My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1
Written by Katie Cook
Art by Andy Price
Colors by Heather Breckel
Letters by Robbie Robbins
Review by Joey Braccino
Color me Bronie. I picked up My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1 specifically because, well, I wanted to see what all the hoopla was about. And hooplahed I am after reading what I can only describe as a Technicolor, anthropomorphic, double-entendre-laced, sugar-high of a comic book. In this spectacular debut issue from writer Katie Cook and artist Andy Price, ponies are (I kid you not) abducted by Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings and replaced a la Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and it’s up to Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack and a small dragonesque creature named Spike to save Ponyville!
And those aforementioned, adorably named ponies kick major “flank.” Seriously. There’s an extended action sequence involving lasers, mule kicks, and changeling-slaying brutality! Cook captures each of the individual pony’s personalities perfectly—Rarity’s fashionista quips, Applejack’s Wild West vigor, Pinkie’s bubbly pinkness, Fluttershy’s shyness. As a debut issue, Cook and Price quickly acclimate new Bronies to the Pony mythos thematically and visually. Price and Breckel’s vibrant artwork echoes the eponymous animated series, and instead relies on innovative panel layouts and onomatopoeic experimentation to really lend My Little Pony a distinctly comics feel.
I also want to point out that this book had over 100,000 pre-orders. Some analysts are saying that My Little Pony might reinvigorate the ailing comics industry. If Cook, Price, Breckel, and Robbins can keep turning issues like this out for IDW (and produce 19 variant covers each time), I might just have to agree with that evaluation. Because the Ponies are the heroes we deserve AND the ones we need right now.
Verdict
This review is short because I want to read My Little Pony again. I’m not kidding. I’ll be reading it again almost solely to seek out each and every equestrian pun in the book. I love puns. And I love ponies. Everypony needs to read this book. And laugh and laugh and laugh. (Also, keep an eye out for a certain zombie-tropic reference!)
