Comic mini-review: Deviations

And another My Little Pony comic to review. And after this, there'll be another comic to buy this next week. As I said last time, I think IDW are overdoing it now. If they go on a splurge like this again, I'm going to be really tempted not to buy everything. And that's me saying that – someone who pre-ordered the box set of issue #1 in 2012 and owns at least one copy of every standard MLP comic IDW have ever put out.

Whinge over. Review starting.

Seriously, how could I possibly resist Cook's cover?

Another special issue this time, but this one doesn't tie in with a toy line – well, no more than usual. Katie Cook returns for the first time since the glorious main-series #42, and I'm pleased to say she's written another winner. This is a "what if?" comic, in which Celestia chose as her pupil not Twilight but Blueblood. You don't want to question certain aspects of continuity too hard, but if you can accept this as pure silliness it's great fun. Agnes Garbowska's style really works here, and Cook even gets away with a fourth-wall gag without its seeming too forced. You may even develop a sneaking sympathy for Nightmare Moon! There's also a four-page backup story drawn by Cook – remember when we used to get backups in regular issues? Despite my irritation with the avalanche of IDW comics, this one is worth the price of admission. ★★★★