Hello & welcome back to Trotting Through Life. And today, we continue our Great and Powerful Retrospective as we look at the 37th issue of Friends Forever as we look at what happens when Rarity and Trixie team up for Sapphire Shores. Now, this comic is a bit interesting as it takes place after the season 6 finale, and we see a different side of Trixie. As Trixie isn't so much the egoist that we've seen in previous blogs as she really is trying to better herself here. In essence, this comic is showing someone that realizes their faults from the past and wants to better themselves but realizes that they have a hard road ahead of them. True, we did get a taste of this in Manehattan Mysteries but that is really the central focus of Trixie's character in this comic. And with Rares, you do get a tinge of distrust, even though Trixie had just saved her from the Changeling Queen and they both helped each other out during Manehattan Mysteries. Whereas the Rainbow Dash and Trixie comic was more focused on comedy, the Rarity and Trixie comic is focused more on character and this is perhaps the first time that I ever felt bad for Trixie as this comic strips away the theatrics from the showmare and shows how fragile she is and that she understands that her past actions may have it harder for people to trust her. Even if it does appear that she has proven herself but at the same time, one good doesn't equal being a good person err pony (the diamond dogs used people in the last comic, so I think I can get away with person). Now, I've touched upon Trixie's role in this issue but what Rarity's? Well, we will come to that as we look at the comic.
Cover
While this cover isn't as good as the Dash and Trixie, I enjoy it as it has very cinematic flair to it. And I should also touch on the logo as this is the brand new MLP logo that is being used in advertising up to the movie. And I really like the look of it as it's a really cool looking logo.
Staff
Jeremy Whitley - Writer
I'm pretty sure that I've looked at comics written by Whitley before and I've enjoyed most of his writing and here with Trixie, I really like how he gets to the emotional core of Trixie and makes you almost weep for THE GREAT AND POWERFUL one.
Agnes Garbowska - Artist
Garbowska returns once again as the artist for this issue and as always, her art is a treat to the eyes.
The Plot
We open on Rarity and Sweetie Belle arriving to Manehattan from the Friendship Express and we learn that Sweetie is going to spend the weekend with Babs. And that Rarity is there to help Sapphire Shores with her show and she is performing at the Madison Mare Garden. We see that the show is a bit of a mess and that apparently Sapphire sold out the original venue and needed to go somewhere bigger and apparently, Sapphire decided that she needed to go bigger and better. Including Rarity's costumes and Sapphire needs to be a cohesive visual experience. So, that means that Rarity is going to need to work with Sapphire's new special effects wizard. And that's when Trixie makes her debut in this comic and yeah, Rarity doesn't take to this idea.
Rarity: No! No
Sapphire Shores: Rarity?
Rarity: Oh No No No No No No. This isn't happening.
Rarity: Nope. This is a terrible idea and I'm not going to be responsible for any part of it.
Sapphire Shores: Rarity, what's going on with, you? This isn't like you.
Rarity: Do you know who this pony is?
Rarity: The first time I met Trixie she used her magic to embarrass my friends and me.
Sapphire Shores: But you can forgive that, right? I thought generosity was your thing?
Rarity: Oh, absolutely except that the second time I met her she trapped my entire town inside a glass dome and ruled over us as an iron-fisted dictator!
Sapphire Shores: Wow, that's a lot to forgive.
Yeah.... I love Miss Rarity but as we will see this isn't the right to approach this as this is a professional visit and Rares should put aside her past with Trixie to deliver what her client needs of her. And as we will see, Trixie tries to prove that she's changed.
Trixie: But I've changed. That's not me anymore.
Trixie: Sapphire, I absolutely did all of those things that Rarity says. I made a lot of mistakes and I admit that.
Rarity: Hmph.
Trixie: But I have done my best to become a better pony. I've changed my ways. I made friends with Starlight Glimmer. I even helped save the day.
Trixie does bring up a good point about helping to save the day, so that lets us know that this takes place after season 6. Sapphire is willing to give Trixie a chance but Rarity can't exactly let go of the past. And look as much as I love Miss Rarity, this comic isn't exactly painting her in the best light. But Sapphire still wants the two of them to work together. As the comic goes on, we see that Rarity wants to work alone and isn't willing to let Trixie have any input. Trixie even suggests that they could make Rarity's dresses to match that the fireworks that Trixie has planned. We see time and again that Trixie is turned down as Rarity gives her the cold shoulder. And Trixie tries to hid this by saying that THE GREAT AND POWERFUL one works better alone. We then get a montage of them working on their individual projects and while Sapphire seems impressed with Rarity, it appears that Trixie isn't exactly quite ready. Everything starts out fine and it seems things are going well and this is where we get a heartbreaking moment as Trixie delivers an inner monologue that almost brought me to weeping for Trixie.
It's okay, Trixie. Don't let it bother you. Not everyone is going to forgive you. It's not their job. You just have to keep being better. That's your job. Okay, here comes the crescendo. Time to shine.
As I discussed with Whitley in the staff section, he tears away the theatrics from Trixie and shows us that her past still haunts her and that she is trying her to atone for the sins of her past. I would actually love to see more of this side of Trixie in the TV show as this perfectly shows how Trixie and Starlight make such a good pairing as friends as they both are atoning for mistakes that they've made in their past. And as much as I love the egoistical third person talking Trixie, I like seeing the layers stripped away and seeing that there is more to Trixie than the flair that she puts on for show. I don't want to say that she's damaged but she knows that her past will still haunt her and that makes me weep for her as she wants to put her past behind her but some ponies won't let her do that. Whether or not, they are a representation of who she was in the past or they still hold a bit of resentment and can't find it in them to forgive her for her past actions, even if Trixie is trying to better herself. And in regards to this comic, Rarity is a physical representation of both of those things. This is one of my favorite Trixie moments and while we did get something like this in No Second Prances, I think this comic handles it better.
Getting back to the story at hand, there is a problem as the dresses that Rarity made caught on fire and Sapphire Shores is about to fire Trixie as Sapphire tells Trixie that others warned about hiring her but Rarity comes in to stand up for Trixie and admits that this was as much her fault as Rares treated Trixie's part of the performance as being less important. Sapphire, at that moment thinks that she should fire both Rarity and Trixie but she can't afford to lose them. So, they're both given a second chance to work together. And they work together this time. And with the two of them working together, the show goes off without a hitch. And they both leave and we see Rares picking up Sweetie Belle to head home.
I love this comic and what it did for Trixie as it showed there was more to her than we get to see with her loud and boisterous personality.
Characters
Trixie
Trixie was easily the highlight of this comic as we get to see a side to her that is rarely explored and one that really should be shown more as you see that she truly wants to be better and wants to atone for her past but it isn't easy as there are many reminders of the pony that she used to be. It truly broke my heart seeing Trixie in this state.
Rarity
Yeah, this comic isn't presented in the best light in this comic but I understand why as we need something to represent Trixie's past and Rarity was an apt choice for that and for Rarity, her role seemed to be that of looking past what Trixie has done in the past.
My Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this comic and I will most likely come back to it again and I think that is the best use of Trixie that we've seen with her trying to atone for her past. I really would like to see more stories like this using Trixie in the future. Especially, in the show proper as I think you could get a lot out of stories like this using Trixie. Join me next time as we conclude this retrospective by looking at...
Trixie and The Razzle-Dazzle Ruse
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