Heather Breckel

You know things are pretty bad for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when Shredder, an evil ninja who is literally dressed in knives, is the least of their worries. That's the situation in the first issue of IDW's TMNT: Amazing Adventures, in which Cluckingsworth, a super-intelligent mutant chicken from their time at April O'Neil's family farm, has returned to New York City and is apparently bringing a whole lot of trouble with her. But while that is certainly a pressing concern, Landry Q. Walker, Chad Thomas and Heather Breckel's lead story isn't the only thing worth noting, because this is also the issue where we finally get to see the Ninja Turtles in a story by James Kochalka.

Listen, I don't know if you've seen the two My Little Pony: Equestria Girls movies, but I have, and I can tell you that they raise a whole lot of questions that they never get around to answering. Not only is it an alternate universe where the world's friendliest horses are (relatively) human students at a high school, but they also occasionally magically transform into winged half-horses in order to fight actual Satans. And now, it seems they also have the Holidays. This is the revelation at the core of next week's Equestria Girls Holiday Special by Ted Anderson and Tony Fleecs and Heather Breckel, in which Sunset Shimmer -- she's the one who turned into Satan -- is spending her first Christmas with her new friends, and folks, if you were hoping this would answer some of the questions you had from the movies, I get the feeling you're out of luck. On the other hand, it's a story of Holiday Friendship, and there's a good chance that someone will turn into a demon.

Listen, I like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic a lot, but if there's one crucial flaw in the entire franchise, it's that it's not about superheroes. I mean, honestly, I like friendship and peppy songs as much as anyone, but how am I supposed to enjoy those things in comic book form if they do not also involve using phenomenal powers to concuss evildoers? Fortunately for me, that problem has been neatly solved by writer Ted Anderson (also known as NPR's Chief Brony Correspondent), artist Ben Bates and colorist Heather Breckel, in the pages of next week's My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Annual 2014. It seems there are now pony superheroes and, more importantly, thematic pony villains who are dressed as hot-rod mummies. Really.

It wasn't that long ago that the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic animated series did an episode all about the joys of reading. It's a good lesson for the kids, but it does raise an interesting question about just where you go with literary themes once that's done -- especially in the MLP comic, which is presumably already being read by children who enjoy, you know, reading. Well, if you're Hea

You ever fight a giant crab for its treasure map with your pirate crew of magical ponies from another realm? If your answer is "no" -- and if it isn't, we envy you greatly -- then IDW's My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #14 is probably fit for your consumption. The concluding chapter in a two-part "X Marks the Spots" adventure, the new issue by Heather Nuhfer, artist Brenda Hi

Surprising absolutely no one, I've been having a lot of fun reading IDW's My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic comic, and what the second arc lacks in David Bowie references, it certainly makes up for in action. Now, it's heading into the climax of the story, in which Ponyville is preparing to do battle against the Moon. That's right: The friggin' Moon.