Here we are with Issue #12 (one year ago the series began!) of My Little Pony. It’s the conclusion to the Cadence X Shining Armor story. Does it end the flashback with a satisfying conclusion even though we know what’s going to happen?

Here’s the official description from IDW:

The courting of Princess Cadence continues, as Shining Armor must find a way to win her hoof. But with the school dance quickly approaching, Shining Armor will have to call upon some familiar faces to catch the eye of his one true love.

Flashback stories are always a risk, since they can be boring. But when it comes to something like My Little Pony, flashbacks can greatly deepen the narrative. Equestria is filled with untold stories. The fall of Luna, King Sombra’s reign, and many other things that should get a comic adaption. (You listening Hasbro and IDW?) So, this concludes the story with how Cadence and Shining Armor met and fell in love. It’s a sweet story filled with the signature humor from the comic team. Despite knowing how it ends, it’s a really fun read from beginning to end.

Katie Cook’s writing never gets old. Some might not like the extremely humorous approach and prefer more serious writing, but for a story like this it especially works. This would probably be best read in trade format, it’s basically more of the previous issue. The things standing out are Cadence revealing her love for Shining Armor at filly Twilight and Buck Walters’ ongoing smirk. Filly Twilight is adorable enough without any dialogue, and with it you can imagine the ‘adorkableness’ as fans call it. Even back then she was all technical and orderly. Buck Walters with his smirk and everything he does is just too funny to turn away from. He’s a parody of every ‘dream jock’ you see schoolgirls go crazy for. Really, the whole high school dance was priceless.

Andy Price’s art will never get tiring to look at. Besides the priceless expressions on the ponies, there’s so many little things that make the story even more fun to read. It’s going to be hard to not crack up laughing when Buck Walters leans against Celestia in a very arrogant manner after saying he’s like family since he’ll be taking Cadence to the dance. The main cover is a solid piece with Shining Armor wondering how Cadence will ever notice him. Cover B by Sabrina Alberghetti is nice, featuring a simple picnic between the two lovebirds and filly Twilight in the background smiling. The RI by Sara Richard is easily the most artistic however, it’s just too unique and fantastic to pass up. As for store exclusive variants, DJ Pon-3 fans will definitely want to pick up Larry’s variant while Octavia fans will want to head on over to Jetpack. Hot Topic wins however with what should be a fan favorite since nothing beats watching Twilight and Trixie going at it.

Overall, Issue #12 ends the flashback story between Cadence and Shining Armor nicely. Now we’ll forever know how the two got together. There’s humor on every page, (look out for Batman and Teen Titans references) and is just a blast to read. Of course, you’ll be ready for a new Mane 6 adventure afterward. Not that those two are tiring, but just as with all flashbacks, eventually you want to see the story move forward. Next month: Pirates!

4/5

Daniel is a huge fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. His favorite is Fluttershy and you can follow him on Twitter: @Destroyer_199