The majority of this issue is a flashback to before issue #1. Which...yeah, that's a solid idea. Building up WHY Izzy is feeling left out a little is a good idea. I...just don't think this issue goes QUITE far enough to make her feel totally left out for this entire arc, but the idea's a good one, on paper.
We missed seeing the Pie Festival. Oh, what antics we could have had.
Nose-boops are alive and well. I am pleased.
Sunny and Izzy have a special smoothie they made together: the Dreamy Creamy Peanut Butter Starbow! I don't drink enough smoothies, so most of these smoothie jokes are going to go over my head.
Sunny gains a entourage after becoming a alicorn. And Izzy feels left out, since Sunny's spending a lot of time flying without her. (To be fair, if *I* got the power of flight, I'd probably be flying a lot, too). Now, I know a lot of people take issue with this. And...yeah, I guess most of the time Izzy would be 100% be in denial mode for stuff like this...but I still think it's a fair plot line. And...IDW REALLY committed to it, at least. Can't fault them, there.
Izzy gets the idea to decorate Sunny's smoothie cart and she's off like a flash. There's some good cartooning in Izzy's reactions in some of these panels.
Note: Izzy has a industrial-strength glitter blaster...and she knows how to use it.
"Even smoothies deserve to feel cozy". Izzy's making smoothie sweaters. I honestly expected more gags, based on the covers.
Oh, and Izzy's helmet and skates have stickers for the G4 Mane 6's cutie marks, that's a cute touch. I can't help notice there's not a butterfly sticker for Fluttershy, though. Even Applejack gets a apple! I guess maybe the pink hearts are for Fluttershy? Also, 20% Cooler makes a return. It's almost retro at this point.
Okay, the smoothie cart is clearly based on the toy and the cart Sunny used in the original New Generation movie. Not the smoothie truck she has in the majority of her other appearances. I'm just so used the the TRUCK I guess I forgot the CART even existed.
Some of Izzy's new smoothie flavors are very...Izzy. "Eggplant Extravaganza". "Wasabi Whammy". "Grape Garlic Gusher". "Jalapeno Blast". I am both scared...and yet tempted. I kind of want to try some of these flavors. And there's a few cute non-flavor-related gags on the cart. "Now with more SMOOTH". "Guaranteed real fruit 89% of the time". It's just a shame that these are really the only Andy Price style background gags in the comic.
There's NO WAY anyone other than Izzy can match someone's perfect flavor to their sparkle/aura, at the time. This was just a excuse so Izzy would have to hang out with Sunny AT ALL TIMES...and fair enough.
"Did you read my mind?" "No, unicorns can't do that...OR CAN WE? OOOH!" Izzy's face. Andy Price still sneaks in a few classic "faces" in here.
Ahh, poor Izzy. Sunny kind of rejects most of Izzy's decorations, and new flavors, since...I guess her dad helped her invent some of the flavors. Argyle made smoothies, too. Was there anything that stallion COULDN'T do? Sunny likes the new apron, though.
"I just think about that letter I found when I was a little filly. It said I had a friend in Maretime Bay and I actually got to meet her! Magic or no magic...And now I just miss her."
GEEZ, IZZY, UGH MY HEART!....laying it on thick with the feels! That one got me!
Oh, and one more parting shot of Discord with the...wrong Pegasus Crystal, actually. The Pegasus Crystal here is colored purple, like the fake one in Queen Haven's crown. The REAL Pegasus Crystal is actually blue. But...that's a BIG nitpick. It's pretty easy to get the two mixed up. Especially, if you're using the toys as reference, as MIGHT have happened here. Maybe we can just blame it on the lighting.
Discord's also in his G4 look, but...for some reason I find that less off-putting than the crystal mix up? Discord can change his appearance at will, most times, after all.
