Written by: Jeremy Whitley
Art by: Brenda Hickey
Publisher: IDW
It’s been a few months since I’ve sat down and read a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Friends Forever issue. They haven’t always had the best ideas or execution, and when time is hard to come by, it must be spent wisely. However, the show is on a short break, and I’ve been Jonsen for a quick dose of ponies. Here’s one for desperation!
But uh … when did the MLP:FiM:FF series get this good?
Like the issues before it, Issue 20 gives us a pair of two random Equestrian characters, and this time it’s none other than Discord and Princess Luna. I’m a big fan of both, Discord for being hilarious and awesome and Luna for being well-developed and complex. To be honest, I’m kind of surprised they haven’t been paired together before. Their personalities differ wildly, meaning lots of drama, but they also have a deep, underlying connection in that they both tried to dethrone Princess Cellestia and destroy her kingdom. It just seems kind of obvious, doesn’t it?
At any rate, Discord has started sleepwalking, and when the whatever-he-is of Chaos sleepwalks, everything in his path gets destroyed, or at least overrun by flying pigs and clouds that rain chocolate milk. Poor Ponyville. Since this is a problem of dreams—neigh, nightmares!—Princess Cellestia sends her sister to help.
The entire issue is spent hopping through Discord’s dreams/subconscious, and it’s hands down one of the funniest MLP comics I’ve ever read. Dream logic mixed with chaos makes for a wild ride, and a ton of background gags and movie references help sell the deal. There’s something to laugh at on literally ever page, yet the story never feels bogged down by jokes or gags. It all works.
Better yet, Jeremy Whitley handles Discord perfectly. Chaos incarnate doesn’t yield itself well to character development, and I wasn’t completely sold on this season’s episode, “Make New Friends but Keep Discord.” It’s never fun when a character has to act a little stupid to make the plot work. In the case of MLP:FiM:FF #20 though, Discord isn’t just developed, he’s developed beautifully.
On the art front, Brenda Hickey does a solid job. Ponies is almost always a synonym for great artwork though, but it’s nice to see the trend continue.
Honestly, I’m surprised this one came so well, and of all the MLP comics I’ve read, this is the one that should be transferred scene-for-scene to the show.
