Trying something different in this new year. A video review for new issues, but I also post the script for any who prefer to read a review.
And what better time to start than IDW's new direction? Check out the video, the review, and the spoilers after the break!
Welcome to a new year. A new generation. A new style.
IDW's My Little Pony series has switched gears to mini-series that utilize Tell Your Tale's style and we start off with a conflict for Sunny!
Art
We've got a semi-new artist showing her skills with this premier issue. I say "semi-new" because artist Natalie Haines has contributed to past series in the form of cover artwork, though a majority of her time in IDW focuses on Sonic the Hedgehog. This is the first time I'm aware of her drawing the actual contents, with some help from co-inker Matt Froese.
This is also a change from the series trying to emulate Make Your Mark's style in favor of Tell Your Tale, which I consider to be for the better. Having seen various iterations of My Little Pony, I think the series is at its best when characters enjoy. Degree of elasticity and exaggerated expressions. Too much rigidity can make it seem lifeless and thus Tell Your Tale is a bit more forgiving.
That said, there are times where the proportions of the characters feel off. Proportions are like spelling; you don't recognize its need until there's an error. While Tell Your Tale's proportions are different from the CG norm, there are time where the characters' heads seem too big in comparison to their bodies or limbs. Fortunately, these moments are few and far between.
What really stands out is that Haines is willing and apparently eager to create some fun designs. This series is clearly going to feature a variety of characters and I don't see one that is forgetful or generic. Even a one-shot ice cream pony enjoy some distinction in the form of a twirly mustache.
Even amidst all this, there are two ponies that really stand out. The first pony has no name, but a combination of a coat that looks like plumage and a color scheme from Heather Breckle that invokes a beak around his muzzle, I can't help but wonder if he has some griffon heritage behind him. It's a shame he seems to have inherited some of a griffon's worst traits.
The second design belongs to Tracy Tailspin, who varied coat and build (along with excellent choice in stetsons) invokes a combination of Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Not saying that they found a magical way to have a foal... though in a franchise that once said baby ponies came out of a magic mirror, or that they're born when rainbows cross, I suppose anything's possible.
Synopsis
Our introduction sees a montage of a young Sunny Starscout learning to skate with her dad and gaining a love for the speed. So now that's she's older, she's at an audition for an "elite" roller derby team currently called "The Slammers". But the tryout goes poorly as Sunny has the advantage of speed but doesn't know the moves team captain Buck expects. It doesn't help that the remainder of the team–minus surprise member Misty–enjoys jeering at her.
Upset and self-berating, Sunny gets some encouragement from Pipp to start a team of her own. But recruitment is hindered by members of the Slammers who seem to have made tormenting Sunny a sport all their own. It's then that Pipp gets the idea to seek out former champion Tracy Tailspin, who has retired to an orchard but still keeps up practice. Tracy is an excellent coach who not only helps Sunny reconnect with her passion, but encourages her while guiding her through her weaker aspects.
Tracy offers to help coach a team if Sunny can put one together within two weeks. A prospect that seems more and more unlikely as a very motley group shows up for tryouts and the Slammers are still around to have a spiteful laugh.
Review
One of the odds parts of trying to review this is finding the characters' names. You'd think that would be obvious, but consider that this flyer lists the team as the most elite roller derby team in Equestria... but it doesn't mention their names. Pipp's suggestion of seeking out a mentor only refers to "she" and "her". We don't get Tracy's name until she introduces herself, and it's Sunny who mentions Captain Buck's name.
While I understand wanting to avoid an exposition dump of so many characters, we do need some facts to help settle these characters. I know I'm supposed to dislike these three, but it's hard to do so when I don't even have a name to go by. As far as I know... they aren't named once this issue. Very confusing!
Even more frustrating because... I agree with our antagonists... at first. Sunny is applying to a self-proclaimed "elite" team. That at least implies some form of championship status, though it's possible they're just blowing hot air. Regardless, Sunny is trying to join on the strength of her speed but she doesn't have a lot of knowledge about roller derby techniques. Even Tracy later states that she doesn't have the tactical perspective or knowledge of the moves. She's expecting to be taught all this even though an elite team is more about taking good prospects and training them up to the team's standards.
To draw a comparison, the Blue Angels flight team has several criteria just to apply. That includes being an active-duty Navy or Marine Corps pilot (already trained in the basics) and having 1,250 tactical jet flight hours or 1,200 hours as an aircraft commander. That is to say that you don't get to apply for an elite position fresh out of flight school.
So Sunny is aiming for a position that is outside her experience. Which makes me wonder how Misty wound up on such a team. Methinks she's been working out some anger issues towards Opaline. I also wonder if Misty's arguing in Sunny's favor is general compassion or her looking out for a friend.
It's during this argument that the flaw in the Slammers' characters comes to the forefront. One of them proclaims that he was a prodigy. Interesting word choice. Let's break that down.
According to the Oxford Dictionary:
Prodigy:
1. A person, especially a young one, endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities.
2. An impressive or outstanding example of a particular quality.
3. An amazing or unusual thing, especially one out of the ordinary course of nature.
Most folks go by that first definition, but let's not mistake ability for experience. This guy is proclaiming that he was good at roller derbies from the start, whereas he likely absorbed the knowledge very quickly. So quickly he might not remember the learning process itself, but that doesn't mean he was born with that knowledge. Plus, being able to pick something up quickly can sometimes be a detriment. It's harder to appreciate the struggle others go through.
Then there's the rather militant process to the application. You're not an individual, you're a number. And much like "Newbie Dash", we witness hazing rituals that seem wildly inappropriate from a civilian perspective but may be part of the tradition. The idea being that they all went through that and it's a sort of "right of passage". Although, Misty's presence diminishes this idea because I can't see her accepting or meting out such cruelty.
Where the team starts to truly fail is that they become active stalkers towards Sunny. They tear down or deface her recruitment posters and arrive on recruitment day to heckle Sunny's applicants. I've said before that titles set expectations, but they don't bestow qualities. One would hope that someone claiming to be on an elite team would hold themselves to a standard of conduct both on and off the rink. Living up to an ideal rather than resting on it.
To put it another way, you aren't defined by what you do, but also how you conduct yourself while doing it. These athletes are behaving more like high school bullies than professionals, and that's where they fail. Their captain doesn't seem to be in on it, but he's not doing anything to prevent their hostilities either.
So our antagonists are established in all but names. What about our familiar ponies? Sunny gets to have the driving motive, which is something that's been sorely lacking from either series. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that she's been ousted as the lead character because Zipp has been the driving force for much of the series and Misty the empathic element. While I'd rather Sunny be interesting in exploring more and more of Equestria and reconnecting with more ponies, I do appreciate getting to see her actively pursue a goal while experiencing emotional turmoil.
Better still is that this comic adds some personal touches, such as the newly-coined Sunny Scowl. A look that might give Fluttershy's stare some competition.
More than Sunny, I'm grateful that writer Casey Gilly gave Pipp a strong, supportive role. In both the movie and comics, Pipp is the pony who most vocally resists the call to adventure. Her goal is often focused on her social media presence but here she's more about guiding Sunny to her own creative ideas and endeavours. In fact, it's she who suggests going out into the frontier to find Tracy Tailspin, even though her logistics are a bit flawed. I'm not sure of a public ideal for what an influencer should be, but I hope it would be something like what we witness here. Pipp is using her resources and connections to encourage others and connect them with individuals who can help them advance their goals.
Impossible!
Zipp and Izzy both have moments of support and characterization, though they're more tertiary to the conflict. I do appreciate that Izzy has introduced Ogres and Oubliettes' successor: Garbage and Gargoyles. I don't know if this involves dumpster diving to build up the game... and I don't want to know.
Then we have Tracy herself, who establishes that being a captain isn't synonymous with being a coach. Sunny is very clearly wanting to be a coach while the competitive goal of victory doesn't seem to be high on her priorities. So I imagine she's either going to have to dig deep and find the drive to win and be a coach or find some pony who will fulfill that role. I doubt that will be Tracy, as she admits she's more about helping others and encouraging their emotional growth. It's she who helps Sunny snap out of her defeatist mindset, which is something a coach would do more than a captain. Hitch is noticeably absent and Sparky is only mentioned once. Perhaps they'd be candidates to plan out a strategy?
Whatever the case, we're off to a strong start. We have an external conflict in wanting to take down the Slugger's arrogance but also an internal struggle as Sunny has to become more of a leader to achieve this. She's off to a start but has a way to go as well. The big question is how much of this process we'll get to witness. I don't think a simple montage is going to do the trick. We'll need some good character interaction. Time will tell as we get the second issue next month.
I'm Silver Quill. Thanks for reading!
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