If you’ve ever been watching Adventure Time and caught yourself thinking, “this is great and all, but what if Finn had a full beard?!” then check out Adventure Time #33. Finn’s got a full beard and a moustache, and war has broken out in Ooo. Issue thirty-three opens with fully grown Finn explaining to Flame Queen that he lost his memories; the last moment he remembers happened twenty years ago. We get teenaged Finn in a grown-up body. It’s weird, but pretty hilarious, and Finn rolls with it easily as he always does. Flame Queen and Finn join up with Queen Bubblegum, Marceline, Jake, and others gathered to discuss how to end the war. (There’s a war? Yes. How did it start? It just did. Twenty years went by and there’s no time to explain. Just roll with it. Finn did.)
Finn sees this as an opportunity for adventure, still the optimistic teen, and Jake suggests they gather the other queens of Ooo to ask the Mnemonoid for Finn’s memories back. With Finn’s memories, they’ll finally be able to end the war, so everyone’s on board. The team first picks up the Ice King, obviously, then the various queens of Ooo: Lumpy Space Queen, Skeleton Queen, Slime Queen, and so on, until there’s a good-sized crowd ready to take on the Mnemonoid. He refuses to give up Finn’s memories, as Finn’s had a lot of exciting adventures, and the Mnemonoid wants to keep them for himself. A fight breaks out, and it isn’t successful, but we’ll have to wait to find out whether Finn ever gets his memories back.
#33 is funny, engaging, and fast-paced. It’s what an all-ages comic should be; no adult jokes sneaking past innocent minds, or infantile comments that only those 12 and under might appreciate. Adventure Time knows its audience well, and balances its humor so that adults and kiddos alike can genuinely laugh together. This issue was nearly stuffed with quips, and it was impossible to pick a favorite line or moment.
The issue combines that humor with a seriousness and urgency that goes hand-in-hand with a war that’s gone on for years- but don’t worry, it’s not too serious. Those with their memories still intact are clearly fed up with the fighting and the destruction, and they jump to action eagerly. Finn doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on his lost years, which is so perfectly Finn: he’s mentally still a kid looking to do something rather than sit around deciding what to do.
This a great comic for fans of the show, but even if you’ve never seen an episode, it’s easy to follow. I haven’t been reading the Adventure Time comic until now, but that’s about to change. #33 was fantastic, and I want more.
Score: 5 / 5
Writer: Ryan North Artist: Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb Publisher: BOOM!/Kaboom! Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/29/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital