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@soundtea
 
Actually I just checked the timeline, it turns out those two references were in issues that came out the month after season 3 ended, then two months after respectively. Soon enough that they would have to have been added in before the episodes aired, but published after the season was done.

@soundtea  
True, but the same could be said of those early comics: Sleepless in Ponyville was the halfway point of season 3 and was the first season 3 episode to possibly be referenced in the comics. Wonderbolt Academy’s was the first blatant, non-arguable reference.
 
There could be something S5 related in the Luna/Discord comic maybe.

@dynamicv  
Although by then the season will already be over half done.

@soundtea
 
Well the comics did have one thing from season 5 before it even aired: Babs’ interest in hair styling. Probably something they got from the season 5 material that was sent to them during production.
 
Back when the comics first started, they came out right as season 3 was starting, so obviously they could only tie-in to things that had already aired in seasons 1-2. Later issues had small references to episodes that came out just weeks before (Sleepless in Ponyville in Nightmare Rarity, Wonderbolt Academy in Rarity Micro Series, and Power Ponies in the Bookworm arc for example) but with the HUGE season 5 hiatus(es) it’s possible that timing references was more difficult and Hasbro decided to wait. I predict that season 5 specific material will begin showing up in the comics after the Siege Arc.

@dynamicv  
It still feels pretty disjointed from the show itself given that pretty much nothing is referenced at all. It’s kind of one of the major weaknesses of the comic in general. There’s no ongoing storyline of its own given that completely different writers are in each 2 issue arc, and nothing gets referenced to previous ones unless its the exact same writer, and that’s a big if.
 
The comic staff want their thing to be seen as a sort of EU to the show, but nothing from the comics has even made a peep in the show itself. And things from the show and later things like the books contradict the comics sometimes. I’d just like it if the comics would declare exactly what they are: An EU, an alternate continuity thing of sorts?
 
I’d honestly think it best if IDW made like an actual Power Ponies series, whole new thing to play around in, still pony, and dont worry about having to dance around Hasbro guidelines.

@soundtea
 
To be fair, there is plenty of wiggle room for these comics to take place “between episodes”. We saw Tank go into a season long hibernation in episode 5 only for him to be back 8 episodes later.

@dynamicv  
No, but it seems they’re going to use that nebulous gap for all its worth. And it cant even be that long in the first place given the apparent in show time between Twilight’s Kingdom and Cutie Map. Seems like a week or less tbh.

@soundtea
 
The Discord/Luna and Spike/Zecora FFs seem interesting.
 
I heard rumors the Discord one is about him being guilty after his betrayal of the ponies in Twilight’s Kingdom. I’m guessing the comics coming out now were written to be in-between seasons 4 and 5. Has anyone noticed any references to season 5 yet?

@cheezedoodle  
Good luck with that. It got shot down because she isnt popular at all.
 
I’d honesltly like to see more FFs with none of the mane 6 making up the pair.

@Itsthinking  

 
Who?
 
 
(overused joke, but I noticed in 90% of reaction videos of Twilight’s Kingdom, the viewer remembers all the rainbow key characters but him)

@cheezedoodle  
Few people remember she was even a character. You might as well have an issue with Silver Shill.

@Itsthinking
 
The first FF was Applejack & Pinkie Pie, the second one was CMC & Discord. Obviously no restrictions or obligations regarding featuring Mane 6 characters.
 
This was the official description when it first came out:
 

@soundtea
 
I think it’s more just to focus on any two characters rather than having to drag an ensamble cast in like the main series.
 
For the record I would like to see a little strongheart issue.

@soundtea  
Nah, he’s openly said several times that it isn’t “the point” of FF. Which is understandable, really.

@cheezedoodle  
Isn’t that the point of FF though, to showcase the minor pairs between characters, usually unexpected pairings? Doing stuff like a Dash X Fluttershy FF feels boring, given that we already know for a fact they interact a bit. I find FF works best when you pair a minor character with one of the M6.

Curnow does do editing on the comics. In the artist interviews it’s been mentioned that he’ll remind them to add wings or horns here or there when missing, things that we might take for granted.
 
I am annoyed when spelling and grammar errors and wrong character names get through, but it’s nothing i’m going to pitch a fit over.
 
As for the plotlines, well, it’s still targeted primarily at kids, but intended to be appealing to all. For a story with a minor character to get the focus of an issue, I think it would have to be a pretty compelling story. I like Mayor Mare (I don’t dislike any character, actually), but I don’t know if she’s a good main character for a comic.

@Itsthinking  
I think because of the potential it opened up with AJ’s character. Everyone thinks (I always felt so too) that she’s set for the rest of her life with her farm unlike Dash and Rare with their development arcs. The idea that she could eventually grow as a character and get into public office of all things was interesting and actually felt believable for her the way it was done. Plus, it was a great look at her potential as a character both presently and in the future that didn’t revolve around her family or farming at all, something the show really needs to do more of.

@Background Pony #C324  
Shame it sold so poorly, it really did have a lot of interesting stuff about it.

The AJ/Mayor Mare show was one of the first (and last) FIM comics I loved in a really long time. Other than the minor stupidity with the fruit/vegetable townspeople spell, it would be something I’d love to see in the show, and it says a lot about how much I liked the overall story that I was able to overlook that stupidity.

@K_A  
Nah, it was probably mainly due to star power. Spike and Luna gets more readers at first glance than AJ and the Mayor.

@K_A  
Nah, sales really don’t dip, it’s usually 15k for FF and 20k for the normal series. However, they’re not afraid of using popular concepts to boost sales, hence the Flutterbat arc selling 25k.
 
They’re controversial wherever you go, yeah. But someone’s still buying them.

@Itsthinking  
That FF was a great issue. Sales were dipping because people have become disenfranchised with the comics as a whole. I’d be pretty disgusted if the current arc shows otherwise because that would indicate to me things I’ve feared for a long time.

@K_A  
Well when Curnow wrote the story that he wanted to write (when he actually decides to be a writer,) sales were below average.
 
People would rather read about Luna over and over again instead of reading about Mayor Mare. I’m honestly surprised that she got a FF at all.

@K_A  
You have a comic that’s a ripped off B Movie plotline just to turn the entire Mane 6 into bats.
 
What do you think?

@Itsthinking  

 
Wow. Could that be construed as anything other than an admission they are more interested in pandering to what’s popular in the fan mainstream than in telling a good story?