman being the Spirit of Truth. I'd like that to be explored more, with Applejack unknowingly acting hypocritically and needing to take a harder stance on a situation.
But that's a wish-list thing, so I'll stick to the book at hand, and I will say that Applejack does come across as a likable character here. She's focused to the point of driving herself crazy, and I actually could see a path where she could have been a Looney Tunes character at some point. That's a high compliment.
Applejack's humor is far underused, this issue showed me, and there really should be more issues/episodes done with the Apple family as a unit.
Overall, the issue is kind of all over the place and the art kind of dipped a little compared to previous one-shots. Still, though, a lot of good is there and I think people could have fun if they read this. I'll give it 8.5/10.
As for the TPB itself, the issues seemed to constantly raise in quality and then tail off a little at the end. Looking back, I'd have opened with Rarity and then closed with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie at the end. Still, I liked the format they had and all the alternate covers were cool.
As a whole, I'll say the trade is worth a pickup. These issues give a good feel for the world and a good amount of the characters, so you can make a well-reasoned opinion on most of them by the end of it.
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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.
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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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. |
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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Saturday, March 22, 2014
March of the Ponies: MLP Comics (Fluttershy 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, Pinkie Pie, 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)]
If Rarity's comic was the best translation of an episode into comic form, Fluttershy's is the best comic of the bunch.
While this story wouldn't work as well in motion, the one-shot for Fluttershy played its layouts and art perfectly to complement a story that any creative mind could identify with.
It was almost uncomfortable how much I sympathized with the fears Fluttershy had in this story. And I have to give the crew (writer Barbara Randall Kesel, artist Tony Fleecs and colorist Amy Mebberson) credit: this is as good a team as I've seen in any book. These are names that need to get big in the industry.
I thought the story worked out because, 1. it's a very identifiable problem, and 2. Kesel portrayed the fear in nearly its absolute worst-case scenario. It triggered all the emotions it needed to.
Simultaneously, though, the lengths Fluttershy goes to hide her talents give the book great humor moments and the timing the book used in utilizing 2-page spreads and full-page spreads was done at an expert level, giving the rooms and knitting sculptures their deserved grandiosity and scope.
I thought Rarity was a little ore impulsive than she usually is written and the closing inner monologue felt out of place, but those are nitpicks in an otherwise enjoyable look into Fluttershy's timid nature.
I don't think this story translates well into TV, but that's not how I judge a comic anyway. As a comic, this story gets a 9.2/10. If you come across this issue in a store and you've ever been nervous about showing off a talent or creative work, this is a must-read.
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If Rarity's comic was the best translation of an episode into comic form, Fluttershy's is the best comic of the bunch.
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| Not the main cover, but the best. |
It was almost uncomfortable how much I sympathized with the fears Fluttershy had in this story. And I have to give the crew (writer Barbara Randall Kesel, artist Tony Fleecs and colorist Amy Mebberson) credit: this is as good a team as I've seen in any book. These are names that need to get big in the industry.
I thought the story worked out because, 1. it's a very identifiable problem, and 2. Kesel portrayed the fear in nearly its absolute worst-case scenario. It triggered all the emotions it needed to.
Simultaneously, though, the lengths Fluttershy goes to hide her talents give the book great humor moments and the timing the book used in utilizing 2-page spreads and full-page spreads was done at an expert level, giving the rooms and knitting sculptures their deserved grandiosity and scope.
I thought Rarity was a little ore impulsive than she usually is written and the closing inner monologue felt out of place, but those are nitpicks in an otherwise enjoyable look into Fluttershy's timid nature.
I don't think this story translates well into TV, but that's not how I judge a comic anyway. As a comic, this story gets a 9.2/10. If you come across this issue in a store and you've ever been nervous about showing off a talent or creative work, this is a must-read.
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
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