Creative Staff
Creator: Pendleton Ward
Writer/Illustrator: Meredith Gran
Colorist: Lisa Moore
Lettering: Steve Wands
Bonus Story: Rich Tommaso
What They Say:
Can the Scream Queens rock their crazy-huge biggest gig ever…and will Princess Bubblegum finally discover the true meaning of ROCK? Final issue of this incredibly popular series!
Content:(please not that the content portion of a review may contain spoilers)
Marceline agrees to one final show with her band, but that turns out to be a big mistake when one little thing (she mishears when someone talks about “Marceline socks!”) sends her right back over the edge, turning her into a raging monster. Bubblegum, meanwhile, is on her way home, when BMO inspires her to look at the problem scientifically, and she realizes that the anxiety is overloading Marceline’s monster brain, making her impervious to logic. Now that Bubblegum knows that logical kindness has no effect she runs back to bombard Marceline with insults until she finally figures out that all those things can’t possibly be true. She returns to her regular form, seeing that her fans actually like her. A sudden twist reveals who’s been writing all those terrible reviews (a surprise, but it makes complete, hilarious sense) but before the perpetrator can be punished Marceline figures out how to deal with her anxiety.
Thanks to the comic book formatting, Marceline’s final spurt of character growth comes about quickly, so that in some ways it seems rushed, like in her sudden ability to handle anxiety. But there is subtlety to it as well, as in the deepening of her friendship with Bubblegum, which helps to make this story more powerful than a cartoon spin-off might seem to be. And of course, there is plenty of humor in this issue, coming in the dialogue, the art, and a combination of both — after returning to the Candy Kingdom and ordering everyone around, Bubblegum takes on a wide-eyed crazy look and states “Princess is back.” It’s abrupt, it’s simple, and it made me snort with laughter.
The bonus comic, by Rich Tommaso, is definitely the least serious of the bunch. Taking on an old comic book style, the art is very simple with bold, though not bright, colors, which I personally don’t find terribly appealing. The story is amusing; a rival band locks Marceline in the guitar case she was using as a stage prop when she’s too weak to bust herself out, but some ill-placed red Twizzlers gives her the strength to turn into a raging monster and stomp her way to freedom. It’s fun, but “Coffin Break” isn’t going to stick out in my brain like the others did.
In Summary
Meredith Gran has been one of my favorite comic artists for a while, not just because of her art but because of the careful way she gets inside her characters heads. Marceline and the Scream Queens has been no exception, as we see Marceline come to terms with her own problems by the end of this issue. Bubblegum’s character winds up getting left a little on the wayside as she doesn’t get as much of a character arc, the focus being on Marceline’s growth and the deepening bond between Marce and PB. But Bubblegum still gets some great moments in this issue, figuring out the problem and saving the day, along with her hilarious return to the Candy Kingdom as she punishes Finn and Jake for messing everything up and makes her subjects put their clothes back on. This spin-off story has been a fun ride, and the final issue brings a satisfying end. I hope the Adventure Time team brings us more like it.
Grade: A-
