Comics Review: Adventure Time Comics #8

Marshall Lee delves into the music scene.

Courtesy: Boom Studios

Spoilers Below:

Marshall Lee plays some music for his friends, and they all dance along to it. Lumpy Space Prince gets curious and asks Marshall what genre he’d categorize his music as. Marshall admits that he has no idea, and LSP is shocked. LSP claims that music is directly linked with community and identity, and drags Marshall to a local music festival.

LSP takes Marshall to meet one of his favorite bands, and the guitarist tries to help pinpoint Marshall’s genre. Nothing he suggests seems to fit, so LSP takes Marshall to the mosh pit. As Marshall watches several bands perform, he is wowed by the variety of sounds. He takes some notes to refine his own music, but still fails to pinpoint what genre he can classify his music as. Nothing he listens to resonates with him, even if he can appreciate the work the musicians put into their craft.

Outside the festival, he encounters a group of friends playing guitar around a campfire. When he asks about their music, they reply that genre does not really matter to them, and that “music is music.” The words ring true to Marshall, and he flies off. After picking up his guitar, he composes a song and sings to Fionna. Fionna is touched by the gesture, and Marshall ends the day on a happy note.

Overview:

While Marshall enjoys playing music and defines himself as a musician, he does not view his work through the constraints of genre. While the other artists at the festival utilize their music as a form of self-expression, there is a distinctly commercial aspect to their work that Marshall is not interested in. A wide range of genres take the stage at the festival, such as country, metal, rock, jazz, and opera. Marshall is appreciative of the different sounds that each band brings, and is fairly open-minded, but he notes that nothing quite matches his experience. To Marshall, his music is more broad and undefined, and cannot be so easily narrowed down to a single genre.

Marshall’s love of music comes from his time in the Nightosphere, and how singing managed to bring him some happiness while surviving in a grim environment. As one of the lone guitarists note towards the end of the comic, “All you need to know is who you’re singing for and why you’re singing.” By the end, Marshall realizes that music simply brings him joy, and it makes him happy to sing for his friends. The journey opens his eyes to other types of music, but also reaffirms his views on his hobby.

LSP appreciates Marshall’s music and wants to help him, but LSP’s definition of music exists through his role as a consumer rather than a producer. He categorizes music by genre, and sees more value in the cultural and monetary aspects of a musical performance. He is fascinated by the fame and popularity that music can create. While these are all legitimate aspects of the music business, it is incompatible with Marshall’s stance. However, instead of pitting the two ideals against each other, the story remains very respectful of both points of view. The ending revelation has more to do with what fits Marshall, rather than defining what is the superior stance on music and music production.

Overall, it is a lighthearted story of self-exploration that focuses on Marshall’s relationship with his craft. The art style is filled with energy and is perfect for a story about music. For those wanting to read a charming, feel-good story with Marshall Lee, this issue absolutely delivers.

SCORE
8.0/10