A review by chantaal
Friendship Is Magic by Heather Nuhfer
4.0
Received via NetGalley, in exchanged for an honest review. Also posted at Girls Read Comics Too.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has obviously made an impact in pop culture lately, and even among my friends. I tried to watch the first episode to see what all the fuss was about, and I have to admit: I failed the friendship test. It was just too bright, happy, and friendly for me. I’m no grouch, but man, I have my limits. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the perfect show for its age range, and I was happy to move along.
Then I figured, why not try out the comics? What could that hurt?
It turns out I enjoy My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic a lot more in comic form. It’s a lot easier to ingest, and the bright colors and character design are perfect for the medium.
I haven’t read the first volume in the series, but volume two wasn’t hard to ease into. I was actually a little impressed at how each character was sketched out; for someone who wasn’t too familiar with them, I got their names and characteristic down right away. It did make me think about how fine a line the comic draws between character and caricature. This is where I’m always impressed when someone who writes for a younger age group manages to get the details across without going too far overboard. Enough for the youngest reader to understand who is doing what and why, without annoying the oldest reader. This series walks that line perfectly, and I can picture parents reading these books to their kids without getting bored themselves.
The pony crew faces something that everyone, whether big or little, has or will face in their lifetime: nightmares. Not just big scary nightmares that are obviously not reall and will go away when you wake up. These nightmares prey on the ponies’ wildest insecurities, and Rarity goes so far as to believe her nightmare entirely, becoming a vessel to the real villain of the piece. While the motto of friendship and loving one another is hammered in time and time again (that is the theme of the series, after all, and it’s a fantastic theme to be sharing with our kids today, but that is another story), the way the ponies come together to save the day is inspiring. Yes, as an adult I could see it coming, but you know what? I didn’t care. By the time I was at the end I was enjoying the story and let myself get carried away with it all.
Isn’t that what we want out of a story, anyway?
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the perfect antidote to the current trend of dark and gritty adult comics. It’s fun, it’s silly, and it has a fantastic message for kids.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has obviously made an impact in pop culture lately, and even among my friends. I tried to watch the first episode to see what all the fuss was about, and I have to admit: I failed the friendship test. It was just too bright, happy, and friendly for me. I’m no grouch, but man, I have my limits. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the perfect show for its age range, and I was happy to move along.
Then I figured, why not try out the comics? What could that hurt?
It turns out I enjoy My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic a lot more in comic form. It’s a lot easier to ingest, and the bright colors and character design are perfect for the medium.
I haven’t read the first volume in the series, but volume two wasn’t hard to ease into. I was actually a little impressed at how each character was sketched out; for someone who wasn’t too familiar with them, I got their names and characteristic down right away. It did make me think about how fine a line the comic draws between character and caricature. This is where I’m always impressed when someone who writes for a younger age group manages to get the details across without going too far overboard. Enough for the youngest reader to understand who is doing what and why, without annoying the oldest reader. This series walks that line perfectly, and I can picture parents reading these books to their kids without getting bored themselves.
The pony crew faces something that everyone, whether big or little, has or will face in their lifetime: nightmares. Not just big scary nightmares that are obviously not reall and will go away when you wake up. These nightmares prey on the ponies’ wildest insecurities, and Rarity goes so far as to believe her nightmare entirely, becoming a vessel to the real villain of the piece. While the motto of friendship and loving one another is hammered in time and time again (that is the theme of the series, after all, and it’s a fantastic theme to be sharing with our kids today, but that is another story), the way the ponies come together to save the day is inspiring. Yes, as an adult I could see it coming, but you know what? I didn’t care. By the time I was at the end I was enjoying the story and let myself get carried away with it all.
Isn’t that what we want out of a story, anyway?
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the perfect antidote to the current trend of dark and gritty adult comics. It’s fun, it’s silly, and it has a fantastic message for kids.