Adventure Time: Finn SC (KaBOOM! / BOOM! Studios – Pope, North Stevenson, Pearson, Brown)
It’s Adventure Time with Finn! Embark on the most mathematical journey imaginable by diving into tales all about the best human in the Land of Ooo. From playing retro board games to facing down foes, Finn’s shenanigans are perfect for fans of all ages.
Collects the best Finn centric stories from Adventure Time, Adventure Time Comics and the Adventure Time Specials!
Boom Studio’s latest Adventure Time: Finn comic created by Pendleton Ward, based off his immensely popular cartoon network TV show Adventure time. The comic tells many adventures and stories of our main protagonist Finn and his friends from the Land of Oh. The comic doesn’t just contain one story, it shares several jam packed, creative, and hilarious stories, all with different styles of writing and illustrating written by multiple talented people including Ryan North and Jeoffrey Brown. As a hardcore fan of the recently canceled lighthearted action drama, I was very excited to see that even after the show is gone, it is growing strong in a new platform, comics.
Going into it with a prior knowledge of the storyline there were a few key elements that any Adventure Time story should have, lighthearted joking, singing, a fun adventurous story, pop culture references, a hint of mystery, and a break in the 4th wall. I have not read the other comics from the adventure time series, but I have seen every episode of the show. So, I was worried that a contribution to something that has long since passed, may be lacking key elements of the show and loose the feel of the show. However, I was proven wrong and this did not disappoint! Instead of having one long storyline there was a new story every few pages, each focusing on a different aspect of Ooh or one of the characters. There were tons of pop culture references including this quotes like, “Are you not entertained?” from Gladiator. Although the franchise was originally thought to be made for kids, most of the jokes would be missed from anyone younger than 15.
The comics are made for both harcore fans and for someone who’s just getting into the franchise. For example, when the first story begins we are introduced to our main characters and iconic setting of Ooh for beginners. However, there were also several moments throughout each of the heroic tales when the writers broke fourth wall and characters referenced to old episodes and comics. This unexpected humor connects to hardcore fans like myself, and even those who have not read it still understand it, but it leaves a special connection for those who have. Even in the comics, Ward still captures the iconic feel of the show and included a song. Each of stories were easy to follow, yet after every frame left me wondering how it was going to end. There were elements of the show from all 11 seasons and it kept the light hearted action spirit of the show. It felt like I was back to when I could turn on the TV and a new episode would be on.
I also appreciate the art in Boom Studio comics because as soon as you start reading you can tell instantly that it is a Boom Studio original. As in their other comics, the transitions provide a bit a break to take in what you just read, and always have an interesting way to keep the reader interested while giving them something new. This is an iconic piece of a Boom Studios comic. I love that every chapter was in a completely different style/medium. It allows several people to express their ideas relating to the same characters in their own way that most audiences have not seen. When I choose this comic I was not expecting to see so many styles that stray away from the original content. However, normally this would not be something I am happy about, but see so many creative talented people create stories fitting to the show through manga, watercolor, digital, hand drawn, and the original style. One of my favorite stories was “Finn’s Sandwich” by Jeffrey Brown. The cover art done by Benjamin Marra before the story began was stunning, and that itself took my breath away. What I really loved about “Finn’s sandwich” was the style, simplicity of the story, and the subtle hints back to the show’s storyline. Even though the story only spans a few pages, quality counts more than quantity.
This was a fun continuation of the globally popular series that launched many artist and the network into the world of pop culture and gained a cult-like following from people of every generation. The artwork was amazing, and including many people with different storylines was a great decision resulting in something that not only diehard fans could appreciate, but new ones too.
