Adventure Time 2017 Spoooktacular #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Stories by Adam Cesare, Alyssa Wong, Grady Hendrix, & Chris Lackey
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.

Boom! Studios Halloween Haunt 2015 (Family Comic Friday 2015 Halloween ComicFest Edition)

  

   Last year the BOOM! Studios mini-comic released for the Halloween Comicfest was hands

 down the best freebie release. So when it was announced a couple of months ago that 

BOOM! was doing another mini for 2015, I was very excited. Well parents, if your child is as 

thrilled as I was, I'm here to tell you that they are in for some major disappointments. Let's 

look at the three stories that comprise this volume.   

   First up is Adventure Time with Jake and Finn. Last year, the tale that starred them was 

the weakest of the three (Peanuts and Fraggle Rock made up the other two licensed stories)  

The 2014 Adventure Time short story didn't even feature any of the characters (at least, the 

ones I know of), so I didn't enjoy it so much. This year's yarn features everyone and was very 

clever. 

   When the good guys have a costume party, the Ice King feels left out. Going as himself

because none of the heroes would dare to dress up as the rogue, the Ice King puts on a

dazzling show, going so far as to win the costume contest. But how will Jake, the Princess, 

and the rest react when its revealed that the guy dressed as their archenemy is, in fact, their

most dreaded foe?  

    The second caper is based on the Cartoon Network show Steven Universe. Now I am not 

very familiar with this property, except for what little I have seen on commercials when 

watching other CN shows. Here a chameleon-like character named Amethyst, who is freeing

all of the animals from the local pet shop. This act seemingly isn't something that Amethyst

should be doing as Steven is appalled by it. Why after freeing the prospective pets that 

Amethyst keeps changing into other animals in hopes of becoming their friend is beyond 

my knowledge of this Cartoon. Also, the story has a sad ending, which was a major downer.         

    Lastly is a campfire story starring the Lumberjanes. This is my first ever encounter with 

this original comic series by BOOM! The series is about a group of campers at an all-girls 

camp. The woods that house the camp are haunted and in typical mystery series fashion, 

these ladies try to uncover weird activities that surround Lumberjanes Camp. All of what I just

told you about this series was stuff I gleaned from the Internet.

    The story that stars the Lumberjanes is 3-pages long. The first page has one of the girls 

persuading another one to tell a ghost tale. The last 2-pages involves a hunter, his trusty dog

and a malevolent black creature called the Tailypo- but no Lumberjane campers. Like the 

problem I had with last year's Adventure Time story, how can readers connect with the 

characters if they don't even star in the segment devoted to them? Lumberjanes might be 

a great series and it has won critical acclaim for being a comic devoted to girls. But what

 BOOM! had to offer me in this mini comic didn't inspire me to give it another go anytime 

soon.  

  

   After slaying the competition at last year's Halloween Comicfest, BOOM! Really dropped

 the ball this go round. This book is an all-ages title, but I'd advise you to persuade your child 

that if they only get to choose one comic during next week's Halloween festivities, go for 

the Archie book instead. It's far superior to this offering. Maybe next year... 

  

    Not Worth Consuming. 

   

   Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Boom! Studios Halloween Fright Fest 2014 (2014 Halloween ComicFest Exclusive Mini-Comic) (Family Comic Friday)

I’m a little mixed on this book. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t very Halloween-y either. In this mini comic by Boom! Studios, you get 3 tales, one starring the gang from Adventure Time, one with the Fraggles of Fraggle Rock, and the third is a small collection of Peanuts cartoons. Only the Peanuts cartoons have anything at all to do with Halloween in terms of setting or theme.

The Adventure Time story was a little confusing. I’m used to Jake and Finn and that’s about it. I know there is an Ice Wizard and a Princess. However, I don’t think the Wizard is a good guy for some reason. This story starred somebody name ‘Stache’ who wakes up without his moustache. Everyone thinks he’s an imposter and are out to get him. There is a small element of horror but other than that, it’s just a story about a bunch of characters I know nothing about. Even the art looked nothing like what I little I’ve seen of the cartoon.

As for the Fraggle Rock adventure, its stars my least favorite Fraggle, Mokey. She’s always so flighty and well, to be honestly, if the folks dreaming up Fraggle Rock weren’t high enough, I’m pretty sure Mokey was made from hemp and stuffed with hashish. In this story, the artist of Fraggle Rock loses here ‘inspiration’ but as she explains how she lost it, she finds that it never really left her at all.

Overall, not my favorite of 2014 Halloween ComicFest offers that I came across. Will I still give this out to trick-or-treaters who come to my door? Absolutely! It’s not bad. It’s just not very much in the Halloween spirit, and it’s not my cup or tea. But it’s also something that parents shouldn’t find objectionable.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

FCBD 2013 Kaboom Summer Blast!

This 2013 Free Comics Book day offering is full of great short stories featuring an all-star cast- with Snoopy, Regular Show, Jake and Finn from Adventure Time, the cast of Ice Age, Garfield and much, much more.

Adventure Time takes up the most real-estate with a lengthy Choose Your Own Adventure style story. It’s cute, but I just don’t see why people think that’s such a great show. I must be old. The story I enjoyed most is a title I can’t remember, but it involves a little boy with a teddy bear that comes to life. It’s a little like Calvin and Hobbes but with illustrations out of The Snowman. I wish I could remember what it was called.

Anyways, the whole book was lots of fun and I am glad I found this gem at this year’s Free Comic Book Day.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.