IDW G5 #16

[ZakuConvoy]

Previously, on My Little Pony...

Now, why would someone get rid of a perfectly good couch full of fun little friends?

It really is a tale of the two extremes of Pony comics today. We go from one end of the Pony comic quality spectrum to the other extreme today with..

So, how was it? Well...let's just say if you can only get one of the two Pony issues that came out today...you really ought to go with this one.

Art wise, this is a real treat. This is another Amy Mebberson comic (who did the art for the Discord arc), which means we get more art from the BEST G5 comic artist. And we're getting this entire 5 issue arc with her art, so this is going to be GOOD, art-wise. Jump on while you can! Her art is SO expressive and charming and detailed and fun! So, yes... I am a fan.

Writing wise, it's solid. If you've seen the solicitations you already know what kind of story this is. And it does all the things you think they will do in a story like this. I will say...Pipp seems a *little* out of character in a way. But, she's also upset in that moment, so I'll let it slide. Otherwise, yeah, not much in the way of real "surprises", but it's solidly enough made. Plus, it's a Pipp and Zipp centered story, so I KNOW some people will be interested just for that alone.

So, yeah, this is getting a recommendation from me. Pick it up! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Spoiler

From the first page, we get a great sequence. Pipp is really excited about today and Zipp is just dreading it. Pipp squishing is her own face with her pillow in bed is just too cute. It's a well done sequence.

"Can you sign my poster?" "Can you sign my hat?" "Can you sign my FACE?!" Pipp is just really popular you guys. The line for her room starts forming once she starts falling asleep.

"Can it wait? Pipp's in the middle of a song" Oh, no young lady, you can't use the "musical interlude" excuse to get away from your duties. I love how she just goes full ragdoll here.

"Lead singer ready to wow the stadium with her incredi-tastic vocals....please stand by" Izzy just needs a moment to tune Pipp up...no not like THAT!

Izzy does make it worse for Pipp when Zipp doesn't come to her rehearsal...but it's really more Pipp taking the WORST possible interpretation of what Izzy's saying than Izzy not reading the room, this time. Izzy didn't do anything wrong.

I swear...I know it's just lyrics on a page. But, I think the songs in THIS issue are actually better than the ones on the show. They just feel like they have more of a "rock" beat than the "pop" stuff Pipp does on the show. Mind, the Mane 5 are her backup band here, and they're usually not, but it's not a bad role for them.

But, Pipp also has to deal with a problem of her own while Zipp's busy putting together a fancy gala. Pipp promised to help a new musician get noticed...and he put up one GIANT poster on her stage and THOUSANDS of posters up all around Zephyr Heights. Dude has access to a printing press. Someone needs to tell him that sometimes less is more. This just feels desperate. Also, "Carotang" MUST be a reference to SOMETHING, but I have no idea what.

Pipp does unfollow him with the rage of a thousand suns, though. Nice panel.

Note: a painting of Lil Zipp holding Lil Pipp in the background. It's just a cute detail.

"First he comes after my rehearsal, and now he comes after my FAMILY!" Next he'll be coming after her dog. Actually....yeah, I could see that. Might want to keep a eye on Cloudpuff.

Okay, now this is the part of the story where Pipp feels a little out of character. Pipp makes fun of Zipp for thinking that planning a party is "hard" while saying that her concerts are a lot more work. And...I just feel like there's NO WAY that Pipp would belittle how hard it is to plan a big event. She HAS planned big events before, she has had to for her concerts. She KNOWS how much work goes into them. Now, if she mostly focused on how BAD Zipp is at event planning compared to her, that'd be one thing. But, Pipp is mostly downplaying how big this gala that Zipp is planning really is. It just misses the mark a little. Not a big deal, but it shows...a little bit of unfamiliarity with these characters, I think. But, I think you can look past it, since Pipp is clearly in RAGE mode right now, for various reasons.

Pipp's scream of indignant RAGE after she leaves through a window is...I don't want to SAY it's cute...but it's cute.

Then Pipp runs into Milkyway! Who is a Wishing Well Nymph...who lives in the clouds...yeah, I'm convinced this was originally going to be Discord, but they decided against it, when they saw how much backlash there was from fans when Discord showed up before. This just FEELS like it was a plot made for him. Who knows, maybe it'll turn out to BE him or someone he knows by the end of the story. I'm really not sure what's going on with her..."feelings circle board" in the background. Might be important or it might not.

I actually really like Milkyway's design. This would be a really cute plushie. Hasbro, get on that.

And so...Milkyway gets this plot going. And magically switches Pipp and Zipp. They still LOOK like themselves, but everyone thinks Zipp is Pipp and vice versa, since their cutie marks are swapped. Basically like G4's Magical Mystery Cure. So...someone's going to be a Alicorn by the end of this, right?

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I am in love from the first panel.

This issue is a lot more dense than most of these IDW issues, which is especially surprising for an issue that's part of a larger arc. There's substance here. A lot of the density is just little character moments, but that plays to G5's strengths.

I am not at all bothered by Pipp's characterization here. I don't think it's just heat of the moment, though that's a layer. Another layer is Zipp's famous lack of enthusiasm. It's not crazy to be a little suspicious that Zipp might play up her workload to duck the rehearsal. Wrong, but not crazy. Pipp probably has years of experience cutting through Zipp's excuses. But there's another layer I think might be the most important here. I think there's a little resentment from Pipp about Zipp's royal training. Pipp's the one who actually likes the royal stuff. She's not the one who ever rocked the boat when they were living a lie. But she's not the future queen. I think she feels left out. Sure she has her own duties and fame as a performer. But, you know, she made that. She had to. Because she's not the future queen. So her ego defense is to tell herself that Zipp's duties aren't that big a deal. She knows better, but heat of the moment is a heck of a drug.

At the risk of being blasphemous I'm going to say it. Milkyway is a better Discord than Discord. I love her body language.

If the G5 comic were this quality all along I would be very happy.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

I think my problem with Pipp is I think her criticisms should be coming from a different angle? There are SO many ways Pipp could criticize Zipp not wanting to plan this party, that it just feels a little off for her to be focused on the party itself. "Yeah, I guess you'd be happier solving the 'mystery' of what rocks are the best to jump around on" or "You NEVER want to spend time with mom" or something like that. Especially since...it seems like future issues are setting it up so that Pipp WILL be overwhelmed by planning this party, which I don't think she should be? Pipp SHOULD be able to knock this party out of the park. This is what Pipp DOES. She knows how to work a crowd. She knows how to set up events for her fans. She runs her own business and has her own employees. Pipp really SHOULDN'T have much of a problem with this party...but that seems to be where we're headed, and it feels wrong. It's less about what these issues are doing RIGHT NOW and more what they seem to be setting up. And I agree, Pipp being jealous of Zipp getting all the princess training but not wanting it WOULD be a good subtext to all this...but I'm just not getting that from the issue, itself. It COULD be there in future issues. But, I just don't feel like that idea is present in these issues, right now.

But, this is a VERY nuanced "problem" to have with the issue, and I'm willing to admit that it's mostly a "me" thing. This is actually a good issue and I recommend people pick it up. This is probably the peak of the G5 IDW comics.

If anyone decides to start picking up the G5 comics, starting with this arc would probably be the best.

At the risk of being blasphemous I'm going to say it. Milkyway is a better Discord than Discord. I love her body language.

Okay, for real...I can kind of understand that. But, G5 Discord...didn't really get a chance to BE Discord. G5 Discord was weaker and older and sadder and...just a completely different character than what he was in G4. I'd personally say G5 Discord is the more INTERESTING character. I think if you did things right, he could be part of a VERY compelling story. I think there's more you could do with him than Milkyway. But...that's more about his "potential", not what we actually got. And what we ended up getting was...a little underwhelming, admittedly.

Milkyway's a lot more fun. She's more like G4 Discord. And she doesn't have all the baggage that comes with G5 Discord. She's a simpler character, but...that's not a bad thing. And she has a REALLY fun design that this artist is just NAILING on every panel. A lot of Milkyway's charm comes from this particular artist being JUST THAT GOOD. I'm not sure if she'd be as memorable if she was drawn by someone else. But...I could see people buying a plushie of this character. She's a neat design. I like her. And she's JUST different enough from Discord that she's her own thing.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

And I agree, Pipp being jealous of Zipp getting all the princess training but not wanting it WOULD be a good subtext to all this...but I'm just not getting that from the issue, itself. It COULD be there in future issues. But, I just don't feel like that idea is present in these issues, right now.

It's there. It's why Pipp's criticisms don't come from some other, more personal angle. She doesn't have a problem with the detective stuff. She doesn't really have a problem with Zipp at all. Her problem is she feels overshadowed by the official princess stuff. Her criticisms focus on the party because it's the current embodiment of what she doesn't have. She downplays the work that goes into it to feel better about missing out. And she convinces herself Zipp is playing it up as an excuse to miss the rehearsal, because she has a feeling the real reason is Zipp just doesn't find the performance all that important. Because she has a feeling this is how ponies generally feel about it. It's not as important. Pipp feels overshadowed.

It's the purpose of the Carotang character. It's repeating the theme. Pipp feels overshadowed.

It's why Pipp alone encounters Milkyway, instead of Zipp being an equal player in instigating this switcheroo. This story is about Pipp's feelings.

Especially since...it seems like future issues are setting it up so that Pipp WILL be overwhelmed by planning this party, which I don't think she should be? Pipp SHOULD be able to knock this party out of the park. This is what Pipp DOES. She knows how to work a crowd. She knows how to set up events for her fans. She runs her own business and has her own employees. Pipp really SHOULDN'T have much of a problem with this party...but that seems to be where we're headed, and it feels wrong. It's less about what these issues are doing RIGHT NOW and more what they seem to be setting up.

Eh. I've had a taste of event planning, and I'll give IDW this one. The skills aren't an interchangeable fit across the whole field. Pipp is very good at what she does, but there's no seating chart for her crowds. And if they're really inviting the entire city for this, that's going to take multiple seatings. That's a (probably) multiple course meal, done multiple times. Or later seatings might have a different meal. That would not be unusual at all.

Milkyway's a lot more fun. She's more like G4 Discord. And she doesn't have all the baggage that comes with G5 Discord. She's a simpler character, but...that's not a bad thing. And she has a REALLY fun design that this artist is just NAILING on every panel. A lot of Milkyway's charm comes from this particular artist being JUST THAT GOOD. I'm not sure if she'd be as memorable if she was drawn by someone else. But...I could see people buying a plushie of this character. She's a neat design. I like her. And she's JUST different enough from Discord that she's her own thing.

This character could be a plushie that doubles as a hat and scarf. I do hope Hasbro notices they have a marketing opportunity here.