My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Volume 1

Written by Katie Cook

Art by Andy Price

            It’s pretty hard to go far on the internet without hearing something about My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.  Turning a cartoon that was thought to be nothing but fluff for little girls into something with a huge fanbase (questionable or not, that’s up to you) surely deserves plenty of praise for the sharp writing and likeable characters, two things that make an easy fit for a comic adaptation.

            Taking place sometime after the Season 2 finale (which I haven’t seen, but the comic recaps the necessary details), this comic has Queen Chrysalis returning and kidnapping the Cutie Mark Crusaders in an attempt to steal their energy when a comet passes overhead.  With Princess Celestia occupied, it’s up to the Mane Six to save the day.

            The smart idea of the story here is the ditching of the show’s normal Aesop-of-the-week format.  Rather than delivering a series that does little but act like more episodes of the show, as some comics would, MLP gives a story-based comic closer to the season premieres/finales.  This better fits the format and provides some different fare from what the show normally offers.

            The biggest thing that has to stay in any comic adaptation is the characters’ voices.  Fortunately, with the built-in strong voices of the main characters, this is easily done.  All the characters sound right.  Rainbow Dash has her tomboy personality, Rarity is vain, Pinkie Pie is hyperactive.  It’s easy to hear the characters talking in their actual voices.  There are a few lines that stand out as particularly rough, but nothing that ruins the book.    Andy Price’s artwork also mimics the show while providing its own style.  He also adds in plenty of good background gags and references for the older fanbase, such as a scene from The Shining.

            The Friendship Is Magic comic probably won’t convert non-fans, but for MLP fans young and old, this should please and provide a nice companion to the show.  Just like the show, well-done writing and artwork is what makes this a winner.