Angela Sylvia Comic Reviews

In SummaryMeredith 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.

In SummaryThere were a lot of cute, funny moments in this issue that remind me why both the show and Meredith Gran's work is so entertaining, like Bongo not knowing what a set of bongos is, or the demon off to the side repeating Marceline's echoing words in an otherwise tense moment. It was great to see the group make it to the Nightosphere, if only to get a glimpse of Marceline's dad. He's an interesting character, goofy AND evil, and the finer points of Marceline's complicated character usually come into view when he's around. His duplicitous tendencies in the cartoon, combined with the careless way he brings up the gossip magazines, causes me to wonder if he has anything to do with the damaging reviews, but only the next issue will tell if he even comes back into the story. The way this issue ends, with Marceline and Bubblegum's sudden falling out and PB's seemingly leaving for good, is something that most readers probably saw coming from the beginning. But predictable or not, it's

In SummaryThough we see everything come near the boiling as Bubblegum finally, truly loses her temper with Marceline, the drama hits a bit of a lull as Marceline finds a momentary peace. But with two issues to go, and a pile of unresolved worries and troubles (who's writing the reviews? What will happen with Guy and Bubblegum? Is the Candy Kingdom doomed?) this may only be the calm before the storm.

In SummaryWe've seen Marceline battle with her confidence in the last couple of issues, but here she seems to have finally reached a tipping point. Even Bubblegum finds herself with a new set of issues, and even if her character arc isn't as dramatic as Marceline's is playing out to be, on the basic level (trying to be a better person than you may end up actually being) it's pretty interesting. At this point things seem to be unravelling for the group, and with the end of the issue bringing us to the middle of the 6-issue mini-series we can expect things to get at least a little worse for Marceline and her band before the story finally comes to an end.

In SummaryMarceline and the Scream Queens isn't going to be a big adventure story like Finn and Jake would have. Though I can see some real excitement working its way in here, this first volume sets up Gran's story as more of a character study — which, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the best types of stories, especially when you're dealing with popular characters that fans are always hungry to learn more about. With their differing personalities (Bubblegum's responsibility and need for order and Marceline's carefree attitude) it's obvious that some sort of personal conflict will come up. I don't know how much added character development is being planned for a side series, but even if neither of them have significant growth it will be a real trip seeing Gran's view of PB and Marcie.

In SummaryLast issue we saw Bubblegum admit her own mistakes while Marceline owned up to her fears, but this issue doesn't see quite so much in character growth. It's great to see Princes Bubblegum take charge of the meandering band, but her control of the situation isn't too surprising to fans of the cartoon. Marceline, meanwhile, seems to have taken a step back, showing even more weakness than she displayed in the first issue. While that seems to clash with what fans already know of her character, this is also Gran's way of peeling back some layers so we can see more of an insecure girl than a vampire queen — definitely better fodder for a strong character arc. Despite some of my reservations, Gran's storytelling is strong, with just enough humor to make you chuckle without ever feeling forced, and after what she's added to some of the characters in this installment I'm excited to see where she takes them.