Are the comics more serious than the show?

[ShadowSJG 62]

I was wondering, do they have a more serious tone than the show? I saw these things called Umbrums and they actually look pretty creepy. Overall, how is the comic's tone?

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

Chrysalis flat-out murders someone in an early issue:

 

[ShadOBabe 18,984]

Definitely has a higher count of intense moments in the show. But many times the concepts the writers come up with involving characterization have flat out enraged me. So I avoid them. But I know plenty of others enjoy them.

Edited February 3, 2018 by ShadOBabe

[Megas 27,066]

The comics has the tendency to do things the show is often afraid to do, and work with serious subject matter. At the same time they also have a tendency to do things so so so badly, often at the expense of the characters, and instead manage to churn out real dumpster fires in that attempt to try to be serious(see EQG Holiday Special, Spike and Luna Friends Forever, the Bull and Deer arcs, for starters)

[Ganondorf8 11,118]

The comics do handle certain topics that the show cannot do for obvious reasons though don't expect such topics to be delved into on a serious note. Much like the show, the comics are for a targeted audience so some liberties are taken into consideration.

[Jeric 46,835]

Generally speaking, they try. Some arcs delve deeper into villain backstory making things more nuanced and poignant (Sombra and AU Sombra). That said, the show does go into serious and mature territory (mature meaning meaningful and complex) such as Perfect Pair, Flight to the Finish, Amending Fences, ECT) and when it does, it usually nails it more often than not. 

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

51 minutes ago, Whompy Whomperson said:

Spike and Luna Friends Forever,

 

I actually liked that one quite a bit; Dragon Town and Mina FTW.

 

52 minutes ago, Whompy Whomperson said:

EQG Holiday Special, the Bull and Deer arcs,

 

But yeah, I agree about those sucking.

[Steve Piranha 28,782]

At time, mildly frequently the pony comics do more serious things that the show won't ever do

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,152]

The problem with the comics is that when they nail it, the NAIL it. When they bomb, though, it's pretty bad.

A good example of an arc hitting both strides would be "Siege of the Crystal Empire." They really get Sombra right, the story between him and Radiant Hope is one of the best things from the comics period, the umbrum are both amazing and completely horrifying, Queen Chrysalis is a fun bad-ass, and the art is amazing as always, but then you have Rabia doing a villain dumb with Twilight & Cadence, the ending fight is a joke with the CMC and Mane 6 family being involved, the ending has never fully satisfied me, the angle with the secondary villains was suddenly dropped, and Iron Will's inclusion is questionable at best.

In the end there are plenty of wins with the comics that do the serious bit just fine with "The Return of Queen Chrysalis" and "Reflections," but completely lose it with other stories. I still enjoy the comics overall, but yeah; the misses are obvious.

[The Bad Ass Echidna 29]

Twilight cussed one time. It was censored tho. By a food with meat in it.

[AlbaTross 1,581]

Yes and no.  The comics are more restricted in some ways, but have more freedom in others, and that can sometimes manifest itself in stories with slightly darker tones over what the show sometimes offers (and the show can get pretty dark at times).  It depends on the writer.  The comics, much like the show, vary in tone depending on who writes them and what kind of story is being told.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

The comics have more freedom to have darker tones, such as the return of Sombra a couple years ago and the "Reflections" arc, which is STILL my favorite arc of the comics. Much like @AlbaTross mentioned, it depends on the writer of the comic. Still, at times, the comics can be dark.