Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Comic mini-review: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #31

MLP:FiM IDW comic, issue #31, main cover

Time to face reality: I think mini-reviews are going to be the norm for comics, as I'm struggling to keep up now that there are episodes to review as well. I'll still go a little more in depth when necessary (hello next Friends Forever) but not often. Anyway, here we have the conclusion to the two-issue arc that began in #30. I think it's a little bit better than its predecessor (hence the slightly improved rating) but the whole setup still feels off. The "headshots" double-page spread just comes across like filler, I'm afraid. The ending is okay, though, and Pinkie Pie as tour guide really needs to be in the show. ★★★
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10 comments:

  1. Hopsufin16 June 2015 at 22:03

    This comic arc to me was really really boring. The first issue had so many problems. I liked the idea but the execution of that idea was terrible. So many out of character scenes (especially with Rarity) and the idiot ball was throwed couple times too.

    I do admit that the issue 30 ended with good enough cliffhanger, but after reading couple first three pages of issue 31 I already figured out the plot. Plus this issue had so much padding. At the end things did went better but the damage was already done. So because of that I could have agreed with your 3/5 rating, but this issue had so many editorial mistakes that imo this thing as a whole deserves 2/5.

    Here are couple examples:
    Agnes forgot to draw wings to Twilight in one panel of issue 31.
    - https://i.imgur.com/V9ltqHt.png

    She also forgot to draw Appleblooms ribbon not one, not two but three times in issue 30.
    - https://i.imgur.com/8yUPkBi.png
    - https://i.imgur.com/SbClBIq.png
    - https://i.imgur.com/ZrfsccV.png

    And Filthy Rich was called Stinkin’ Rich couple times in issue 31.

    Also I just can’t put my finger on it but sometimes the dialogue felt of too. Year 2015 hasn’t started well with the main comic series. I seriously hope that the main series turns things around soon. There was rumor that Jeremy Whitley is writing the next four issue arc for the main series and given his track record that could be just the thing we need. At least the FF comic series is going well but the next issue is written by Christine Rice too so I won’t be holding my breath.

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    1. Logan19 June 2015 at 00:22

      Hmm, I didn't notice all those errors, I must admit. I did see the "lack of wings" one, but I forgave that as a one-off. Andy Price made the same error several times even in the first main-series arc! And talking of whom... the next main-series arc seems to be a two-issue one (though I'm not sure) and it's listed as Whitley/Price. It'll be interesting to see what Price can do with a writer other than Katie Cook doing the story.

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    2. Anonymous19 June 2015 at 23:39

      Seeing those errors (and I heard from #30 that the art had off-model faces), I wonder if the art for this series was rushed...

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    3. Anonymous19 June 2015 at 23:40

      I mean comic arc/issue. Sorry.

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    4. Sailor Sedna7 August 2015 at 20:38

      Just wondering (I also was the anon who replied about the art errors), what were the out of character scenes and dropping of the idiot ball parts? I have no desire to read this issue (I will admit, I've only read Return of Chrysalis), so you can spoil it all you want.

      Yeah, sadly the main comic series is going downhill really quickly. I don't have any hopes for issue #33.

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  2. Unknown17 June 2015 at 11:11

    I wish I knew what seems to have gone wrong with the comic series, and seemingly so badly. Obviously this is my *personal* opinion, but frankly I thought this issue and issue 30 were appallingly bad. Even putting aside the art (which I'm no fan of, but again with artwork that's often a very personal view) the story seemed like badly written fan fiction rather than professional comic writing. I ended up pretty much skimming through the last half of the issue, not even reading it properly, because I just couldn't raise the enthusiasm.

    I really, truly hope the next story arc is a vast improvement. The last time I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed an issue/story arc was "Reflections." (The wrestling issue was decent enough but far from a classic, the pets issue was okay and the Discord time travelling issue - for me - didn't really strike a (dis)chord on a second reading.) And bearing in mind the last issue of "Reflections" was issue 20, nearly a year ago, that's a pretty bad reflection (hur hur) on things. As I say, that's very much a personal opinion, but even so I've seen little to commend these recent issues from the fans generally, and that is hardly encouraging.

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    1. Logan19 June 2015 at 00:25

      Hmm. I don't take quite such a negative view on the main series as you do (perhaps because I see some appalling fanfic on my travels! :P) but I have to agree that it's not up to the general standard it was a year or two ago. Meanwhile, the Friends Forever series seems to be going from strength to strength -- I've just looked at the preview for #18 and (as long as you can accept Jay Fosgitt's art style, which I can) it looks pretty promising.

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    2. Anonymous20 June 2015 at 05:15

      I looked at the covers for the next two issues of the main series, and it looks like certain form of Fluttershy is returning, but it's not just gonna be her in that form...

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  3. Moody Magpie18 June 2015 at 22:21

    All this issue did was make me look forward to the next FF issue! What a disappoint!

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    1. Logan19 June 2015 at 00:23

      Given what the next FF issue is, almost nothing would have made me want this any more! But yeah, the main series could do with some sparkle, I agree.

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