I also own some comics that are so bad they're awesome (and some that shoot straight past awesome again and go straight back into bad.) I own comics that are romantic, action-packed, gritty, and hilarious.
And then there are the books I own for a single solitary reason that usually pertains to that one book. I bought some for a single line of dialogue, a single reference to something happening in the world, or a single spectacular piece of artwork.
And then there's a book like the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic that I picked up because it has more pop culture references in it than an entire season of Family Guy. Including, and I'm not making any of this up, one pony giving another pony the "be nice until it's time to stop being nice" speech from Roadhouse, a cameo from Mola Ram (the bad guy who pulled out hearts in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), and Rule Number One from Anchorman. Already, we know is is going to be mind-blowing.
Now, I don't want to spoil much of the plot on the off-chance anybody else out there wants to read it, so I'll sum it up thusly: a malevolent force the ponies helped defeat in an episode (not necessarily one I've reviewed yet) comes back with a plot that utilizes the passing of the Secretariat Comet (which amplifies magical powers), and tries to lure the main characters to their doom by kidnapping the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
So yeah, pretty epic storyline. Does it live up to it?
...actually, yeah. I know a lot of people dismiss comics for kids as being, well, "just for kids.". But some all-ages books I've read at the recommendation from others have been genuinely good (find my review of Amelia Rules). This book has a few issues, but the humor, depth of story, and utilization of the comics medium (lots of room for background comments, for example) hold it up.
But man, the references. Ignoring the fact that early on we get a Magnum, P.I. Pony whose cutie mark is the Ferrari logo, the majority of the first issue is a bit of a take-off of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, including a Donald Sutherland pony who takes on the classic pose from the film.
The comic then turns into a chronicle of the characters' journey to rescue the children and defeat the evil. We get a journey underground that seems to be taken directly from the plot line of Fellowship of the Ring, a struggle that drives a rift between the friends, attacks from numerous deadly creatures in the forest (spoiler alert, there's a Bunnicula reference in there), and a magical battle between two powerful forces.
This really is a step up from stories of apple harvests and beauty pageants.
If I had any complaints, it would just be the portrayal of a few characters. For instance, I know Pinkie Pie is random, but when, in the middle of their trip, she suddenly pulls this out of nowhere...
...yeah, the suspension of disbelief starts to waver. And so far I've been able to suspend this belief so high that it supported the fact that this universe exists at all.
Also, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who I've been able to tolerate, are pretty annoying, and the references to things they tried to do to get their marks just pushes the boundaries of logic, even for this series.
But did I enjoy it?
...well, yeah. Regardless of the intended age, there are enough background notes and the writing is solid enough that adults might get even more enjoyment out of it than kids. Plus, we appreciate how an Evil Dead 2 reference has absolutely no place in a story about cartoon ponies.
But overall, I think that, deep down, we all want to live in a place where our best and brightest can take lessons from a movie where Patrick Swayze threw a polar bear at somebody.
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