First Page From Short Comic "A You're Adventurous"Reading the second volume of Sugary Shorts is a lot like sitting down with a bag of gummy bears. After about an hour, you’ve gobbled up everything there was to be had and you’re just not feeling as satisfied as you hoped.

This collection certainly lives up to its name; every miniature plotline is crafted with care and is beautifully illustrated. And each one is so short that by the end of the book, you’re wishing you’d take the time to really savor them instead of scarfing them down like cheetos.

This isn’t really a new feeling for fans of Adventure Time in general. The whole concept that what we see is a guy running around getting into fights and other vaguely heroic stuff, while getting hints at some complicated, even dark backstory – it’s what attracted so many people to the show in the first place. It’s also what makes the comic so successful – much like the Bee and Puppycat comics attracted people who just couldn’t get enough of the unexpected hit, Adventure Time readers are looking for more of their favorite characters and more of the secrets the Land of Ooo might be hiding.

There are a couple of moments like this in the collection, but mostly, these stories are extra glimpses into the lives and adventures of our favorite characters.

There are multiple stories about Finn and Jake on various adventures – helping out Tree Trunks, looking for cool swords, and watching PB’s back while she does her science. The very first piece in the volume, “A, You’re Adventurous” is a cute parody of the Perry Como song, “A You’re Adorable”. If you’re familiar with the 40’s hit, you might even find yourself humming along as you read!

Second page of short comic "A You're Adventurous"

The volume even includes a sweet interlude between Marceline and Bubblegum, a game called “Dungeons and Desserts”, and Fionna and Cake crashing a “guys only” hero con.

The art styles are varied from story to story, but the real standout in the collection is “Secret ‘Stache”, which is a surreal dive into Ol’ Starchy’s nightmares, illustrated by Frazer Irving. It is a complete deviation from the series’ signature pseudo-naive style. It’s actually quite well suited to the plot, which has Starchy desperately searching for his lost mustache, while showing that everyone else in the Candy Kingdom has spontaneously sprouted one. If you ever saw the episode of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh where Tigger lost his stripes, you may be able to draw some creepy, dissonant parallels here.

Much like the earlier seasons of the cartoon, there’s enough substance to get the audience interested without having to re-explain a lot of history. Some of the stories are certainly more interesting to those who already know the characters, and certainly someone new to Ooo won’t find as much satisfaction in stories that don’t hold quite as much substance as a full-fledged storyline. Overall, fans will be happy for more chances to visit their faves, and this isn’t the worst place for someone unfamiliar with the series to jump in.

 

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