IDW Thread (Spoilers)

@dynamicv  
Most comics, especially capes, have something called consistency. You kind of expect Evil Superman to be just as strong as Superman unless the writer puts in that Evil Supes is weaker or stronger. The same applies to other comics and should in this one.
 
They could have gone an easy route and say Discord got turned to statue you see in the second issue and Sombra can’t do anything about it.

@441TheSecond  

 
So, because the story sucks, you refuse to acknowledge elements of the story.  
Rejecting those elements is what makes that story suck for you to begin with.
 
It’s a circle. No way out I guess.

@dynamicv  
No, the story failed because I found Celestia’s characterization to be unappealing, the plot unfocused, Sombra to be boring, the villains unconvincing, and the whole thing poorly paced, with no moments where I had any emotional reaction other than fustration.
 
Since the meat of the story failed, all the details surrounding it started to crumble, and I just saw plothole after plothole after plothole.

@Background Pony #D4A3
 
I remember Discord and Chrysalis were busy in another part of Equestria at the time. That’s one way to remove them from the story.
 
And before you call it lazy, just remember that it’s the very same solution many on this board had suggested to fix the terrible Western arc.

@dynamicv  
Except Discord can teleport literally anywhere.

@dynamicv  
Well Twilight isn’t Dr. Manehatten. She’s still a limited pony compared to Discord. Discord could just snap his fingers and summon chocolate rain if he feels like it. He can also time travel into hundreds to thousands of years ago. Twilight’s limit seems to be a week. I could buy Chrysalis because she’s not Q.

@441TheSecond  
Hence the “busy”.
 
 
@Background Pony #D4A3  
There simply is no proof alternate Discord could have instantly solved everything.  
He doesn’t, therefore we must conclude that he didn’t because he can’t.
 
Didn’t you say consistency matters? Well if we must always expect Discord to be able to solve everything whenever there is trouble the show will get pretty stale.

@dynamicv  
Normal Discord is supposed be like Q. He generally doesn’t care enough to. He would much rather have them solve it themselves and learn from it. He also loves toying with Picard if I remember correctly. Sounds familiar?
 
Captain Goodguy? Considering he’s dressed as a superhero, it kind of gives you the idea he cares to save the day. Considering the major problem is just two people, he could solve this pretty easy. That’s kind of the problem with this comic and not doing things like other comics do. They generally get the Good version of the villains killed and have them mentioned as a casualty. Considering murder isn’t something I would expect in an mlp comic, they could just say he’s captured and powerless.

I really hope that Sombra is shown as a bloodthristy, merciless mercenary warlord who conquered the Empire by crushing it’s armies in battle and defeating the Crystal Princess in single combat in his story. That or having him be her personal bodyguard (akin to the Varangian Guard) who betrayed her, despite having a close relationship with her for reasons that only himself knows.

@Background Pony #1A2A  
I just hope that they don’t fuck it up.

Welp! Read Reflections!
 
It was….not as bad as everyone said. Certainly cant call it good either. The whole thing just felt “eh”, like that movie you just watch and forget later cause it was so remarkably average.
 
I mostly came out of it feeling disappointed. It felt like the foundations of a good story were there, but not utilized. Like the Observer, he should have had a bigger role in the thing. Maybe tell Celestia something big is coming, prompting her to go. The story needed more revision.
 
My biggest disappointment was that Mr. Goody two sombras had to stop what looked like was going to be an epic showdown between Celestias.
 
Dammit handsome Sombra!
 
Biggest question was; how in the holy name of the great squid god Cthulhu did Sombra use the Elements?
 
 
Good points: the jokes were cute and I liked the interactions between Twilight and Good Sombra. Yay character development. I also enjoyed the scenes with Good Sombra and Celestia, even if their relationship needed more development. And lastly Moddatruckin’ Trex Shy!

@Princess♠Molestia  
Your lack of suffering makes me frown.

@441TheSecond  
I’ll give my suffering next time I read a recent Frank Miller book.

@Princess♠Molestia  
Nah man, I want everybody to suffer over Reflections just as much as I did, I’m the second lamest supervillain ever, after Evil Celestia, of course.

@Princess♠Molestia  
I think the reason Sombra can use the elements is just through raw magic ability.
 
I mean, despite everything we know about how the elements need several ponies with friendship in their hearts to wield, we also know for a fact that Celestia once used them completely on her own, and that moving the elements through portals can also affect how they work apparently (Sunset Shimmer anyone?).
 
With that in mind, it doesn’t seem so far fetched that certain ponies can wield the elements alone in certain conditions. Possibly only at a lower potential than the mane 6: Celestia could only banish Luna, but the mane 6 had the full power to reform her. And Sunset couldn’t wield the crown for very long.

@dynamicv  
Well, if that doesn’t sound like the perfect recipe for infinite asspulls….

@PonyPon  
Good thing the elements are fused to a tree now.

@dynamicv  
I can’t say I like it, but what we’ve seen in the show does back up the theory.

@dynamicv  
If only that stopped them.

@dynamicv  
Glad that they got rid of those Deus Ex Machinas.
 
So that they could introduce the new Deus Ex Machina.

@PonyPon  
Well that’s the show’s problem now. I don’t think we will see the Elements of Harmony in the comics ever again, except maybe in some flashbacks. If any of the villain comics feature their defeat by Celestia they could also appear, but that wouldn’t be an ass pull since the show already established that her and Luna used to use the Elements on bad guys.

@PonyPon  
Unexplained McGuffin doing asspulls every single time? How unusual.

@dynamicv  
You know what I wanna see? Celestia beating bad guys.
 
In the present.
 
Actually, she doesn’t even need to beat them necessarely. What I’d REALLY love is for her to trick them into a Pyhrric victory.

What’s with the mane 6 covers?

@Whatevs  
Just alternate Day of the Dead inspired covers.