All right, look: I will admit that I have spent a truly inadvisable amount of time trying to figure out how the world of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is supposed to work. I know, I know, but just trust me on this one, there's a complex cosmology at work there involving the manual rotation of planets and cross-dimensional magic -- and that's just the start of things. But just when I was ready to throw in the towel and give up, there is new hope.

In April, IDW is launching a new My Little Pony series, replacing Friends Forever with the all-new Legends of Magic, launching with a new story by Jeremy Whitley and Brenda Hickey. It's a series that promises to explore "the secret history of Equestria," and between that description and the fact that there's a variant cover depicting the modern-day ponies straight up unearthing cave paintings of their '80s cartoon counterparts, and I have never been more intrigued. Read on for the exclusive announcement and some thoughts from Whitley and Hickey!

IDW

IDW

Jeremy Whitley:

"My Little Pony: Legends of Magic" is a tremendous opportunity for both us as comic creators and our readers to get a chance to really dive into the rich mythological history of the My Little Pony world. The long history of the world is so often hinted at in the show and now we have the chance to pick up on all those little hints and fill in all the rich details. It gives us a chance to tell different sorts of stories and follow mythological members of the cast who have only ever appeared in stories and flashbacks. It gives us an opportunity to work very closely with the show without having to tell stories that are happening at the same time. It will be a must read for big time My Little Pony fans!”

Brenda Hickey:

"In Legends of Magic you will be introduced to a whole new, diverse, and colorful cast. Of course there will be appearances from a few familiar faces, so you also can look forward to that!”

And IDW’s full solicitation text: