My most prized Pony possession? Maybe this

On Friday, I asked you fine people what your most prized Pony possession – excluding plushies – might be. I also said that I would reveal my own answer before long. Well, here goes! This wasn't actually the easiest choice for me, partly since I'm not that big on merch and partly since a couple of options had very specific personal significance that wouldn't make much sense to most people. This item, though, is one I do like a lot:

Back in 2012, I was in my first year in the My Little Pony fandom and I very much got caught up in the hype about the then-imminent release of the IDW comics series. So much so that I spent more time in comic shops as a result than I'd done in my entire life up to that point! I went with a great friend to purchase issue #1 in Nostalgia and Comics in Birmingham on release day. That alone would give the IDW series a special place in my heart.

This first edition, though, had a lot of variant covers, more than 20 in the end. I bought a few myself over the next few months, and this is perhaps the most special to me. The Hastings Comics variant of that first issue, signed by artist Andy Price, writer Katie Cook and cover artist Amy Mebberson. I don't care about commercial value (fortunately, as I like reading the comic!) but I am very happy every time I see it on my shelf. So I'll pick this.

Generations looks interesting

Amy Mebberson is the cover artist here

EqD reports that IDW's Friendship is Magic comic series is to come to an end with issue 102 in September. I doubt most people are too astonished. What's caught my eye, though, is the five-issue miniseries that will immediately follow it: Generations. This will see "the familiar faces from Friendship is Magic must call upon the original G1 Ponies of the 1980s for help against a new witch threat erupting from the Volcano of Doom!"

I absolutely love this idea! Covers aren't always representative of the stories inside, but I really hope that we will indeed see the Mane Six meet their direct G1 inspirations, rather than just a bunch of semi-random G1 ponies. It'll be written by Casey Gilly and illustrated by Michela Cacciatore, neither of which names I know anything about. Nevertheless, if Generations gets its premise even halfway right it could get me reading the comics again.

So, what do we think about this?

Picture from this EqD post, but as it's a promo I'll stick it here too

I think most people expected that the IDW comics would be continuing after the end of the TV series – but going all-out with a bold "Season 10" title? No, that I didn't see coming at all. I haven't really read the comics since about issue 50, which was... um... quite a while ago now, but I suppose I might pick up at least the odd issue of the "new" series. Note that I have not yet seen past S9E22, so with that in mind, please keep any finale/epilogue spoilers out of the comments here! Thanks. :)

This is an initial gut reaction, so it may well change, but I'm not entirely keen. I'd got myself used to the fact that S9 would be the end of the main FiM timeline, and I'd assumed that any further comics would be side stories or historical stuff like FIENDship. I'm ready to start looking forward to G5 now. Obviously I still can, but the continuing existence of this "S10" is bound to overshadow that to some extent. I just hope it doesn't mean Hasbro will keep us waiting for ages before releasing even a sniff of a G5 teaser.

And now I come to think about it, what about ponyfic? The official line on the comics has always been "They're canon until contradicted by the show" – but now they'll never be. Does that new state of affairs upgrade the comics to "primary canon" or are people going to continue to treat them as extended universe? I'm pretty sure that I'm going to treat the comics' "S10" as expendable, in the same way that I have with the IDW issues for the past three years or so. This is interesting – but it's not the show.

Comic mini-review: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #53

All very meta. I do like the design, though

And at last it's time to review the final part of the Shadow Lock arc! My usual supplier for some reason didn't stock #53, and so I had to get it electronically this time. (I'll pick up a paper copy in due course.) As with Asmus's previous issues, there's a sense that he's got the basics but doesn't quite have the ponies' characters down pat. (Fluttershy, for one.) On the plus side, there's what looks like foreshadowing – and given that we've been told this arc ties into the show's plot, I'm intrigued! The interior art credit, I've noticed, is now "Tony Fleecs and Garage Art Studio". Oh, and we get "kick your haunches" this time to add to the flanks, rumps and tails used in the past! All in all, a fairly enjoyable comic once again. This arc hasn't been a classic, but it's been entertaining. ★★★

Comic mini-review: Legends of Magic #1

Zachary Sterling's cover was, of course, unmissable!

Good grief, I'm getting behind with these comic reviews. I haven't forgotten about main-series #53, but for now it's the first issue in the Legends of Magic series. I'm pleased to say that the Whitley/Hickey/Breckel team have got it off to a strong start. Apart from a rather irritating portrayal of young Celestia – thankfully modified later – this look into the past is great. Starswirl (who seems to have gone back to having a one-word name) is quite a lot of fun and the artwork is varied and colourful, too. For that, and the look we get into the Royal Sisters' relationship pre-Nightmare Moon, this is well worth picking up. ★★★★

Comic mini-review: Friends Forever #38

Can we please get Tiberius in the show?

The grand finale of the Friends Forever series was delayed for quite a while, and my review is even later! But here it is at last, with the Royal Sisters taking centre stage. Unusually, Andy Price wrote this comic as well as drawing it; he obviously likes writing as this is one of the wordiest comics in the series. Although the inclusion of Kibitz as a major supporting character explains this to an extent, I still think it goes a little far. The Princesses' pets, always fun, are particularly good value this time, while Rarity and Sweetie hark back to their "Sisterhooves Social" days as a contrast to Tia and Luna's bickering. There's also a nice Pinkie/fourth wall gag at the very end. It's a solid, entertaining way to round off Friends Forever, but that wordiness does drag it down just slightly. As such, a high three-star rating feels right. ★★★

Comic mini-review: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #52

None of the covers particularly jumped out at me this time

The Shadow Lock (he does seem to have a two-word name) arc continues, and it does so in a pretty similar vein to the way it began. Our antagonist is taking forever and a day to get round to explaining himself, but by the end it does seem as though we're on the verge of an important reveal. I do want to give a special nod to Tony Fleecs this time: there are some dramatically drawn panels in here. The page design is nicely varied, too. There's a "cement horseshoes" joke that I'm not entirely sure is appropriate, but for the most part this is a case of "if you liked the last issue, this is more of the same". It therefore gets the same star rating! ★★★

Bits and pieces

There's wall-to-wall Brexit over here at the moment, and even as a politics junkie it's getting a bit much for me. (For the record, I voted Remain and would do so again, but you can't win 'em all.) So it's time for some ponies.

The first – and hopefully not last! – Flashfic 150 contest is now open. Anyone with a Fimfiction account is welcome to join in before the contest (which, again, has no prize) closes in three weeks' time. Yes, that is a very relaxed schedule. This is deliberate. This month's prompt is "Getting Warmer".

Stable-Tec Studios have officially cancelled their Fallout: Equestria animation. I can't in all honesty say I'm surprised. From the outside, animation seems to me to be about the most demanding of all the various types of fandom project, and this particular one was huge. As of now, the SFM (which doesn't interest me) and radio play (which might) are still live. As of now.

Friends Forever #38 – the last in the series, focusing on Celestia and Luna – has been delayed. It should have appeared last Wednesday, but ComicList now has it as the dreaded "TBD". I am not pleased about this, and I will be even more not-pleased if the issue is cancelled. I was annoyed enough about Art Gallery II.

Also in comics, Bleeding Cool's Lauren Sisselman liked the "Deviations" issue, awarding it 8/10. I'm not entirely sure I agree with her suggestion that it would be a fun issue for non-regulars, though.

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. ★★★★

Comic review: Guardians of Harmony

Yet another comic from IDW now. I am just slightly wondering whether they're overdoing it a bit – it's starting to get expensive! – but this is a story I've been looking forward to ever since it was announced. Time to see whether the real thing matches up to my expectations. Not a mini review this time, as I'll be going through each chapter in turn in a spoiler-cut section after the main review.

Andy Price's main cover is, as expected, great

Guardians of Harmony ties in with the toy line of the same name, and is rather more transparently toyetic than usual. This isn't fatal in itself, and with one exception things don't look too out of place in Equestria. The comic is also a multi-creator deal, with six chapters, each from a different writer/artist pair. (Heather Breckel is the only colourist credited.) The story is inevitably episodic, and there's less smooth continuity than I'd have liked. There are also a couple of slightly irritating character decisions. The chapters themselves are of uneven quality, and there's not really enough action-adventure for the GoH brand, but they're generally at least decent. This is a good comic, but it blows its chance to be a great one. Considering the high cover price (it's marketed as an annual), I can't really award it more than ★★★.

Now, come with me past the break for some spoilery comments on each chapter.

Comic mini-review: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #51

Comics are coming thick and fast from IDW at the moment! I already have the Guardians of Harmony special issue, which will be reviewed soon, but for now we're back to the main series.

Tony Fleecs' cover appealed to me more than the "toga party" sub cover

A new writer this time! James Asmus, writer of much other stuff including quite a few X-Men comics, makes his Pony debut alongside regular artist Tony Fleecs and colourist Heather Breckel. In this arc, which will apparently somehow tie into Season Seven of the show,* Asmus gets off to a solid if unspectacular start with a fairly interesting story, introducing a suspicious new pony. Most of the character interaction is decent, though a bar scene is a bit odd and I can't see Fluttershy ever using the term "wrestly-doo". A bigger problem, given the importance of book magic, is the absence of even a passing reference to the Bookworm arc. Hopefully that was a choice, not a research failure. Fleecs' art is fine, though it's a bit weird having Fluttershy flying so much and Rainbow flying so little. Enough here for me to be cautiously optimistic, but not enough for me to proclaim Asmus a Pony comic genius. I await the next issue with interest! ★★★

* I'm being deliberately vague here. I know what was announced.

Comic mini-review: Friends Forever #37: Rarity and Trixie

Here's the penultimate Friends Forever issue, and it's an interesting team-up – especially when you consider that Sapphire Shores is also involved. Actually, Sapphire is my favourite character here, if you don't count a fun cameo by Babs Seed. (Let's face it, comic cameos are all she'll ever get now.) The Whitley/Garbowska/Breckel team does its usual solid-but-not-amazing job. Continuity is a problem, though: the level of antagonism Rarity has for Trixie seems to be several years out of date, especially given 2014's Gem Thief arc, and it grates badly. Frustrating, because I think this plotline had four-star potential. As it is, an uninspiring three. ★★★

Comic not-as-mini-as-usual review: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #50

Some excellent oval-ball sport last night. I mean rugby union, obviously. Italy 7 Wales 33 was a decent enough result, though until the last 20 minutes it was a bit of a nail-biter. Sadly I can't see Wales winning the championship, but I'd love them to beat England. (For those unaware: I am in fact English, but for various reasons I support Wales at rugby.)

Andy Price's main cover hits just the right note

The "Accord" arc comes to a close with the landmark 50th issue of the MLP comic. And I'm pleased to say that it does so in some style. While Ted Anderson's story doesn't totally blow me away, nor does it seem like the horrible let-down I'd slightly feared. Accord's own story concludes reasonably, Starlight is used in a sensible way, there's a nice visit from some old friends (not ponies) and the final page – though a bit cheesy – is fine for a celebratory issue like this. I'd have preferred a tad less fourth-wall breaking before that, but still. Andy Price's art is bright, colourful (thanks to Heather Breckel) and varied, which is expected but appreciated.

This being a special (and more expensive!) issue, there's also a ten-page backup story. The writing, by Jeremy Whitley, is pleasant fluff: lightweight fun in the style of a short Friends Forever comic. There are even (doubtless unintentional) echoes of Sunny Skies All Day Long. The art is by Jay Fosgitt; I don't hate his stuff in the way some fans do, and for the ponies it's fine. The way he does Discord, though, just looks weird, and I simply can't accept a draconequus drawn the same size as a regular pony. A shame, as this lets down an otherwise entertaining story.

So, the issue as a whole? Very enjoyable, with a few irritations that stop it being the truly superb comic that would have made issue #50 something for the ages. I still recommend it, though, and indeed the whole arc. Not great, then, but it is very good. ★★★★

Comic mini-review: Friends Forever #36: Rainbow Dash and Soarin

Obselescence has called it a day – not just from his moderating role, but from Fimfiction as a whole, due to lack of time. A shame, but Real Life is increasingly poking its ugly muzzle into the ponyfic community. I'm glad I got round to reviewing Twilight Eats a Peach before Obs disappeared, though. :P

I rarely go for RI covers, but Low Zi Rong's was unmissable!

Now that we know that the Friends Forever series is coming to an end, I'm hoping for some nice comics for it to go out with. This one, despite its apparently fanservicey pairing, isn't at all a bad start. Rainbow and Soarin work well together (and no, things don't go all shippy) and Soarin in particular gets some good extra depth to his character. Christina Rice provides a solid, interesting story that fits in with canon, and Tony Fleecs' art is colourful and varied. There's some good (albeit not that epic) adventure and Spitfire's background/supporting role is fine. If you wanted to nitpick, you could say that Derpy's cameo was a bit forced, but still – a comic I'm happy I bought. ★★★★

Note: thanks to IDW's continual messing around with schedules, this, and not main-series no. 50, is the first comic to use the new white MLP logo.

Comic mini-review: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #49

It must be a really strange reality if Pinkie is folding

I was impressed by the first instalment in the "Accord" arc, and awarded it four stars. This second comic in the three-parter doesn't quite match up to that, but it's still a very good effort. Ted Anderson's writing takes us to some interesting places, both figuratively and literally. Andy Price and Heather Breckel are as reliable as always and give the issue a nicely consistent (and rather blue) feel. The ending is one I probably should have seen coming, but didn't. A top-end three for this, but I'm really hoping the big finish – in issue #50! – will be better than the conclusions of certain other comic arcs I could name. ★★★

Comic mini-review: Friends Forever #35: Twilight and Starlight Glimmer

At least Tony Fleecs used the right manestyle

This team-up was always going to happen, unexciting as it is. Ted Rob Anderson writes a reasonably effective, if not amazing, story and it's nice to have a bit of Star Swirl again. (Not appearing in pony, sadly.) Jay Fosgitt's art is... well, Jay Fosgitt-y. If you hate it, this won't change your mind – especially as he gives Starlight her pre-reformation mane design. Spike plays a fun supporting role this time, and the ending is a little less rushed than sometimes. A moderately entertaining Friends Forever issue. ★★★

Comic mini-review: Friends Forever #34: Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich

Tony Fleecs' cover brings us Weird Al in 2-D!

Friends Forever time again, and this issue brings together two characters who, again, it's not exactly a surprise to see paired up. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the plot Thom Zahler has written for this one. A giant, walking, apparently somewhat malevolent house doesn't really feel right for Equestria – the only time we've seen such a thing in the show was in a dream. Agnes Garbowska's art is generally serviceable and rises above that at times, but it's not strong enough to overcome the limitations of the storyline. A little bit of a missed opportunity, I feel. ★★

Comic mini-review: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #48

Celestia: "Hey look, it's a pony comic!"
Luna: "She looks more like a phoney comic to me!"

This is the start of the three-part "Accord" story arc, which will take us up to the landmark #50 issue of the My Little Pony comic. I doubt the series will make it as far as #100, so I really hope this arc ends up being something special. It's certainly got off to a very good start, with a fascinating look at what happens when a strange celestial event turns Discord from a creature of chaos to one of complete order. If anything, he's more frightening in this guise than he was before. The Mane Six play decent supporting roles, but it already seems clear that Starlight Glimmer is going to be Discord's main antagonist here. Andy Price's art, coloured by Heather Breckel, is as expressive and colourful as ever, while Ted Anderson gives us a story that holds the interest throughout. I'm pleased by this one, and if they can keep up this standard for the next two issues, we'll have an arc worthy of its position in the comic series. ★★★★

Comic mini-review: Friends Forever #33: Applejack and Cherry Jubilee

That can't be comfortable, AJ

The Friends Forever series seems to be playing it a little safe with its pairings at the moment: after this issue, the next three will be Pinkie/Cheese, Twilight/Starlight and Rainbow/Soarin. Come on, IDW, let's have some unusual team-ups again, like we did with Luna/Spike, Rarity/Gilda and most recently Fluttershy/Daring Do.

Anyway, that little quibble aside, the Applejack/Cherry comic is a pretty nice one. Tony Fleecs's art and Heather Breckel's colouring fit together to give us a surprisingly varied palette considering that the story is set in the desert. There's still the odd weird AJ face, but they're rare these days. The cutie marks are a tad basic, though. Christina Rice's writing is a bit more uneven: the storyline itself is fine, if not all that original, but the flashback-filled plot does get a little confusing occasionally. Still, AJ herself does pretty well out of it, the guest mare is nicely designed and it's good to see Cherry Jubilee get a starring role. I know I've given a lot of comics three stars recently, but that's because plenty have been what this is: nothing spectacular, just a generally pretty enjoyable story. ★★★

Comic mini-review: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #47

Obviously a companion piece to #46's cover

Yes, I realise I'm horribly behind schedule with these, but at least it allows me to put this review out on US election day. The Applejack/Cherry Jubilee Friends Forever review should be up before too much longer. Anyway, this is the concluding half of the "Filthy Rich gets elected Mayor of Ponyville" arc, and like the first part it's fairly amusing and fairly solid without ascending to brilliance. The story as a whole does feel slightly like filler before the Discord three-parter that comes next, but it's enjoyable filler and I'm okay with that. ★★★