In Which order should I read the MLP comics?

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

Which order should I read the MLP comics, and can someone guide me through by describing basically what each comic serieses's are about? (is there a chronogical order between them?)

(please don't tell me to grab whatever I get my hands first. I'm so overwhelmed) Did some of these were published during the same period side by side?

• My Little Pony : Friendship is Magic
• My Little Pony : Micro Series
• My Little Pony : Friends Forever
• My Little Pony : Fiendship is Magic
• My Little Pony : Nightmare Knights
• My Little Pony Equestria Girls prequel (pretty self explanatory)
• Power Ponies comics (this one too)
• Fall of Sunset Shimmer
• EQG 2014 Christmas Special (this one too)
• MLP 2015 Christmas Special (this one too)
• My Little Pony : IDW 20/20

Edited November 2, 2019 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Megas 27,683]

A lot of them are mostly standalone comics, there are some groups of comics, both as side stories(Knightmare Knights, Spirit of the Forest, Feats of Friendship, etc.) and in the main series(Return of Chrysalis, Nightmare Rarity), but for the most part there really is no chronological order

The Main Series is pretty self explanatory, it's just the main comic line where most of focus is on

The Micro series is a group of 10 comics that highlight one of the main characters(The mane 6, CMC, Spike, and the Princesses). Unfortunately half of them(mainly the mane 6 sans Rarity and Pinkie) are pretty shit

The Friends Forever is sorta the same, except this time it focuses on a duo of characters rather than just one, This one allowed to focus on some one shots and offered for some really odd, yet neat and fun dynamics(Rainbow Dash and Trixie, and Rarity and Babs Seed come to mind). A couple of issues were pretty weak(The first issue with AJ and Pinkie, and just about every time they decided to focus on some shitty OC instead of one of the advertised characters) it was actually pretty good and consistent, it's probably my favorite side series. It also has the best appearance of the Wonderbolts Spitfire and Soarin

Fiendship is Magic is like a Micro Series for villains, though only the first two are good, the rest, especially the one with the Sirens, are pretty weak

Knightmare Knights I actually haven't seen, but from what I've heard it's pretty good

Legends of Magic is a line based on The Pillars, and expands on their characters when the show failed to do that, the annual was also very good

Spirit of the Forest is a side story based on the CMC, where they try to prevent the destruction of a special forest by a construction company trying to a new residence. Unlike the Reindeer arc in the main series, it's nowhere near as bullshit and preachy with its environmental message

Power Ponies is an annual based on the Power Ponies, as in the actual characters, not the mane 6 dressed as them. It also features a group of villains led by Mane-iac. It also has the one good use of the EQG universe in the entire comic run

EQG has barely been used in the comics, just the Prequel/Fall of Sunset Shimmer and the Holiday 2014, and both have been awful, the absolute worst in the entire line, and this is coming from someone who loves EQG. Just...just please avoid them at all cost. It's really clear most of the staff at IDW hate the series and don't care to put any effort in them

The other two Holiday Specials, 2015 and 2017 fare better. 2015 is just a collection of christmas stories with ponies, but they're cute for the most part. 2017 deals with the commercialization of Hearth's Warming, and the Flim Flam Bros are villains, just for that I already dislike this one, but after the EQG Holiday, it's still a marked improvement

Annual 2016 is the Guardians of Harmony issue. It's a blatant ad for the toyline. Some decent artwork but it has 6 paper thin stories. Then the last two stories are drawn by Fosgitt and it looks shit. I don't even hate the guy's art like most but he can't do action scenes to save his life

20/20 is a really comfy time travel story of the main 6 meeting their younger selves

Again, I'd like to add, these are all stand alone, there's really no order to tackle these

[TBD 17,254]

• My Little Pony : Friendship is Magic- ongoing. I would suggested starting with these since they have about more than 100 issues. Plus that’s where S10 will take place. 
   
• My Little Pony : Micro Series: Completed. Short series similar to the episodes. 10 issues.
   
• My Little Pony : Friends Forever: Completed. A series of similar to friendship is magic IDW, if I remember it involved other ponies beside Mane 6. I would start with that next aside with MLp friendship is magic. 38 issues.

 

• My Little Pony : Fiendship is Magic: Completed. a short series of different villains; Tirek, King sombre, NNM, sirens, and queen chrysalis. I would read that aside later if you want to take break with the main series for awhile and learn more about the villains. 
   
• My Little Pony : Nightmare Knights: Completed. another  short series to read for fun. Princess Luna form a band of former villains (Trixie, Stygian, Capper, and Tempest) To stop Eris, Discord’s cousin from selling her magic in the wrong hand. This one I like personality. 7 issues.

I would also check out MLP legend of magic series too. It’s the pillar’s origin story. Completed. 12 issues 

the rest here is not a series but a one issues, I would start them last.

• My Little Pony Equestria Girls prequel (pretty self explanatory) 
• Power Ponies comics (this one too)

• Fall of Sunset Shimmer
• EQG 2014 Christmas Special (this one too)
• MLP 2015 Christmas Special (this one too)
• My Little Pony : IDW 20/20

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

@Kiryu-Chan @TBD Dayuum. Those were really detailed explanations. What are you guys, nerds?  Just kidding, thanks a lot. I appreciate it. Way more informative and helpful than I expected. Now I have something to look forward about FiM after the show's end.

[Ganondorf8 11,316]

You also forgot to mention 'Feats of Friendship' which is currently on-going. This three issue mini-series focuses on the Student Six and was written by Ian Flynn. If you've read the Sonic Archie comic from 2006 to 2016, and the new Sonic comic from IDW, you know who Ian Flynn is. All I can say about this one is how it adds to the overall lore of the series though I cannot say anymore without majorly spoiling it.

[Misty Shadow 7,902]

Definitely start with Friendship is Magic first. Everything else is just side material that occasionally ties in with the main series, but you don't need to know of what happened in the side stories to understand the main stories. I understood Siege of the Crystal Empire perfectly before I read Fiendship is Magic. 

[EpicEnergy 23,218]

I'm not sure as I haven't read the comics before, I guess you should start off with the ones that were released the earliest.

[Megas 27,683]

On 11/2/2019 at 9:34 AM, Megas said:

EQG has barely been used in the comics, just the Prequel/Fall of Sunset Shimmer and the Holiday 2014, and both have been awful, the absolute worst in the entire line, and this is coming from someone who loves EQG. Just...just please avoid them at all cost. It's really clear most of the staff at IDW hate the series and don't care to put any effort in them 

I can finally add to this positively, March Radness is actually a pretty dang good comic on it's own and easily the best EQG comic

[AudBrony 0]

On 2019-11-02 at 9:37 AM, TBD said:

• My Little Pony : Friendship is Magic- ongoing. I would suggested starting with these since they have about more than 100 issues. Plus that’s where S10 will take place. 
   
• My Little Pony : Micro Series: Completed. Short series similar to the episodes. 10 issues.
   
• My Little Pony : Friends Forever: Completed. A series of similar to friendship is magic IDW, if I remember it involved other ponies beside Mane 6. I would start with that next aside with MLp friendship is magic. 38 issues.

 

• My Little Pony : Fiendship is Magic: Completed. a short series of different villains; Tirek, King sombre, NNM, sirens, and queen chrysalis. I would read that aside later if you want to take break with the main series for awhile and learn more about the villains. 
   
• My Little Pony : Nightmare Knights: Completed. another  short series to read for fun. Princess Luna form a band of former villains (Trixie, Stygian, Capper, and Tempest) To stop Eris, Discord’s cousin from selling her magic in the wrong hand. This one I like personality. 7 issues.

I would also check out MLP legend of magic series too. It’s the pillar’s origin story. Completed. 12 issues 

the rest here is not a series but a one issues, I would start them last.

• My Little Pony Equestria Girls prequel (pretty self explanatory) 
• Power Ponies comics (this one too)

• Fall of Sunset Shimmer
• EQG 2014 Christmas Special (this one too)
• MLP 2015 Christmas Special (this one too)
• My Little Pony : IDW 20/20

Do you have links to the first issue of fim is magic? I’m a bit confused on which one is which? I’m confused on the idw publishing website. Thank you!

[AudBrony 0]

On 2020-07-21 at 7:38 PM, Soundwave said:

I can finally add to this positively, March Radness is actually a pretty dang good comic on it's own and easily the best EQG comic

Do you have links to the first issue of fim is magic? I’m a bit confused on which one is which? I’m confused on the idw publishing website. Thank you!