MLP #33 (Look Into My Spoilers!)

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So it’s okay to drain sentient apples of their juice but stepping on them or eating them is taboo? Confound these ponies; their morality eludes me!

That includes turning your best friend into a monster and then binding and gagging her. I worry about you, Twilight.

Though her counter-plan is clever. To combat the apple horde, the ponies mix spells from various episodes to create vampire pony versions of themselves. I get the feeling someone at IDW would like to make a vampire toy set and that is the true focus of the story. The story certainly seemed to gain some vitality once the Vampire 6 went on the offensive. I’m not as big a fan since Flutterbat was a unique status and making all the Mane 6 vampires dilutes the idea. Yet I do find it fun to see the ponies become monsters to face the current threat, complete with new names.

One thing this comic needed to do more was play up the extremes. In part 1 it would have been funny to see the ponies upset by how they’re being defeated by mere produce. In part 2 I could imagine some truly memorable artwork featuring the vampire ponies deep in shadow and looking menacing. Instead we have a long shot view of the town with the Vampire Five barely more than shapes and spouting one-liners.

The conflict escalates as the apple forces retaliate and Flutterbat wages a battle against herself. Speaking of impressive art, we get a taste of that seeing her cast against the full moon. Very awesome!

The apple forces finally become truly threatening when they form a gestalt with Bad Apple at their center. Why they picked that particular shape is beyond me. Maybe because it's the only form with arms. The ponies form a counter-plan that gives Spike a chance to contribute (much appreciated!) and Good Apple serves a very brief purpose.

I'm saying more about artwork and plot points because there's more spectacle to this story than any personal conflict. Good Apple is good and can make the other apples the same. Bad Apple has to be stopped. A majority of this issue is fight scenes between ponies and apples. Good Apple feels like a shortcut to a solution than a character in his own right. The same can be said for Bad Apple, who is the scapegoat for the apple assault.

Part 2 was more enjoyable due to the head-on conflict. The ponies were no longer running away or going in circles but rather moving with intent towards a solution. Everypony got to contribute and even Celestia and Luna offered some insight for a moral at the end. But the polar natures of Good and Bad Apple undermines the idea that we are a mixture of feelings both positive and negative. If the characters are presented in absolutes, then it's hard to teach a lesson about moral gray.

Story-wise, the delayed action and the mixed tone really drag this down for me. It started as a parody but quickly took itself seriously. If the comic arc had been willing to play up the absurd for a good laugh rather than relying on pop-culture winks, I think this could have made a bigger impact. As it is, I think I’ll forget about this story soon.

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marinus18's avatar
I don't feel that it cheapens the impact of Flutterbat. Twilight makes it clear that their forms are a mere copy of Fluttershy's.
One missed opportunity was that they Fluttershy's fight against her instincts was so short. It would have made an interesting story if Flutterbat ran rampant but Fluttershy struggles and finally manages to rein in her instincts.
One thing they should have done was make Twilight have a heavy heart when she does that to Fluttershy. It would help make the story have more impact.