I'm still not really up to writing full-scale reviews, but since I know there are one or two people who like to know what I felt about the IDW comics, here's a very quick summary of each one. Both issues were coloured by Heather Breckel. Above are my copies: Cover B of #29, drawn by Katie Longua, and Cover Sub of FF #15, drawn by Brenda Hickey.
Main-series issue #29 wasn't bad. I have no interest whatsoever in wrestling, so I probably missed any number of in-jokes, but I still found the issue reasonably enjoyable. Ted Anderson's story was more Friends Forever in tone, really, so I'm not sure what it was doing in the main series. Jay Fosgitt's art is growing on me, and at least he didn't make a hash of Ponyville's architecture this time. ★★★
Friends Forever issue #15 (Applejack/Mayor Mare) was very nice, the best comic since the Twilight/Pinkie FF. The team-up worked well, quite a lot of the jokes were funny, Brenda Hickey's art was attractive and Bobby Curnow seems to be a pretty decent writer of AJ. The weird turn near the end will probably split opinion, but in context I think they got away with it. Recommended. ★★★★
I can't really comment on the FF15 issue, due to a mysterious condition known as Haven'tGotIt. However, based on that I may have to see if there are any copies left, a bit later in the week, if I end up in Birmingham. (That'll depend somewhat on how I feel, but I'll certainly have a look if I get the chance!)
ReplyDeleteIssue 29 though, I did get and also enjoyed quite a lot. I ended up with the other cover, which was drawn by Jay Fosgitt. As you said, it really wouldn't have seemed out of place among the Friends Forever series, as it had the right kind of feel to it, and I wonder what wonders await now in issue 30. But yes, I think the issue was, as a whole, quite a decent one even if (like you) I know almost nothing about wrestling. I wasn't sure how well an issue like that would work, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. I didn't actually expect that little twist near the end either, perhaps surprisingly.
Highlights for me were on page 11 (assuming the cover is page 1) in the second panel (there's just something about the look on Cloverleaf's face there) and Applejack right near the end of the story being wrestled by Pinkie. (While Twilight cheers her on, I notice....) All in all, a pretty decent issue and I was very glad of that after the last 4!
If you can get hold of FF #15, I'd definitely say it was worth the effort. They did have a copy or two in Nostalgia & Comics this time round, though I'd already ordered it from Level Seven by the time I went there. (I did buy #29 from N&C, though.)
DeleteI tend to count the first story page as p1 if I give numbers, so the page you refer to there would be p9 for me. I see what you mean, though! :P
#29 had no wrestling in-jokes, either from a kayfabe or smark perspective (check my lingo, bitches!). I checked.
ReplyDeleteGod knows how anyone puts up with that art style, though. It all reminded me why why I stopped paying attention to the comics in the first pace. Less hit-and-miss, more blindfolded-and-throwing-darts-at-a-children's-party.
I have a very, very low threshold for what constitutes an in-joke when it comes to wrestling. Even a reference as bad and blatant as those "Trotdown" posters probably counts.
DeleteMaybe it was just that I'd been re-reading the old Fluttershy micro, which contains some of Tony Fleecs' most disturbing drawings. (Which is saying something, I know.) I wouldn't say I liked Fosgitt's style, but I don't dislike it in the way I originally thought I might.