Friends Forever #16 (Silver Spoon Spoilers!)

Seems Fiendship is Magic’s atmosphere is still hanging around as our latest Friends Forever’s cover features our two lesser villains: Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. I say the cover features them because the real fun of this story lies on all the characters around them.

And let me be clear: I do not like these characters but I love to hate them. Like Dracko Malfoy, Pravuil, or any other little coward who acts like he's got real power; DT and SS are meant to be disliked and they encourage the audience to do so. I just have my doubts that they can carry a story.

Like a singularity surrounded by stars, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon seem intent on taking all the fun so it’s up to the rest of the cast to shine brighter. Basic premise is simple. The town is hosting a scavenger hunt and the CMC are eager to win the Blue Hay concert tickets. And not wanting their rivals to have even a day of fun, DT and SS decide to compete and block them.

But jinkies! They need a third member. So we get to see how DT interacts with her father: pure mane-ipulation. She plays the victim and he believes he can fix all her problems with his money. Though we’ve never seen them interact in the show beyond Family Appreciation Day, this seems like a believable scenario.

It also highlights something about Diamond Tiara: all adults are rendered useless around her. Thinking back on Call of the Cutie, Ponyville Confidential, and Family Appreciation Day, adults just seem to switch off their thinking and give Diamond Tiara free reign. Even the Mayor can only offer lip service to the spirit of fair play, as if DT and her lackey care.

Their third team member: Prancy Drew, the famous filly detective. Who is modeled after Scooby Doo's Velma and one of several pop culture references on just one page.

But Holy Hans Christen Anderson, the best joke in the comic goes to Pinkie Pie who doesn’t even need a speaking line to be funny. All hail the Pinkster!

The Scavenger hunt has some nice continuity callbacks and follows a similar rhythm to each event. Prancy Drew carries her team while the Crusaders seem to find things by sheer luck. The other contestants have vanished. Too bad. I wonder how the Stooge Ponies fared.

The focus is really split between the two teams. Scheming and abuse by Team Tiara, slapstick and comedy dialog from the CMC with appearances by supporting cast. It’s not really a surprise that DT and SS win in their own comic after abandoning Prancy Drew (she should have seen that coming), but the victory quickly turns to ash.

And what have they learned? Nothing at all!

Which isn’t really a fault. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are meant to be characters you love to hate. This comic never asks for sympathy or understanding. It says that they’re both friends because of shared rottenness but even then they aren’t truly happy.

But can these two really carry a story themselves? This comic makes me think not. It’s the CMC’s antics, Prancy Drew’s personality, and the guest appearances by other characters that make this comic more endearing. It’s not a bad read, but it’s a Friends Forever I think many could pass up without missing out on much. I'm not looking for DT or SS to be anything other than unpleasant, but not as main characters.

I’m much more intrigued to see the inner workings of a certain Stallion’s mind next month!