My Little Pony: Friends Forever #22 Review

By Daniel Alvarez on Friday, November 6th, 2015

Princess Celestia asks for Pinkie Pie’s help in the latest issue of Friends Forever! How does it fare? Let’s take a look.

Here’s the official description from IDW:

Celestia is planning a party for her sister Luna, and she needs the perfect cake! The Princess enlists Pinkie Pie’s help, but Pinkie may be in over her head with this royal order!

Friends Forever is still going strong 22 issues later. We’ve gotten to see certain characters interact for the first time. This week we have Pinkie Pie and Princess Celestia. In the show the two have rarely talked directly to each other, so this was a great concept. Plus, having Twilight around for some of it didn’t take away from the team-up, but added to the story. What we have is an excellent read and one of the most interestingly written Pinkie Pies yet.

Christina Rice crafts a pretty simple story at the beginning. Here we have Princess Celestia enlisting Pinkie Pie’s help in building the ultimate cake for Princess Luna’s birthday party. What follows is a fun, emotional read. Why do I use the word emotional? Pinkie Pie is generally portrayed as the cheerful character, and rarely sad or having deep conversations with others. So when we see that side of her come out, it’s very engaging. Christina shows us Pinkie’s vulnerable side as the latter tries desperately to make what the Princess wants come out perfect. This leads to some heartfelt dialogue between the two which I believe is the first time they have actually talked like this to each other. The story also has one of the most heartfelt scenes in MLP yet involving Luna.

Jay P. Fosgitt always provides unique visuals, even though I’m not a huge fan of the style. The ponies look almost like chibis, which of course some might like. For this particular story I think the style actually works pretty good. Pinkie Pie has some great facial expressions to complement this more emotional portrayal. Heather Breckel delivers solid coloring as usual. The main cover by Amy Mebberson is a fun one, showcasing a very happy Pinkie (not sure why she’s holding a wrench) in Canterlot attire with Princess Celestia in the background. The subscription variant by Fosgitt is a humorous piece, and sure to bring a smile to any onlooker.

Overall, a fantastic issue of Friends Forever. Pinkie Pie is written in an almost new light, and it’s great seeing her interact with the Princess. All the other characters bring something to the table, including the fun royal chef Chase. This is for sure a must-read for any MLP fan.