It’s Adventure Time, Lumpy Space Princess style! Everyone’s favorite purple gal embarks on a treasure hunt with the lovable Tree Trunks as her guide; Finn, Jake, and BMO decide to follow in order “keep an eye on them” (definitely not spying). Writer Josh Trujillo makes excellent use of the series’ main cast while expanding upon Tree Trunks’ rough-and-tumble past and her role as mother to an adorable, giant, soul-stealing lich baby. Returning characters like the androgynous and musical Guildmaster as a nemesis to LSP and new characters Cameron and Tess the Zombie (fraternal) Twins round out the cast.
Brain Robbers is Adventure Time at its best. Trujillo’s pacing is impeccable. Every page has something amusing or attention grabbing, perfect for reading in one sitting or taking a break in between. While all of the character interactions are pure gold, the friendship between LSP and Tree Trunks is at the center as these two very different people struggle to understand one another. (Okay, maybe that struggle only goes one way.) The Guildmaster’s triumphant return steals every scene GM is in, as our acronym buddies GM and LSP’s rivalry is uncovered and GM’s tragic backstory is unveiled in musical form.
Not enough good things can be said about the pencils of Zachary Sterling, who captures the look and feel of Adventure Time with the help of inkers Jenna Ayoub and Phil Murphy, colorists Joie Foster and Laura Langston, and letterer Warren Montgomery. In spite of being a wasteland, the setting of the Ooo Badlands is visually interesting throughout and the character models, both old and new, are amazing, from Sweet P all the way down to a sea of tarantulas.
Barring arachnophobia, Brain Robbers is a fantastic read for all ages, with several layers of jokes: some aimed at children, and a few rather tongue-and-cheek aimed at adults. If you’re a huge Lumpy Space Princess or Tree Trunks fan, you need this book in your life. Even if you’re not, it’s a vastly entertaining Adventure Time story that will give you a new appreciation for those characters.
5 Saloon/Community Centers out of 5
