Nightmare Rarity takes charge in this intense issue of My Little Pony. Does this series produce another story of quality? For sure. While not the most exciting issue we’ve seen, it’s a very good read all fans should check out.

Here’s the official description from IDW:

The new Nightmare Moon has revealed herself… and captured our stunned Ponies! With time running short for Equestria before a full-scale invasion, the only hope lies with… Spike?! And what role will Princess Luna play? 

The concept of bringing back Nightmare Moon was a classic idea. What changed however was having one of the Ponies become this dark entity. It’s a cool thing, and the story is surprisingly more dark than you think. There’s a sense of grimness displayed in this issue. If fans are looking for a rather serious and even slightly dark My Little Pony story, look no further than here. (Dark is a good thing in this case, quite a contrast to the always chipper first arc.)

Heather Nufer writes a great Nightmare Moon, or rather Nightmarity. Her words are deceiving and less cheesy than the lines in the show’s opening two-parter. One of the best scenes is Spike’s ‘dream’ so to speak. It’s interesting to see how Nufer uses the little dragon, whom gets a pretty role in this issue. The Mane 6 5 are written very good, as if they were lifted straight out of an episode. Pinkie Pie has some of the best scenes and who doesn’t love Fluttershy while locked up interacting with some kind of dark bunny much to everyone’s horror? Rainbow Dash stole the show however, complete with a Daring Do reference. Back on Earth we see Princess Celestia preparing for war. I don’t think we’ve seen her with such a gloomy feeling, that was interesting. I also love how the Cutie Mark Crusaders are portrayed and Celestia’s words to them, “Even the smallest ponies can make the biggest difference.” But most importantly that fans will find the most intriguing is an inner twist revolving around the character of Rarity. These comics are truly great for showing us things the show can’t or hasn’t.

Amy Mebberson’s art is pretty standard for the most part. Nightmariry looks fantastic. You can tell it’s Nightmare Moon, but the art successfully captures the Rarity part of it. The action looks good, there’s plenty of smiles to be had as you laugh at Fluttershy’s scared reaction to pretty much everything. The main cover I like a lot, showcasing the Mane 5 being surrounded by the Nightmare forces. Cover B continues the new tradition of Rarity taking center stage. This time Nightmarity gets a cover to herself, definitely one to get. The RI highlights the scene of the Ponies trapped behind bars. While good, the other two covers easily beat it. As always there’s a few store exclusive variants. Larry’s has a really awesome one of Fluttershy being a superhero. I think however people will find Hot Topic’s Metal Gear homage the coolest.

Overall, this is definitely the most story-based issue of My Little Pony we’ve seen yet. It does have some fun and intense action, but it’s mainly about Nightmarity getting ready to take over. The story keeps getting bigger, it’s safe to see we can expect a full blown war next time.

4/5

My name is Daniel (@Destroyer_199), the main guy for comic reviews here at Unleash the Fanboy. I was born in 1995 in the Big Apple, spent my formative years in Staten Island, and currently reside in the awesome state that is New Jersey.