My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #30
Written by Christian Rice
Art by Ange Garbowska
Published by IDW
My Little Pony Friendship is Magic # 30 is a mixed bag of writing and art. The story starts with Twilight Sparkle and Spike leaving town to go to Canterlot on business. Every pony else is charged with getting ready for Ponyville’s Ponyville Days, a celebration about the town’s history and togetherness. The town comes into conflict over what building in Ponyville should be recognized as the town’s first structure and which child should be the Ponyville Days Princess. The fight occurs between the Apples and Stinkin’ Rich’s shop. Quickly the conflict grows and divides the whole town into two sides, even Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie join in the fight out of their own personal reasons. Fluttershy selects not to interfere with the problem and sits out the whole affair. The fight explodes into a battle of pies against flying clothing leaving the town a mess as Twilight Sparkle returns home the next day.
The writing of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #30 is jarring for a loyal viewer of the show and yet its own plot is rather comical. The characters for anyone has watched the show may find it hard to believe such arguments of the characters. Even the rapid pace of how the town divides on itself would be hard to understand for a fan of the show. Ponyville has survived many trails and events. It has been invade by darkness and rebuilt. It seems off that a close knit community, who has experience much would become undone so easily. But the immaturity of the ponies fighting with enchanted clothing and flying pies, does make the reader laugh. It is humorous to see every pony fight each other with all the silliness.
Writer Rice portrays characters with be hit or miss writing. Rice does well in portraying Pinki Pie, Fluttershy, Spike, Apple Bloom, and Twilight Sparkle. For example, Pinkie Pie during the conflict joins up with the Apples, because she enjoys Granny’s pie and she want to eat the pies. Furthermore, Rice shows Twilight is shown as a strong leader with her speeches about how the town needs to come together and be a family. Yet the problems are with Rarity’s characterization. By far the strongest of Rice’s depiction of the ponies is Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom is well rounded in her anger over the conflict about her family farm not being seen as the first building in the area. Yet she realizes right away the fight among the ponies is not right and is getting out of hand. Apple Bloom goes right up to Applejack and points it all out to her sister. Yet Rice makes Rarity appears too self-centered and mean spirited. Rice has Rarity only focus on herself during the town meeting and does not allow her to fully listen to Applejack. Rarity enters into the mean spirited by directly attack Applejack and her group with putting clothing on them. It is immature of Rarity and feels like a far cry from the generous and graceful pony everyone knows her as.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #30 attempts to be hilarious and give the reader a delight. Yet for fans it can be off putting in relationship to the established nature of characters. Still the comic does help people see how simple problems can overflow and grow into fully conflicts. Rice does grand and understanding and showing the character natures of some, while Rarity is not fully herself. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #30 may improve in the next part of the arc.
