Art by Christine Larsen, Heather Danforth, Slimm Fabert, Kate Sherron
Based on characters created by Pendleton Ward
Published by Kaboom! Studios
One of my favorite things about Halloween and Christmas are the holiday specials. A TV or movie is great. But a themed comic book is even more special. For today's Family Comic Friday, I had selected a title that I am not very familiar with. However, the TV series the book is based on is considered a classic is it's own right. The book in question is the Adventure Time 2017 Spoooktacular from the good folks at Kaboom!
On the cover is the main star of this special, Princess Bubblegum's dark arts practicing man servant (or is it candy servant???), the Peppermint Butler. The first of four stories in this Halloween spectacular covers a typical day for Peppermint. From brushing his teeth to summoning demonic forces to do his bidding, it's hard work for the confectionery steward.
In the second adventure, the original stars of Adventure Time, Jake and Finn have a series of misadventures involving a pair of dueling magicians. Since a contract between a magician and his volunteer is eternally binding, Jake and Finn are forced to act like poultry, are cut in half, and put through tons more tricks in this sorcery showdown to the death. There's only one problem: Finn doesn't remember volunteering to help either of these wizards of wackiness. But the only way out may end up costing the heroes their very souls to a certain butler...
Yarn number three is from the alternate Adventure Time Universe in which Finn is a girl, Jake's a cat, and Princess Bubblegum is a prince. When Prince Gumball throws a Halloween Ball, he mistakenly invites the dastardly vampire Marshall Lee. Knowing that there's going to be trouble, Gumball puts his faithful servant the Butterscotch Butler on task to keeping the bloodsucker away from the festivities.
This special closes out with a return to the regular Adventure Time universe again with the Peppermint Butler. In the story titled 'Candy in the House' a massive storm is coming and so Peppermint takes refuge in an seemingly abandoned house. However, that's not to be when the butler meets the occupant, a seemingly crazed fellow with a sweet tooth for certain red and white candies. Has the seemingly nonplussed necromancing chamberlain finally discovered his very own kryptonite?
For someone as myself who isn't really what you would call a fan of Adventure Time, I enjoyed this book. I like to be very well rounded with all sorts of cartoons because you never know when you need to make a special connection with a student or child. A kid's eyes just light up when an adult shows interest in their favorite things. Not only did I learn about a new pop culture franchise, I also read a darn good Halloween themed comic.
A variety of artists and writers crafted these stories including Deadbeats Chris Lackey, Nebula Award winner Alyssa Wong, and Harvey nominated illustrator Christine Larsen. There's not a bad story in the bunch. Though if I had to pick a favorite, I would have to say it was Wong and Larsen's opening tale, The Morning Ritual, that won me over the most.
The Adventure Time titles are published under Boom! Studios' all-ages imprint Kaboom! The recommended age for this special is 8-11 years old but there are fans of all-ages that love the adventures of Jake, Finn, and friends. However, there's some imagery of demons, monsters, and hell, this special may be a little too scary for readers aged 8 and 9. Thus, that fear factor may be objectionable to some parents out there. As with any of my Family Comic Friday reviews, I just give advisement on the titles I review to parents. It's up to the adults to make the final judgement if the work featured is the right one for their young readers.
As for my own judgement on the quality of the artwork and story- this was a very fun read. Guaranteed to put any reader in the Halloween spirit, no matter how unfamiliar one may be with the Adventure Time series.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8.5 out of 10.
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