MLP books/graphic novels

[Sunset's Shimmer 394]

Hey everypony!

 

I'm thinking of getting some MLP books for a 3 hour plane trip, and I want something to read. I'm considering getting some of the graphic novels, guidebook to the elements of harmony, the tales of two sisters, or the Daring do collection.

 

Anypony have any suggestions?   I'm looking more into the book side of things, because I tend to breeze through comics... but if the comics are popular or highly suggested I might go with them.

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

The comics are really good and have some great story arcs and artwork.

[Blue Moon 6,341]

Hi ,

 

While your thread does belong in Sugarcube Corner, I have moved it to Comics & Books to be more specific.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I have yet to read the books myself, though I am considering checking them out in the near future, but I do like the comics. If you get a graphic novel, you should have enough material to last most of the plane trip as there are four issues in the regular volumes. There is also the Adventures in Friendship series, if you are looking for a graphic novel themed around a particular set of characters and they are hardcover, but you only get three issues per volume of that series. I'd recommend either starting from the beginning with volume 1, or doing some research and getting a story arc that sticks out to you. Actually, there is an omnibus of the first 12 issues of the mane series, and to my understanding it's not that much more than the original price of just the first volume (which contains only 4 issues). If you can blow through issues quickly, an omnibus might be ideal as I'm sure that will last you through the entire flight, and then some.

[Sunset's Shimmer 394]

I have yet to read the books myself, though I am considering checking them out in the near future, but I do like the comics. If you get a graphic novel, you should have enough material to last most of the plane trip as there are four issues in the regular volumes. There is also the Adventures in Friendship series, if you are looking for a graphic novel themed around a particular set of characters and they are hardcover, but you only get three issues per volume of that series. I'd recommend either starting from the beginning with volume 1, or doing some research and getting a story arc that sticks out to you. Actually, there is an omnibus of the first 12 issues of the mane series, and to my understanding it's not that much more than the original price of just the first volume (which contains only 4 issues). If you can blow through issues quickly, an omnibus might be ideal as I'm sure that will last you through the entire flight, and then some.

 

So, I was looking online a while back and found multiple comic series, I'm kind of confused as to which I should start first or if it matters...for example I and found:

Mlp 

Mlp: pony tales

Mlp: friends forever

and Mlp: fiendship is magic

 

Now is there any crossover between those comics? Or should I read a specific series first? Is there any plot arcs that span multiple volumes?

[AlbaTross 1,586]

So, I was looking online a while back and found multiple comic series, I'm kind of confused as to which I should start first or if it matters...for example I and found:

Mlp

Mlp: pony tales

Mlp: friends forever

and Mlp: fiendship is magic

 

Now is there any crossover between those comics? Or should I read a specific series first? Is there any plot arcs that span multiple volumes?

So far there are no ongoing story arcs in the comics. There are arcs that span at most 4 issues, but if you get the graphic novels, story arcs tend to be all included together. Theoretically you could jump into any arc of the comics without being lost, especially if you're already familiar with the show. There are no crossover arcs between series, and I'm glad because that's one of my pet peeves with comics in general. At most, I read an issue in the mane series that made a reference to a Friends Forever issue written by the same author, but it was in the vein of the style of references used throughout all forms of FiM media where you wouldn't even know a reference was made if you didn't get it.

 

As for your other question, the comics just termed MLP are what I like to refer to as the mane series, but that series doesn't have an official name to distinguish itself from the rest of the series. This is the original comic series that has been running since the comics first started. If you decide you want to read all the comics in order, this is the one to start with. It started with 4 issue story arcs, then alternated between 2 and 4 issue arcs, and in about the past year has started to include one-off issues that don't tie into a particular arc. Pony Tales is the name for the graphic novels of what is termed the Micro Series. It ran for 10 issues, and is a series of one off stories starring one character or group. The mane six each have one, as well as Spike, Princess Celestia and Luna, and the CMCs. Canon wise, both it and the first 12 issues of the mane series are pre-Twilicorn while the rest is post-Twilicorn. So, omnibus 1 which contains issues 1-12 of the mane series may not be a bad place to start.

 

Friends Forever is kind of the spiritual successor to the Micro Series. It consists of one-off issues starring two characters or groups. The pairings range from traditional, such as two of the mane six, to random, such as the CMCs and Discord, or RD and Trixie. It's a fun series that revolves around the novelty of certain pairings and every issue stands on its own, as the case also is with the Micro Series. Fiendship is Magic is the collection of a 5 issue mini-series that gives backstory to some of the villains from the show and EQG. Like with the Micro and FF series, each issue is a standalone issue. Adventures in Friendship is a series of hardcover GNs that contain only 3 issues each and draw from two or more series, and are generally themed around a couple characters. They supposedly contain extra artwork and stuff, and they do look nice, but that series doesn't appeal to me as a completionist who likes to collect all of the issues. Still, they don't look like a bad buy if you want a book that's a little bit nicer and themed around certain characters. I think that covers all of the comic series you might see online. I hope this helps.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Tross

[Daring_Do 552]

The Chrysalis Fiendship issue is sort of a sequel to the first story arc of the main series, though - and apparently the next arc of the comics is going to be a sequel to

a couple of the Fiendship issues

 

 

Also, sometimes the collected volumes, for whatever reason, don't include the little sequel/side stories drawn and written by Katie Cook - Or if they do, shunt them all to the back of the volume, even when I feel this ruins the effect (the ones from the Reflections arc look to have been meant to be read one after each issue, not all at once at the end...)

 

Best bet comics-wise, if you ask me, is to buy the individual issues as digital comics (via comiXology, for example, or the official MLP Comics app). (The one exception would be Vol. 1 of the main series, which seems to include an exclusive Katie Cook side story that doesn't seem to be in the individual issues). Here's a list of the comics in release order (I haven't updated it to include the more recent issues yet) - The different series do occasionally reference each other. http://pastebin.com/nTJS2zez

 

BUT: Considering this is going to just be reading material for a plane trip, you could get into the comics later and for now read the Daring Do books. I personally liked those. On the other hand, the boxed set is pretty pricy, and I learned just the other day from Tross here that they're going to be selling them individually at a cheaper price starting next year. So I'll leave the decision there to you.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Daring_Do