Friendship is Magic #6 Thread

[SteelEagle]

The sixth issue of the ongoing is out, and boy howdy is it good one. I'm not gonna waste space with all the normal previews and images however as today is the day it is released and you should already have it!

[Bellosh]

Also found this comic enjoyable as usual: 4/5.

Even though we saw Sombra also pull off the "HERE'S YOUR DEEPEST FEAR" routine in the animated series, it was nice to see how it'd play out with the other Mane ponies.

[weesh]

There were a few amusing small things:

• Pinkie playing the Taiko rather than actually helping : )
  
• Rarity critiquing the decor
  
• Moon Lasso
  
• The Larry/Shadowfright thing
  
• "I Spy"
  
• "Are you not amused?" feels like a gladiator reference.
  
• "Sorry, I'm all out of bravery today..."
  
• "In space, no one can hear you squee" -> "I heard that!"
  
• Rainbow rated FLuttershy's yell a 3.2/10 : )
  

Storywise, there are several other interesting pieces:

• Pinkie Pie was the only pony to zero problems with the nightmares.
  
• That ruby is going to matter. They spent way too much time on it.
  
• The twist on the last page was completely unexpected.
  

And yet I would rate this issue poorly.

• The story feels weak and cliche. I found myself skimming parts, and sighing, especially during the scenes where they were in the nightmares. Why couldn't that have been something that they were prepared for? They were even warned!
  
• Seeing scared ponies is unpleasant. Seeing pages of scared ponies is unbearable.
  
• Luna is sucking it up. She is surprised that they guys are her friends? Really? And she is obviously scared about her secret getting out, and there is no way that it is actually unforgivable. This is the second issue in a row that Luna's character has been off.
  
• Rarity capitulated WAY too easily. She is not that weak. They did her character a great disservice, again, for the second issue in a row.
  

Ultimately, I am not reading these for the gags. The story and character's are most important, and these were weak. The only thing that I can point to as a strong character moment was Pinkie's complete victory over the nightmares. She was not in trouble for even an instant.

The sixth issue of the ongoing is out, and boy howdy is it good one. I'm not gonna waste space with all the normal previews and images however as today is the day it is released and you should already have it!

Thursday is new-comic-book-day here, so I couldn't have had it on Wednesday.

[SteelEagle]

I agree on Rarity falling too easily. Then again, the way it was presented, it didn't seem like she let it in openly. It looked more like it created a small seed of doubt and that is all it needed to take over, so I can buy into that a bit more than you can.

Agreed on Luna. Dislike how she sort of falters with what we know, though I do like some of the backstory she delivers in small snippets. Still, mostly agreed with you.

I actually enjoyed the nightmares. You can be told to prepare for something and still not really be prepared. When you are dealing with nightmares that strike at the very core of who you are, being told what to expect isn't likely much aid.

I really enjoyed the very end. I do agree that the series as a whole hasn't done a very good job with the ways the evil forces try to mess with the ponies

I did enjoy a lot of those little jokes too.

[weesh]

I agree on Rarity falling too easily. Then again, the way it was presented, it didn't seem like she let it in openly. It looked more like it created a small seed of doubt and that is all it needed to take over, so I can buy into that a bit more than you can.

Ah, that is better. Mediocre rather than bad perhaps.

[SteelEagle]

Ah, that is better. Mediocre rather than bad perhaps.

It's something I think works a lot better, and it really adds a whole dimension to what we know of Nightmare Moon. Instead of it being this outrageously jealous Luna that allows some sort of spirit to overtake her to get her revenge, the younger sister's moment, or moments, of doubt become all it needs to do what it wants. It actually makes the whole concept pretty cool for a villain, and it also lends into how it can make those nightmares so powerful and effective even against ponies who know they're coming.

I agree with many of your points, but I just happen to think that there are reasons and scenes in relation to those same problems that are good enough that they turn weaknesses into strengths. I wasn't excited when we started the nightmares, but I found them as I thought about it more to be effective. Not necessarily great mind you- I'd prefer something that all the ponies have to work together to overcome rather than individual scenes, and I would like my problems to be more physical and direct- but not a negative either. Effective.

Story wise, I find it on par with the first arc. (After all, one of the huge narrative missteps in the first arc is how the Changelings took over Ponyville so quickly and secretly without the Mane Six having any idea) And this arc has similar narrative holes that are smaller, but more numerous. Storyline wise, neither arc is all that strong. I actually prefer this one so far because the tone is suitably more- I dunno, intense perhaps? Which considering Rarity has been kidnapped, makes sense. The first arc had a bit too much lollygagging about and small sideaways considering the CMC were missing. It wasn't a huge deal, I just felt like the tone was a bit off. Joke wise, this issue was good, but I prefer the first arc so far by a bit. So I'd say I prefer the first arc so far, but not by much.

[weesh]

Instead of it being this outrageously jealous Luna that allows some sort of spirit to overtake her to get her revenge, the younger sister's moment, or moments, of doubt become all it needs to do what it wants. It actually makes the whole concept pretty cool for a villain, and it also lends into how it can make those nightmares so powerful and effective even against ponies who know they're coming.

That is a double-edged sword.

If they need only a tiny opening to get in, that means that the nightmare-folk are more powerful than we realized. And good villains are powerful.

However, to say they only need a tiny opening seems to deny Luna's complicity. I appreciate the Luna character more as one who had powerful emotions that led her to make mistakes, rather than someone whose emotions made her doubt, and then get overwhelmed by these entities. ALL of us have doubt. All of us face uncertainty. Doubt isn't a sin. The problem is when we take negative actions based on how we feel. This makes relating to the story hard. To say that natural emotion is a weakness, and that to protect yourself form these beings, you must be supernaturally and perfectly strong at all times is lame. And a little silly.

I agree with many of your points, but I just happen to think that there are reasons and scenes in relation to those same problems that are good enough that they turn weaknesses into strengths. I wasn't excited when we started the nightmares, but I found them as I thought about it more to be effective. Not necessarily great mind you- I'd prefer something that all the ponies have to work together to overcome rather than individual scenes, and I would like my problems to be more physical and direct- but not a negative either. Effective.

I read them again while looking for purpose. It does show them working together, and may have been as simple as delaying them so that they could complete Rarity's transformation. But they could have effectively delayed them without needing to be quite so successful in scaring the horseapples out of them.

Story wise, I find it on par with the first arc...I actually prefer this one so far because the tone is suitably more- I dunno, intense perhaps?

Heh.

The increased intensity of this arc is exactly the reason that I liked the first one more! I hope to see more of the Larry/Shadowfright stuff going forward, even though it doesn't quite fit the rest of the tone thus far.

[MysteryMareDoWell]

This was a great issue! I can't wait for the next one! Also, apparently there is oxygen on the moon, or ponies just don't breath. Though this comic might add a little fuel to those that think Luna was trapped ON the moon rather than in the moon.

I'm excited for the next issue though! Maybe I'll wait to read it when it comes out until the arc finishes.

[weesh]

Though this comic might add a little fuel to those that think Luna was trapped ON the moon rather than in the moon.

heh, I had forgotten about that.

[MysteryMareDoWell]

heh, I had forgotten about that.

That whole Luna's Moon Colony thing the writers joked about might actually have the a little truth to it.

[SteelEagle]

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