We've no new comic to cover this week, but the franchise has never left us wanting for a topic!
A recent promo dropped some hints as to the Legends of Magic series and how it will tie in to the show proper. I'd like to share some of my thoughts on that.
Check out the full editorial below but be aware that this will have spoilers for both the comic line and season 7!
Folks who have read my review for Legends of Magic #2–4 (for which I am very grateful) likely saw a trend. Each time the legendary protagonist entered the story, Sunburst or one of his guest stars would speak of the well-known legend. Well-known to ponies, anyway. We the audience were in the dark.
Still not sure if this is historical, legendary,
or Starswirl's fan fiction?
or Starswirl's fan fiction?
Each time I said I hoped we'd get to experience the central legend. We were witnessing the life after the legend, which was an enjoyable and arguably a more realistic take (minus the Greek tragedy aspect) but the question of the central legend still nipped at my thoughts.
Applebloom: Tell us the story of how you single-hoofidly saved Equestria, Applejack!
Rarity and Rainbow: Say WHAT?
Rarity and Rainbow: Say WHAT?
Then comes the trailer for Campfire Tales, which confirmed ideas fans had put forth in the comments and confirmed by Brenda Hickey. The Legends of Magic series ties directly into season 7's episodes. This makes me think back to something I said during my review of MLP The Movie Prequel #1.
I love the Storm King's presentation here, but it shouldn't be a substitute for the movie's portrayal.
Cross-media continuity is a very effective and powerful marketing tool. If done right, it can stir the public's interest and generate revenue outside the central product. Every time a Star Wars movie comes out, fans clamor for tie-in books, production pieces, comics, and anything else that might fuel the interest. Yet at its core the focus never wavers from the movie's central story. My greatest concern with cross-media stories is that the focus will split as well.
The greatest faceoff that never actually happened!
One of the worst examples I can offer is Halo 5: Guardians. Long before I was a Brony, I was a Halo fan. Yet even my attachment to this series could soften the frustration with the latest game. At the heart of it all is a lack of investment in the new protagonists, Fireteam Osiris. As a team they have no identity and as individuals they have next to no personality. The one exception is Buck, who serves as comedic relief and is mostly known for appearing in an earlier game. And being voiced by Nathan Fillion. Can never forget that.
Don't worry if you can't name them all. It's not important!
Where was the backstory on these characters? You'd have to watch a TV movie, read several books, and buy a small library of comics to find out! Here's where the cross-media falls apart. Halo 5 outsourced history and characterization to tie-in materials. It offered next to nothing on their backgrounds until the final battle, at which point it was too late to care. The game banked on you being so devoted to the Halo franchise that you would already know the backstories, and thus it took its audience for granted. It didn't make you want to know more about these characters because it assumed you'd already studied up.
Behold the great revelation that a character in a fictional universe has... parents!
Okay, to be fair, I once thought the Apple family were just pod ponies.
Okay, to be fair, I once thought the Apple family were just pod ponies.
Contrast that against the .Hack series, which likewise made heavy use of tie-in material. The central focus was the video games and the campaign against a fictional game world. Yes, it was a video game about a video game. Meta.
DLC without the download!
Each game series had a lead-in anime, and in some cases follow-up specials or manga. In some ways this could seem like the franchise was holding the story for ransom. You couldn't know the whole tale unless you paid out for more than just video games. Yet the focus was more balanced so that each medium, though part of a greater story, was self-contained enough be satisfying. Maybe we didn't know the whole story from just playing the game, but you had a enough to feel like the game was invested in your time.
What's an adventure without a dragon or two?
Yes, I think our entertainment can treat our own time with a certain respect. Self-contained stories say, "I know you've got a lot going on, so I'll make this story worth your while." Others might convey, "This is way more important than whatever else is going on in your life, so here's some homework".
This dude remains my favorite story thus far.
Which brings us back to Legends of Magic and Campfire Tales. Would my opinion of these comics change if I had already seen the episode? I'm sure it would have an influence, though I can't say how until I see the actual episode. Yet I never read these comics feeling like I'd gotten a poorer story. I was tempted by the central legend, but I enjoyed learning about what came after. In particular I enjoyed Rockhoof's tale as he achieved his dream and then nearly lost it. These comics follow the idea that person's life is more than just a singular event. Much like real history, they're known for a specific moment but many are fascinated to know what helped shape the event and what happened after.
These guys didn't get much more characterization than Fireteam Osiris.
But they were far more heroic and expressive, so I still hold them in higher regard.
But they were far more heroic and expressive, so I still hold them in higher regard.
I think Legends of Magic is doing a good job of balancing the temptation for more media versus the satisfactions of a self-contained story. Each issue has promised further adventures, but none has coasted on the presumption that we'll keep coming back. These comics do put forth the effort to earn our time, and I continue to enjoy the combined talents of Jeremy Whitely, Brenda Hickey, and Heather Breckel.
Still admire how much she appreciates true beauty.
Yet I caution my fellow fans to be watchful. I read the comics out of enjoyment, and I appreciate when the stories attempt to weave in with the show's arc. The concern is that these tie-ins never become required reading. Should that happen, some of the fun goes away. I've read many literary classics throughout high school and college, but they were never as fun or engaging as the stories I chose to read.
In a situation like that, all you can say is...
Well, this sphinx!
Well, this sphinx!
The greatest test is to ask, "If I hadn't read x, could I still enjoy y?" We can actually apply that to the show already. The Mane Attraction made a passing reference to Pinkie Pie managing the Ponypalooza Rock Concert, detailed in G.M. Berrow's Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party! It's a nice shout-out to all the fans who read that story, but the episode doesn't hinge upon it. You can enjoy the episode while being completely oblivious.
All those who chose to oppose his shield must yield.
I'm betting Campfire Tales will be in a similar vein. If you haven't read Legends of Magic then I'm confident the excitement of the central legends will still spark an interest. If you've already read the comics then you have some added anticipation. We'll see how the stories all weave together.
You should see her tell a piano pony to play her a song.
There is only other question. By the time Campfire Tales airs (which assumes we don't have another early-release media blitz), issues 2 through 5 will have been released. That's 4 stories split between 3 sister pairs. Some tales seem obvious. Rainbow Dash would surely talk about Flash Magnus, and I can see Applejack celebrating Rockhoof's accomplishments.
The only wildcard is whether Rarity and Sweetie Belle will talk about Somnambula or Mist Mane or both? Just something more to anticipate as we await the upcoming new episodes.
I'm sure we'll revisit this topic again down the line, and we'll have more pony-centric material for examples. I'm Silver Quill. Thanks for reading!
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DeviantArt
DeviantArt
