Princess Caydence walks among her crystal ponies, and begins to question what it really means to be a ruler of the Crystal Empire.

The My Little Pony franchise has been on the rise since the early 80’s with their cartoons, direct-to-video movies, and toys being featured all across the globe. IDW Publishing has been creating the comics since November 28th, 2012 and has been a success ever since.

Writer: Christina Rice

Artist and Colorist : Agnes Garbowska

Editor: Bobby Curnow

Price: $3.99

The My Little Pony television series was rebooted on October 10th, 2010 with the alternate title of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. It has been a booming success ever since with fans ranging from all ages, which is why the comic book published not long after and the rest is history. The MLP fandom has been in tune with the comics, but it doesn’t look like much of the rest of the readership has taken much notice. It is unfortunate that the stories of the Mane 6 are being overlooked when the writing style is witty, the art is fun, and the coloring truly transports the reader to Equestria. Just like in the TV show the reader is set into this world, where all ponies are learning important lessons about friendship. Those lessons may consist of learning how to handle certain tricky situations, how to be a good friend, and what it means to be a friend.

Princess Twilight Sparkle is visiting her long time friend and sister-in-law Princess Caydence at the Crystal Empire for her official dedication of the court of the Crystal Princess to her crystal pony public. Caydence wants the opportunity to walk amongst her ponies to get to know them better. Twilight and Caydence disguise themselves as ordinary crystal ponies to walk through to the streets of the Crystal Empire unnoticed. Caydence makes an unexpected discovery during her excursion, which forces her to question who is she and what that means for her kingdom. Twilight and her brother Shining Armor (who is also Caydence’s husband) spring into action to help Caydence find the answer she is seeking.

The writers of the My Little Pony comic book series do an excellent job creating scenarios that are relatable to readers: such as not knowing what to say or do to make a friend feel better, or how to touch on a delicate subject with your friend when you are afraid you may hurt their feelings. Situations such as those are every day issues that happen in real life, and can be tricky to navigate through without guidance. No matter how untouchable we feel royalty is, in this issue, even they are in need of help with figuring out their problems.

The layout and panel directions are easy to follow with it averaging 4-6 panels per page. The bright colors and familiar art style make it a fluent transition for readers of all ages who enjoy the My Little Pony television series. It is evident the target audience is between the age of 6-9 years of age with vocabulary that is being used. There is a huge team that comes into play with these issues such as Artist Amy Mebberson, who is most known for her Pocket Princesses on Tumblr. Of course, one can’t forget Katie Cook is also an independent author with Goodreads. Katie Cook has been on IDW’s side since the My Little Pony comic book franchise began, and has her creative hands on every issue in some way shape or form. I think IDW has made the decision to have so many different artists and writers on staff for this comic, becuase just like the tv show they want input from all kinds of people. Every artist and writer has a unique style, just like every pony has a unique talent that is represented by their cutie mark, this is their way of showing all fans what each of these talented people can offer the fandom.

In essence, the Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle once again saves the day by helping a friend realize their true selves, because what else are true friends for? Just like the TV show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic book series is great for people of all ages. The appeal is probably more geared to young girls between the ages of 6-9, but taking one sneak peek at the fandom it is evident that bronies and pegasisters of all walks of life are present. All people could use a refresher course on what it means to be a good friend, and to self reflect on past situations that could have been handled differently, and with the help of the MLP comic book that may be a great way to do so.



4 horseshoes out of 5 !