Adventure Time – Simon & Marcy #4 (KaBOOM! – Olson / Fabert) –
Simon and his Ice King persona are fighting for dominance, and if Simon wants to keep control, he’s going to have to face truths he’s long buried, and come to terms with his own guilt and regret.
Adventure Time Presents Simon and Marcy #4 is the latest comic in KaBOOM’s revamping of the Adventure Time series. This time, Simon must face his alternate personality, the one he tried so hard to escape from. Will Simon be able to face his greatest foe: himself? Or will the no good Ice King be able to take over his personality once more? Now that I am fully invested in this series, I wait with anticipation between each comic BOOM! Studios releases. I never know what is going to happen next to our band of heros. One of my favorite characters, Hunson Abadeer, returns ensuring the comic will be a success. This time will he be able to face his actions from the last comic? Once again, the story is created by a very talented few who pour everything they have into making this great series. This includes the talented voice behind Marceline herself, Olivia Olson, illustrations by Simm Fabbert, letters by Mike Fiorentino, cover by Brittney Williams, and many more talented people. After the way our heros left off last time, fans will not be expecting what comes next. Like always, KaBOOM has brought us a jam-packed adventure-seeking thrill ride, filled with unexpected twists and turns.
Comic book art can range from simple to complicated to overly complicated, but the art from Simm Fabbert captures the original feel of the Adventure Time show, while allowing for some creative concepts to be explored. He does a fantastic job of capturing the true spirit of the franchise through the subtle details in each of this comics. For example, whenever the gang traveled into the Nightosphere in the original series, they had to open the portal by casting a spell, drawing a face on the ground, and throwing a carton of milk onto it. I was expecting the comic book to gloss over the ritual that holds such a nostalgic meaning to older fans, but as always, there is something for every audience to enjoy in this revamping. Something that I am trying to master as a visual artist is showing a lot of emotion and/or expression through the use of very little detail. Talented artists such as these seem to have mastered showing something without using an excessive amount of line and/or detail. I take inspiration from his work, and hope that one day I will be able to master the skill he has and apply it to my artistic career.
As a self-proclaimed comic book connoisseur, I feel that I have an eye for a good story, and from the beginning I could tell that this had the potential to be great. With such a bold comic, I never know where the story is going to take me next. Having that feeling of unpredictability in a comic entices me even more to read the whole series. This action comic has become increasingly more suspenseful and mysterious. I love that these comics take on a new approach to the series, while still holding on to one of the main ideas that the show had, to not take itself too seriously. Today, a lot of teens use comics as an escape, and when comics are too serious, then it is no longer fun to read. I enjoy having an escape through comic books like these that allow me to laugh and have fun threw their story and artwork.
The art, story, and the creators of the Marcy & Simon series are truly amazing, and never seem to stop thrilling their audience with new comics every few weeks. As I have said in the past, it is not often that I get invested in a series, but this one has grabbed my attention, and I do not plan on putting it down until the series is over. These comics have something for everyone and are truly timeless. I can’t wait to find out what happens in Marcy & Simon #5!
