Review: Amazing World of Gumball: Adventures in Elmore

The thing about Cartoon Network affiliated intellectual properties is that they’re just that; underneath the layers of fun, there are often adult references and touches of humor that younger viewers and readers won’t appreciate until they’re a bit older and more well informed. It’s a benchmark of quality that I’ve come to expect from them. Yes, granted a lot of these shorts are meant specifically for a younger generation. It’s very apparent, sure, but there are a few little blips of more mature levity inside. Ben Bocquelet’s sweet little creation is much of the same on the screen as it is in the interiors of this oversized volume.

I think one of the greatest things that comes from collecting a bunch of works from writers and artists is that if one specific story or style doesn’t quite fit into your desired reading, you’re almost guaranteed to find at least one that will. It’s especially easy when you have writing from Brittney Peer, Terry Blas, Max Davison, Gustavo Borges, Ted Anderson, Mac Pryor, Kate Sherron, Rachel Matile, Julieta Colas, Amanda Castillo, Luke Humphris, Lorn Waterfield, Xanthe Bouma, and Shivana Sookdeo that you can choose from. Couple that with similar art styles that vary in subtle ways by some of the authors themselves, as well as Jordan Gibson, Jen Hickman, and Kelly Bastow. Some of the shifts in the work inside the panels isn’t easily detected; it’s about seamless transitions. Sometimes it’s just softer corners or an additional penstroke that add a slight sketchiness to the art.

Again, I have to say that while a lot of these are supposed to contain a slight lesson that parents reading with children should touch on more completely, there are things that adults alike will appreciate. (Who makes a joke about Reaganomics? Amazing World of Gumball, that’s who.) Much like its tv counterpart, I think there’s always a joke or two that is actively oriented to cater to those sleepy eyed adults who might have missed one too many hours of sleep dealing with every day life and have now settled in with their offspring. It’s a perfect, easy read for someone with time to spare and the desire to spend some precious time with their kids. That’s not to say that if you’re not a child that you can’t find things within the pages itself to enjoy.

I think that, like all forms of escapism, there’s something blissfully unawares of the outside world when you delve into something that, in its truest form, is meant for those of us who might not be jaded by the world enough to need anything than unadulterated fun of this 4 out of 5 title.

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(W) Various (A) Various (CA) Naomi Franquiz