A wibbly-wobbly, candy-coated, emotionally-devastating return to Ooo
When Adventure Time first bounced onto screens in 2010, it was like someone cracked open a dream and let it spill across Cartoon Network. Talking dogs, sentient candy, brooding vampires, and more existential crises than you could fit in a magical backpack. And while the show wrapped its last tale in 2018 (if you ignore the aftershocks of Distant Lands and Fionna & Cake), the stories didn't stop.
They just moved to paper.
The Adventure Time graphic novels—yes, actual books you hold in your hands and whisper to on quiet nights—are here to whisk you back to the Land of Ooo. Courtesy of BOOM! Studios and their KaBOOM! Imprint, these aren't just rehashes or still-frame clip shows. They're new. Original. Rich. Weird. Sometimes funny, sometimes haunting. Often both.
So what's the big deal?
Think of these not as episodes but as quests. Where the TV show could sprint through a surreal gag or a sudden tearjerker in under eleven minutes, the graphic novels take their time. They wander, stew, and let the weirdness breathe.
Each volume focuses on a particular slice of Ooo, zooming in on characters who were often just left-of-centre in the show's spotlight: Flame Princess wrangling with her own chaos; Marceline trudging through the Nightosphere (again); Bubblegum, tired and overcaffeinated, knee-deep in royal nonsense. The stories stretch out, soften the pace, and sharpen the emotions.
They're self-contained, too. You can pick one up without a map or a lore chart. Though, if you have a lore chart, you'll enjoy it even more.
The graphic novels: A quick peek behind the candy curtain
Here they are—the complete set from 2013 to 2019. Thirteen books, thirteen reasons to clear your weekend plans and ignore all responsibilities.
Playing with Fire (2013)
Flame Princess gets a solo quest—a dangerous rescue mission through a fiery nether realm. But the real heat? It's internal. She's battling self-doubt, volatile powers, and maybe the fear that she's just… too much. The story makes you want to hug your younger self and hand her a juice box.
Seeing Red (2014)
Marceline, queen of the moody mixtape, takes a reluctant road trip through the Nightosphere with Jake. And, of course, it becomes a father-daughter spiral into inherited trauma and demonic bureaucracy. Also, guitars. Lots of guitars. You will feel things.
Graybles Schmaybles (2015)
This one's a grab bag. It's an anthology of 'morality tales' (whatever that means) wrapped in a Cuber-narrated weird-fest. Think Black Mirror, but made of cotton candy and odd vibes. Excellent for readers who like to feel both amused and mildly haunted.
The Four Castles (2016)
Finn is summoned by four castles. No big deal. Each castle tests his strength, wits, and very essence. It's one of the more introspective entries, like a magical escape room designed by your therapist.
The Ooorient Express (2017)
A spooky train ride! A creeping mystery! Finn and Jake are stuck solving puzzles like they're in a candy-flavoured Agatha Christie novel. It's got classic whodunnit flair, with monsters in the dining car and maybe a ghost in the luggage hold.
Princess & Princess (2018)
Yes, Finn becomes a princess. Yes, it's weird. Yes, it's terrific. This one skewers royal tropes while celebrating them. Underneath the silliness, there's a message about identity, performance, and how absurd gender roles can be.
Marceline the Pirate Queen (2019)
Sea monsters, ship mutinies, emotional baggage—it's Marceline at the helm of a ship, trying (and failing) to outrun herself. If this book were a song, it'd be sad, with thunder in the background and a haunting violin solo.
Wait, there's more?
Oh, so much more. If the novels are the full-course meal, there's still a buffet of other comics to devour:
The Main Comic Series (2012–2018): 75 weird and wild canon-ish adventure issues. Think: TV show on extra caffeine.
The Miniseries: Like Marceline and the Scream Queens, Candy Capers, and Fionna & Cake. Little standalone gems full of fan-favourite side quests.
Season 11 (2018–2019): It's unofficial, but it is also precisely what you want if you are still lying awake wondering what happened after the finale.
Adventure Time/Regular Show: The crossover you didn't know you needed. It's like throwing two cartoons in a blender and hitting 'chaos.'
Marcy & Simon (2019): A delicate, sad, and lovely exploration of healing and history. Read this one when you're ready to cry just a little bit.
Who should be reading these already?
The label says middle-grade readers, but let's be honest—that's just a polite suggestion. These are for:
Adults who cried during 'I Remember You' and never quite recovered.
Kids who love weird adventures with beating hearts.
People who thought 'The Nightosphere' was just a quirky word and not a metaphor for inherited trauma.
Anyone who's ever said, 'I'm not crying, I just have wizard dust in my eye.'
The final scoop (with rainbow sprinkles)
The Adventure Time graphic novels are funny, heartfelt, sharp, and strange—just like the show at its best. They let characters grow a little older, weirder, and wiser. They let you revisit Ooo, not as it was, but as it keeps becoming.
So dust off your sword, tune your bass, and pack your snack satchel.
Adventure is still out there. And it's waiting in the pages.
