It's been a while since we took a look at one of the old Friends Forever issues. Time to fix that!
This issue features Spike and Luna as they head to Fillydelphia to solver a dragon conflict. If you'd like to know more than that, check out the review after the break. But beware... it's Spoilertown.
This was an interesting issue. A story that tried to present a wildly different view of Equestria and tackled some very mature ideas. The story so intrigued me that I did a video review. Rather than repeat myself, I shall direct everyone towards the vid:
However, there are some additional thoughts about the ending.
I admire this comic for presenting concepts like racial profiling without singling out real-life groups. The dragons do not appear to reflect any specific group, and yet all can recognize the injustice done against them. This certainly makes Equestria look less idealistic, but we've seen ponies interact with other species poorly and I think this is something the ponies should have to face. Ideals mean the most when they are challenged.
The third option solution is more difficult. If the comic made a dragon the villain or shifted the blame to a pony, I have little doubt that part of the audience would denounce the story. A third option is able to resolve the issue without burdening either party with the ultimate blame. Although it's also worth noting that the Fillydelphia police are overdue for some policy revision.
However, this story is trying to tap into a real life issue, and real life does not always give us a third option. I don't know the factors involved in this decision and so I can only comment on my own reaction. Understanding that either outcome would generate controversy, I would still prefer an answer that delivered a hard truth. Perhaps an amoral pony who used the dragons as a scapegoat and is captured and tried by his fellow equines. Or a dragon who was indeed what the ponies feared, but is offset by the dragons who are willing to help.
Yet this story is also meant for the young. And at that age it's a question of how much you can throw their way at once. Perhaps the outcome is less important than the conflict itself. That when the situation was uncertain, it was far too easy for the ponies to blame an outside group rather than seek the truth. That is a cautionary tale that I can encourage and I hope that parents could use this story as a means to frame a conversation with their children.
Or maybe it's just a fun read with interesting characters and a setting the show has not yet explored. Either could work.
I'm Silver Quill. Thanks for reading!
Silver Quill on Twitter
DeviantArt
DeviantArt
