@Pagan  

 
@PathfinderCS
 
Well, for the bittersweet ending, you can always pretend it ended a page earlier with him being sucked into the prison with the rest of the Umbrum to pay for his crimes.

@Background Pony #974B  
Exactly.

SPOILERS FOR THE ISSUE BELOW:
 
Personally, I think that all the problems could be resolved if, instead of just being 4-issues long, the arcs had at least 5, if not 6 or more issues to tell their story. That way, things can build up, side-stories can also get their spotlight, and the main story can be all the more juicier.
 
To be honest though, I didn’t really have a problem with “hijinks combat” being the way that the ponies defeated the Umbrum. MLP has never really been a series, or even a franchise for that matter, where super-serious combat would fit in. It’s why the King Sombra War of Attrition timeline and the Everfree Resistance Timeline in the Season 5 finale felt so out of place and jarring. Part of the series’ themes though is also that such super serious fights don’t necessarily always work. Just look at Twilight’s DBZ-style battle against Tirek; they quite literally leveled mountains, trying to beat each other to a pulp, but it wasn’t in anyway shape or form effective. Only when Twilight did the non-combative thing, relying on the magic that her friendships with her friends and Discord unlocked, could she actually defeat Tirek. In the same way, any time anybody tried to take on the Umbrum in a serious fight, they would lose, because the Umbrum have the monstrous mindset necessary to be effective serious fighters. It’s only when the ponies play on their strengths, using unconventional methods and “outside the box” thinking, that they are able to effectively stand a chance against their more serious enemies.
 
As for Sombra’s redemption, I don’t really think it’s so out of left-field as it might come across initially. Starting from the Fiendship is Magic special, the IDW writers made it very clear that Sombra was not happy being the villain, but felt that he had to be because of destiny. He never actively chose to be evil himself, he just went along with it because, as is so often the case in the world of Equestria, “destiny said so”.
 
In many ways though, this issue just helped cement the idea that Sombra is basically an Alternate Reverse-Hellboy to me. Just like Hellboy, he was created by a race of monstrous creatures in order to help them escape their prison, and like Hellboy he was able to defy his destiny because of being loved by someone who told him he didn’t have to be the pony Beast of the Apocalypse. The only difference is that unlike Hellboy, who was raised from birth by his adoptive human father and the humans around him with that love and only learned about his dark destiny well into adulthood, Sombra had that knowledge forced onto him from a very young age, and except for Hope didn’t really have a loving support network to reassure him that he could change his destiny. It was only when he was confronted by the fact that Hope hadn’t become a princess, that she had chosen not to for his sake, that he realized that he wasn’t bound by destiny either.
 
And true, a LOT of people are going to complain that Sombra should have been allowed to die when the Crystal Heart activated. But the problem with that is that it would have been just as jarring and out of place with the series themes and tone as a serious, LOTR-style battle with the Umbrum had been. MLP overall takes a very Undertale-style route when it comes to antagonists; very rarely does the series portray that it’s okay to kill someone or let someone die, especially when they’ve demonstrated that for all their antagonism, there’s actually a good person inside of them somewhere. It’s why the final fate of that Minotaur Land Developer (being eaten by a Hydra) in that Heart of the Forest arc is so jarring. Because it doesn’t fit the rest of the series. In the same way, allowing Sombra to die from the Crystal Heart, when he had like Hellboy finally chosen NOT to be the monster everybody and he believed himself to be, would have been too jarring and too much of a downer. Sombra was just as much a victim of the Umbrum as everybody else had been, and while that does not absolve him completely of responsibility of his actions, he was still manipulated into becoming a monster. And when he realized that he didn’t HAVE to be a monster, he chose not to be and do the right thing. Why then would the writers let him die, ESPECIALLY in a series that is meant for younger audiences? Enough fiction already has downer and bittersweet endings as is (trust me, having grown up with a father obsessed with opera, I know that better than most), why would you want to have something super-depressing like that in My Little Pony: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC of all things?
 
Besides, just because he was given a new, fully pony body, that doesn’t mean he’s completely forgiven. He and Hope will probably never be welcomed back into the Crystal Empire again, if by no one else than by the citizens. And their quest to restore Princess Amore is basically a Penance/Redemption Quest, a common theme in old Medieval and Renaissance lore of crusaders, knights, pilgrims and kings. Which, let’s face it, is the best outcome for them, because at least this way, Sombra and Hope can be together, like they always wanted to be.

@Pagan
 
I won’t agree or disagree for the time being. This ending really caught me off guard and…I just don’t know what to think of it.

@PathfinderCS  
They ruined Sombra at the end of this arc they woobied the hell out of him.

@Background Pony #9775
 
Simply put I am loving the arc because I just find it to be enjoyable and a fun ride up to this point.
 

@Evowizard25  
Not if Rabia is in control and has the higher authority due to being the Big Bad over Sombra.

Umbrum, even Sombra sees through this obvious stalling ploy. Of course, Sombra’s an actually intelligent villain for the most part. Perhaps you should let him do his thing.

@Background Pony #9775  
Let’s hope things get resolved early on in Part 4 as I want to get the spoilers out of the way once they are on Derpibooru and find out what happens to Twilight and Cadence ASAP before I go pick the comic up myself.
 
The sooner I know about their fate in being given the Medusa treatment by Sombra, the better.

@PathfinderCS  
how are you loving it? there are so many asinine contrivances going on that it is ridiculous.
 
The first is that the villains really do not work as villains at all. Cause only chrysalis was, and she fucking left the story last issue. So she was meaningless.
 
The second, Sombra is not nearly powerful enough to beat both of them. Hell the show showed this by having a war spop up rather than Sombra defeating celestia, or celestia beating sombra. Out of the three first timelines, sombra’s was the only one celestia was not beat…… Albeit in chrysalis case we all know it was just luck and a trick and not much else.  
So its more liekly he is on par to celestia in power, meaning he is far weaker than two of them. And chrysalis is much weaker than the regal sisters, meaning her presence would be meaningless. In the comcis we saw Celestia OWN chrysalis in a single blow. Also Cadance’s asbence was also asinine. She could have compeltely turned the tied.
 
We even ahve plot convenience with Cadance getting caught. True he had the umbrum at his side now, but cadance HURTS him and the umbrum with her magic. They even stated it last issue.
 
The worst of all though is sombra not having his theme of darkness and fear. He set up many layers of traps and spells, most of which caused fear, yet here he is somehow just turning everyone to fucking stone. Not even crystal, but stone. Why? And as i stated before, there is no way he is powerful enough to turn two alicorns to stone at once. And celestia could have just repelled the spell with a magical shield.
 
I will say the hope and sombra stuff is interesting and they made a pretty damn good backstory for sombra. and the umbrum are legitimately unnerving.  
But everything else about this comic is just so forced.

i’m also wondering is Radia sombra’s mother

@PathfinderCS  
Yeah, I’m more interested in what happens once Cadence and Twilight are brought out to the Crystal Heart’s dais as there are so many options that could happen that either result in the Royal Sisters-in-law joining the Royal Sisters and Shining Armor in stone sleep or not.

As much as I am loving this arc, the Umbrum here definitely seem to be making a bad choice here. Of course Sombra is still as awesome as always, but his shadowy relatives could use a lesson in “Not Pulling A Chrysalis.”
 
In any case while it isn’t dampening my enthusiasm for the comic; I would’ve preferred them to be a bit more intimidating, but I will wait for the full issue before offering a full opinion here.

@cheezedoodle  
Yeah, not to mention when he tries to tell Radia that he’s on to Twilight’s plan, she cuts him off as she tells him to bring Radiant Hope as well, not knowing she still has the Crystal Heart with her.

@Krek
 
That’s what it seems like, from this brief glimpse.

@Krek  
My thoughts exactly. He’s nothing more than a puppet ruler since Radia has the authority as the Big Bad. However, he does know that Twilight, being the tactical mind she is, is luring Radia and the others into a trap, but can’t speak up about it before being silenced by Radia.
 
Possible Heel-Face Turn looming for Sombra?

@voodoo91  
He could be reduced to puppet ruler, with the Umbrum truly in charge.

I’m wondering whose in charge here. If Sombra is emperor why is he going along with this when he clearly thinks it’s a bad idea?

Yes, take the advice of your enemies. That makes perfect sense. Holy crap is this retarded.

@TricornKing  
The problem is there is no conceivable way he could jsut turn two beings who BEAT HIM to stone so easily. It is asinine contrivance. There is no lesson to learn, they are more powerful than him together. And even if he did learn, it would not be as simple as turn em to stone. Else that is what Celestia would jsut do in every encounter.
 
Also pretrification is a retarded thing for him to do considering his themes and powers are fear, darkness, and crystals. They do not even take into account theme with this idiocy.

@dynamicv  
the heart cannot be destroyed. especially by dark magic which it burns away.
 
kinda like what cadance can do and the comic writers were too stupid, drunk, or high to think of >_<

@Krek
 
Sombra’s “but-” points to this being very likely. Maybe the next page will start with Sombra getting into an argument with them.

@Background Pony #9775  
Who? The Umbrum underestimating Twilight’s tactical planning, or Twilight and Cadence’s hopes that their attempts to stave off joining Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor in a stone sarcophagus will fail?
 
And what about if Sombra pulls a Heel-Face Turn that leads to a Redemption Equals Death for him?

I’m wondering if there’s gonna be some friction between Sombra and the Umbrum, if they decide to give him orders or supersede his own.

@TricornKing  
I think one possible reason the Umbrum would not have factored in that risk: I don’t think they are aware that Hope still has the Heart. IIRC the mission they gave Sombra was to destroy the Crystal Heart, then free them from their prison. They probably assume since Sombra is alive and the Heart is gone that he must have destroyed it.
 
Can’t really say for sure until the full comic is out though.