In about another week, the final issue(that we know of) of IDW's MLP G4 comics will be released and it's...uh, been incredibly rocky to follow to put it lightly. A real rollercoaster, the comics have put out both some of the absolute best, and some of the absolute worst the generation's had to offer. The comics have gone through a lot whether through original stories, sequels to episodes, the movies, Equestria Girls, specials, events, and crossovers all with varying degrees of success. So I thought to look at where it succeeded and where it failed. Just putting this out there, I am putting some of these in the same categories if they fulfill the same purpose

MAIN SERIES BEST - ZEN and the Art of the Gazebo Repair

Honestly the best way I can describe this comic is that it's basically a harem anime staring Big Mac. Both the most fun and one of the funniest comics in the entire run, this two-parter does a lot to make Ponyville feel alive and characterize a ton of little used characters at the time like Big Mac, Fleetfoot, Princess Luna, etc., as Big Mac gets entangled it all of Ponyville's wild shenanigans when he's just trying to do some errands, as well as earning the eyes of several mares like the aforementioned Fleetfoot and Princess Luna, among others. And when he's not getting into love pentagrams, he's finding himself getting caught up in whatever crazy things Zecora, Photo Finish, or Sapphire Shores are involved in.

"You know what? Spazzy Luna is fun in small doses"

MAIN SERIES WORST - The Good, The Bad, The Ponies

What was billed as a western themed two-parter, this has....some of the worst and most baffling characterization of Twilight the comics have had to offer, having some out of nowhere moral code over using magic against citizens(which really goes against a lot of things in the show) refusing to do anything about the antagonists, the Cattle Rustlers, who are destroying AJ's missing uncle's town(whom they've come to look for), as well as beating the shit outta AJ. Also the only way the manage to defeat is through a loophole turning a barn into a historic landmark, and using it as an excuse to arrest the antagonists when they destroy it.

Oh and they never find AJ's uncle

"Sorry about you're broken ribs, but!...."

MAIN SERIES MOST DISAPPOINTING - Reflections

While not as bad as the comic above, Reflections is...rather infamous for hyping up a mirror universe where the Mane 6 and the princesses are evil and the bad guys are good and Shining Armor has a sub fetish(think Transformers' Shattered Glass). Okay that last one isn't real, but point is the mirror universe was built up and advertised as the main selling point and, uh, they barely do anything with, with all of the attention going to a lame romance between Celestia and Mirror Sombra who's virtually perfect in every way. Also there's a really dumb moment where it's revealed Celestia had mirror Luna replace the real one when she was banished as a coping mechanism

"You know, I'm really tempted, but I'm not going to"

 

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Alright now we're getting to the Micro series, which is honestly a line I wanted to like more, but it's one where half of the comics(more painfully, 4 of the mane 6) of the issues are honestly kinda bad

MICRO SERIES BEST - Rarity

Arguably the best comic under the main team of Katie Cook and Andy Price, this issue deals with Rarity learning to appreciate the hippy life. It's really puts Rarity's generosity at the spotlight putting up with a lot of the hippie ponies antics in order to help them save their business, and not only does she succeed, she helps them become a huge hit with the Canterlot Elite. Fun fact this comic had to undergo several changes due to it's similarities with Rarity Takes Manehattan, which is also considered one of her best episodes

"You guys knew exactly what you were doing here"

MICRO SERIES WORST/MOST DISAPPOINTING - Rainbow Dash

IDW early on didn't exactly, uh, like Rainbow Dash, and some of those early issues didn't really hide it, and I think the fact that her Micro Series comic was the only one to be outsourced to someone outside the country really highlighted that. I don't think he thought much of the MLP audience given how many memes, pandering and references dominate the comic's dialogue, to the point where it's distracting and just comes off like a really bad 4chan post. RD has to deal with some annoying cloud gremlins who are making Ponyville miserable and for some reason this is RD's problem alone(seriously the Mane 6 apart from AJ are absent), yet the townsfolk give her a lot of shit throughout for being unable to do anything about it, with only AJ and Tank being the only ones willing to help her. Rainbow Dash and the Very Bad Day that came out years later pulled off a lot of what this did better and I wished that one was her Micro comic instead. Unfortunately this was the only comic RD would have to her name for the longest time until Friends Forever #6 which I also think was much better

Also there's a moment that either feels like a reference to or stealing an idea from Double Rainboom, which explains a lot

"We have so much in common in all the worst possible ways!"

The Micro series would end with Issue #10 with Luna, and would be replaced with Friends Forever, and I got to be honest, Friends Forever has to be my favorite MLP Comic linw

FRIENDS FOREVER BEST - Rainbow Dash and Soarin

This one holds a special place in my heart, and yeah, you're gonna hear me gush about this one, even disregarding the old SoarinDash shipper in me. Coming out in between S6 and S7, this was one of the first comics centered around RD's status as a Wonderbolt and goddammit I still wish this was an official episode, this comic deals with one of the Wonderbolts, Soarin trying to find his place on the team(as well as his strained relationship with Spitfire following the events of Rainbow Falls) after a big screw up by doing a dangerous mission to receive and deliver some medical supplies, and Rainbow Dash is sent to both help Soarin out both on the mission and emotionally as well as help mend his and Spitfire's friendship. While it's a great comic for Rainbow, serving as a bridge for both Soarin and Spitfire to patch things up, this comic does so much more for both Soarin and Spitfire, whom both needed a better showcase for their characters after colossal missteps like Rainbow Falls and Newbie Dash, and this comic(along with an earlier FF comic featuring Spitfire), does a lot more for both of them than the show ever did. While one could argue there are better comics in the Friends Forever line(Rarity with Babs Seed and Gilda, Spike and Celestia, AJ and Mayor Mare, Twilight and Big Macintosh are all strong contenders to name a few), I think I needed a comic like this, especially after how much of a disappointment Newbie Dash was(comic came out sometime afterwards)

"Derpy, expert flier. For reals!"

FRIENDS FOREVER WORST - Pinkie Pie and Applejack

Oh, um, this one is really weird to describe, and not in a good way. This is the very first issue of the Friends Forever line, and to be generous, it's, pretty bad. It centers around a baking contest that AJ and Pinkie are a part of(though AJ's only in it as a mistake), but you wouldn't know that if you read it because that aspect feels like an afterthought, focusing instead on an original character who wants them to help her win(this becomes a bit of a problem around the middle portion of the FF run). Then the main villain is an edgy looking Fluttershy recolor who wants to ruin everything because she legitimately got screwed out of entering the competition, then after constantly trying to re-enter and failing she goes crazy and starts freezing everyone until AJ, Pinkie and the OC manage to freeze her, and somehow this gets the OC a victory in the competition. This comic is probably the worst out of the lot purely from an objective standpoint, the art is bad, the story is bad, the dialogue is bad, everything is just....bad. It probably the least bad of my least favorite comics entirely because it doesn't piss me off or offend me like a few select other comics in the entire run, or even among other bad comics in the FF line alone.

"STAY OUTTA MY....wait...."

FRIENDS FOREVER MOST DISAPPOINTING - Rarity and Trixie

Man, this one hurts, you'd think having two of the most over the top and hammy characters in G4,(and Sapphire Shores!) would be prime for one of the funniest comics ever, yet it's potential is completely squandered, mainly due to how it not just puts Trixie's questionable past into the forefront(despite being set after the S6 finale), but how portrays Rarity as being incredibly hostile towards Trixie throughout most of the comic even though they got along just fine throughout most of the Manehattan Mystery two-parter a while back. Just Rarity treating Trixie like shit for a majority of it, I don't even like Trixie much and I felt bad for her!

"Sources say Trixie is just hanging around catering until her contract expires."

SPECIAL/ANNUAL/EQUESTRIA GIRLS BEST - March Radness

To say EQG had it rough when it came to the comics is putting it lightly, as much of the worst comics in the entire run have been related to EQG. Put fairly enough the final comic ranks among one of the best. Instead of focusing something big or """"complex issue""""(we'll get to that later), this comic instead decides to focus on a trio of simpler stories carried by the antics of the girls and they all work really well. The first story focuses on the girls getting into detention over a series of misunderstandings, and it's eh, but harmless enough. Surprisingly enough, for this comic 2 of the 3 comics has RD as the focus, both of which are some of her best appearances, with one focusing on her trying help AJ out with chores while also making it to a Daring Do book signing(that also challenges their friendship), and the other with RD getting a bruised ego and questioning her place among her friends when she falls short of her friends in all the events in a sporting competition(who would have thought an EQG comic would be the one to pull that story off for once?). Also pulls off being a better RD focused story than her own special, as depressing as that sounds

"She may or may not be yelling at Opal"

SPECIAL/ANNUAL/EQUESTRIA GIRLS WORST - Holiday Special 2014

yeeeeeeeaaaaaaah. This one, this fucking one, no one likes this one, no one likes talking about this one. You want a comfy Christmas story with all the little girls. Well NOPE, here's a badly done story about cyberbullying, how they Mane 6 reject Sunset over something she didn't due, how they make the CMC complete monsters that almost destroy Sunset's life and the Mane 6's friendships only to get a slap on the wrist about it. This one is just a complete miserable experience and easily one of the worst things all of G4 has ever put out

"Fluttershy after RD tells her she's gonna be in this comic"

MINISERIES/CROSSOVER BEST - Transformers x My Little Pony II

Yeah, I'm probably biased, but these were a lot of fun. And while I enjoyed the first one a ton(along with having the best Spike story with his teamup with Grimlock), I still think the second one was a big improvement simply by the insanity of the pair ups here made it a lot more fun, with a lot of the ponies teaming up with the Decepticons this time around. Rainbow Dash and Starscream! Rarity and Knockout! Vinyl Scratch and Soundwave! Sombra mind controlling Megatron and half the mane 6! Mane 6 Action Masters! The series does lots of digging and putting not only G1 Transformers in the spotlight, but those from the likes of Prime and Cyberverse as well with the likes of the aforementioned Knockout, as well as Prime Breakdown and Cyberverse's Slipstream and Shadow Striker. Heck the only thing I really have to complain about is the lack of certain characters I would have wanted to see like Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Blitzwing or Astrotrain, to name a few.

"C'mon I never said I didn't want to be in that Pony crossover, just that I was too cool for it!"

I think it does speak highly of how I feel about this comic when the worst things I can say are just personal nitpicks. Maybe with the teaser at the end of the second one, some of those characters might be able to make an appearance. It's clear that this crossover was something some people there have been wanting to do for the longest one. And, uh, you know, if they make a pt 3, and continue to dig into other continuities, I wouldn't mind seeing Animated get some love like Bulkhead or the aforementioned Blitzwing, or, and this might be sacrilege, but maaaaaaaaaaybe a couple of Bayformers characters like Barricade or Blackout

"Now kiss!" "We don't have mouths!"

MINISERIES/CROSSOVER WORST - Generations

Oh man, I know this one still isn't done, but I really don't see how it can be salvaged at this point. Despite being billed as a crossover between My Little Pony G1xG4, the G1 ponies themselves don't show up until issue 4, that issue doesn't make it sound like they matter much in the the end(and OH BOY that preview for issue 5 isn't doing this thing any favors), instead they've been putting so much of their efforts on the School of Friendship and how hard its been for everyone, a trio of edgy ponies making a mess of things in said school, and a pair of really human villains that look like they came out of a rejected EQGxJEM pitch. And that's not even getting into the artwork which is filled with traced artwork, from both official and fanmade sources. This feels like the complete opposite of the other crossovers, a really obvious and fun idea for a crossover, but the end result comes off as if no one involved wanted to work on this.

"Accidentally based"

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And, this is a lot shorter than I was expecting, probably because I skipped out on a few categories and grouped some together, and I'll be real, there's ton of stuff to follow here, and given how much of a rollercoaster this comic line is, with some stellar highs along with some startling lows, some I failed to mentioned like Neigh Everything, Nightmare Rarity, or Manehattan Mysteries(for greats), or things like Accord, Cosmos or Season 10(preeeeetty bad), and as much as some of this blog might give off, this isn't meant to come off negative. While I think the comics have had more lows than the main show has, they never hadn't driven me away like the show ever did, I stuck by it until the end, and if I'm being honest, I do think sometimes the comics did get more hate than they deserved. As much as I do criticize it's big arcs, much like the show I do think the comics shined a lot more at the simpler stories, and I do hope that when they get to G5, I hope they mainly stick to what made the original comics because not only do I think that's what the series is best suited, but because I think that's one of their bigger strengths