IDW G5 Storm of Zephyr Heights #2

ZakuConvoy

Well-known member
Citizen
Previously, on My Little Pony...
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Hmm...would Twilight be proud of Sunny for being such a enthusiastic reader or would she be horribly embarrassed by her reading a steamy romance novel featuring her as the lead? Quite the paradox.

The forecast is cloudy with a chance of ponies falling from the sky! Be sure to bring a umbrella for...
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So, how is it?

Well, this is a double sized (and doubled priced) issue. And despite what the solicitations STILL say, The art is actually done by two different poeple. Kate Sherron (from Camp Bighoof) and Andy Price (from MANY G4 comics).


And I won't lie. I do prefer Andy Price's half of the issue more. Even the writing feels a little more snappy in the second half of the issue, even though it's all written by the same person. There's still a lot of references packed in to his second half of the story, which just makes everything a lot more fun. Plus, the second half is where we get a the majority of our crossover. Because, surprise, there IS a bit of crossover with G4. It's mostly background stuff, but it's there! That's a welcome surprise!

But, you know what? Kate Sherron is improving, I think. I still don't LOVE her artwork. But, it's a lot more dynamic than before. Maybe it's all the wind the characters have to deal with in her half of the issue. But, she's using more panels per page, and I think that's helping to keep the action flowing better. I think this is probably some of her best work yet.

Now, I'll admit, it is pretty jarring to go from one art style to the next in the same story. But...I guess I'm okay with it. Writing wise, things really pick up in the second half of this issue, as we learn just what's going on.

I still don't know why they chose to structure it like this. It's weird that Hasbro would make IDW combine 5 issues into 3, just because it's almost the end of the year and they want to move on from G5.

But...this is actually turning out pretty fun. It's not QUITE the crossover between G4 and G5 that it markets itself as. But, there IS more to the crossover than I expected.

So, I'm still recommending this. I mean, this might just be the last bit of G5 media we get. It might not be perfect, but I think this might just end up being a solid story to end G5 on. Not the story we wanted or what was planned. But, still, a worthy story nonetheless.

Even when falling from the sky in the middle of a blizzard, there's ALWAYS time to fangirl over meeting Pipp for the first time!

"The wind is really strong, even for a experienced flyer like me" Pipp, you've only been able to fly since magic came back. Two years, tops, in-world. You probably learned to fly at the same time that these fillies did. Don't be condescending.

"I've crashed while flying before, Mom. I would've been fine!' I'm starting to even like the head trama! They taste like grape!

Yeah, in a town full of Pegasi, Hitch kind of is limited in how useful he can be. He never did conquer sky-crime.

Misty's trying to learn the Snow Plow spell! That's kind of cool! Unfortunately, Misty has the hollow bones of a precious baby bird, and gets blown across town by the wind.

Luckily, Zipp don't need no plow! She IS the snow plow!

"Zipp showed Sunny and me this place after she broke us out of prison that time!" Ah...good times!

Wait...is that the zepplin from "Once Upon a Zepplin"? The one where Twilight tries to have a family cruise on one of Iron Will's sky-ships? It's smaller, but it's pretty similar! At the very least, I feel like this ship is a reference to SOMETHING we've seen before in G4.

"Can I try?" Misty is SO READY to become a sky pirate.

Special Snow Mission Outfits! They kind of make everyone look like they're wearing really thick glasses.

Okay, so maybe the plan of tying a rope to each other while they try to fly had a few flaws.

"Look at poor Sunny! You're going to break her!" Pipp...phrasing.

And finally...they find Cloudsdale!

*SUDDEN ART CHANGE!* Is sudden...

"Rodeo Drive"...ha ha, guys!

27 mane blow-dryers...just so Izzy can get the heating elements she needs. Izzy's love of smashing things is so pure and innocent...and worrying.

"We're about to DEFY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!" Misty...Hitch is right there! I'm pretty sure if you do that in front of him you'll get a ticket. Or at least a long, boring lecture! Misty has gone full-on gadget girl and I love it!

"Rosie" on the riveting gun. "Binford" on the toolbox. Heh.

"113" Hmm...a nod to James Roberts Transformer comics?

"Somnambula's Snack Sphinx" I guess the ancient Element of Hope found a side-hustle.

Hard Clouds. Maybe you shouldn't get too close. It might be radioactive. (Gosh, that's a weird joke that I'm not sure if anyone's going to get...)

It's...a cocoon?! With a...flying hog inside of it?! Well...this seems to hint at how the flying animals work...maybe...ish. I don't know, DOES this have anything to do with the flying snails?! This might just be raising even MORE questions!

I kind of love that Pipp and Zipp's first reaction is to bring it home as a pet for their mom.

"Mogwai Curio Shop" Heh. Also, a Discord lamp.

I guess the flying hogs are called "Arkan Sonney"? Weird name, I'm sure it's a pun but I don't get it. And...yeah, they're Gremlins. Or parasprites. Only they get enraged if you flash them...with photography. Also, they're actually hedgehogs with firing quills!

"Can this weather get any worse?" *THUNDERBOLT* You earned that, and you know it!

"Funny you should ask" "HAHAHA, you asked!" Never change, Izzy.

"It's alive!" Well, Misty's gone full mad scientist. And I still love it!

I really don't know why the OTHER flying hedgehogs hate them. They didn't see the flash. Heh..."flash mob"...I wonder if that's on purpose?

ANOTHER Library! Man...Twilight would have LOVED this adventure!

"Her name is Somnamula, I've never even heard of her" You JUST passed her Snack Shack, Sunny, c'mon!

Rainbow Dash, Derpy/Muffins, Bulk Biceps, and Spitfire all get cameos in Zipp's daydream. It's kind of nice to see them again.

Also, Flash Magnus is our Clippy! He's a interactive guide to the library...for some reason. I guess the Spartan warrior guy really loved books?

Flintstones reference!

"So, the Seven Great Cities of Pegasi came together to shape the greatest achievement in Pegasi history...CLOUDSDALE!" LORE!!! Precious, rare LORE! Oh, someone took some lessons from Set Your Sail!

So, it turns out it's the Cloudsdale Weather Factory that's making the storms. We knew that from the solicitations, but still, I'll take the additions to the lore.

"We have to save Zephyr Heights from Cloudsdale!" Oh...that's actually a good line!
 
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CoffeeHorse

Exhausted, but still standing.
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
Abrupt art change! ... Ew.

I'm still not seeing anything justifying an evacuation. Don't bother me until it's a category four.

Yeah... why not hide in the castle? Riding out a storm in a castle sounds comfy.

I hate to say it, but this is the most populated Zephyr Heights has ever been.

This airship was totally going to be a toy... before the entire toyline vanished off the face of the Earth.

Flying school. TYT reference.

The montage had its budget cut...

This tether system is a good idea. Together it is!

Do not break Sunny.

Okay. This is better than the Canterlot reveal when the G5 comic started.

... Okay this is the Hitch we saw in the movie. This is great.

And the art has changed again.

This is good Izzy.

I don't know why Misty is the engineer. Let's assume an unproduced episode did it.

This poor critter. Whatever it is.

I don't like bright lights either. They make me sneeze.

Again, I don't know why Misty is stealing Zipp's role as Izzy's partner machinist, but I'm liking her in this role.

These critters follow cucco rules. Interesting.

We didn't see this side of Cloudsdale in G4.

Lore!

Always Sunny in Phillydelphia

To be continued...
 


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