Adventure Time #9 Review

      

Writers: Nick Winn & Elizabeth Brei

Artists: Austin Baechle & Cleonique Hilsaca

Colorist: Heather Breckel

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Nick Winn, Austin Baechle, JustaSuta & Nicole Goux

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 21, 2026

 

The Enchiridion may be lost forever. But Finn doesn’t care. His encounter with the Lich has taught him that friendship is more powerful than a hero handbook. After his battle with Golb, Jake agrees. Uniting with your friends is the best way to combat any dangers. Where will Finn and Jake's adventures take them next? And what dangers will threaten the land of Ooo? Let’s leap into Adventure Time #9 and see!

 

Handbook Heroes Part One: Story

Months have passed since Finn and Jake battled Golb and the Lich. Along with Computer Princess, they have spent that time helping the people of Ooo recover from the storm. Computer Princess realizes that people won't let her make innovative replicas of them anymore. But she's determined to keep Finn's new arm up to date.

 

While looking out for Finn, Computer Princess knows that he and Jake are Old School. So she gives Finn a spiral notebook and asks him to record his adventures in Adventure Time #9. This daunting task makes Finn second-guess his decision to discard the Enchiridion. He cannot recreate the lost knowledge written in the ancient tome. But Computer Princess convinces Finn that his efforts are valuable. Recording his adventures and the insights he gains along the way may help future heroes achieve their potential.

 

After launching Finn and Jake on a new journey, Nick Winn gives the two handbook homies plenty to think about. Without the Enchiridion to guide them, Finn and Jake must decide how to structure a book and what to put in it. Ironically, as they contemplate the qualities that make someone a hero and the skills they should develop, they meet a hero. But Finn and Jake also learn that more of Computer Princess’s inventions have come back to plague Ooo in Adventure Time #9.

 

Handbook Heroes Part One: Art

As Lady Rainicorn forms a recliner for Jake and gazes at her guy with adoring eyes, Finn sits on a tree stump while Computer Princess welds his arm. Like Inspector Gadget, devices spring from the artificial limb on long, thin appendages. Jake uses a camera to record what he sees, while a magnifying glass alerts him to a battle nearby.

 

After Finn and Jake leave Computer Princess’s futuristic city behind, Austin Baechle populates the hillside with creatures and animals drawn from real life and fantasy. Heather Breckel lavishes a bright palette of colors on Adventure Time #9 as Jake stretches through scenes, and Finn fills pages in his notebook with art and notes. Pale green statues commemorate how the worky wigglin’ heroes helped save Ooo from Computer Princess’s Almost-Apocalypse. Then they meet a character with blue skin battling a purple creature who meets their definition of a hero.

 

Shawn Lee places uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons as Finn and Jake launch their expedition. Marcy speaks white letters into black balloons as she embarks on her own journey. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects fill the air when gadgets sprout from Finn's updated arm and the friends undergo trials. Yet words become colorful giants when the booty bumpin’ friends make an unexpected discovery in Adventure Time #9.

 

Lemonhope Alone Part One: Story and Art

While people and animals play in a pool of mud or enjoy a picnic, a singer plays their harp and sings. As Elizabeth Brei addresses the need for people to be honest about their feelings, one of Cleonique Hilsaca’s whimsical creatures takes an interest in the musician. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When the Lich possessed Finn, he sought out Marcy and Bonnie. While Bonnie seems unaffected by the encounter, Marcy withdraws into herself. So, as Finn and Jake try to forge a new beginning, Marcy invests in her past in Adventure Time #9.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Adventure Time #9. 

Adventure Time #9 Preview

 

 

Computer Princess may have been wrong to create robo-replicas of everyone. Still, she's trying to make things right. And she's starting by giving Finn a helping hand. Then, like Oscar Goldman, she sends the bionic boy out on a mission. Will Finn's time in the field last longer than Andy Sheffield's? And how do other residents of the land feel about Computer Princess's recent actions?

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

ADVENTURE TIME #9

WRITTEN BY NICK WINN WITH ELIZABETH BREI

ART BY AUSTIN BAECHLE WITH CLEONIQUE HILSACA

COVER A BY NICK WINN

COVER B BY AUSTIN BAECHLE

COVER C “COMPUTER PRINCESS BLUE” SKETCH VARIANT 

COVER D BY JUSTASUTA

COVER E BY NICOLE GOUX

COVER F BY NICK WINN

ON SALE JANUARY 21, 2026 | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC

HEY, IT’S AN ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT! “HANDBOOK HEROES!” STARTS HERE!  Oni Press—the multiple Eisner- and Harvey Award–winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997— and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP) are proud to present your first look inside ADVENTURE TIME #9 –  the must-read first chapter of a brand-new, kick-butt quest packed with rambunctious robotic doppelgängers, and plenty of heroic hi-jinks from writer Nick Winn (Bloody Mary) and artist Austin Baechle (Sesame Street)! Get ready to join Finn and Jake as they set out to create the ultimate handbook to heroics when “Handbook Heroes” kicks off on January 21st!

"Coming off of Finn and Jake's mishaps in Best of Buds and Friends To The End, Finn and Jake try to right their wrongs of almost destroying all of Ooo by becoming the cleanup crew with Finn's new robot arm,” says writer Nick Winn. “Unfortunately, Robot Finn is still running around somewhere, and now he's mucking everything up for all the citizens! This new arc is going to feature more people of Ooo and dive deeper into their homes and keepsakes as we hunt down Robot Finn in these four wacky issues. I'm curious what you all think the green mold sticking out of Robot Finn's body is? Guess you'll have to read and find out!"

With the Enchiridion—the famed guide for adventurers—seemingly gone for good, Finn and Jake set out to make their own handbook on how to be a hero! (See what we did there?) Armed (literally) with new tech from Computer Princess, the best of buds aim to record all the sword swings, fighting styles, sick dance moves, and weird junk they can find. But what happens when they run into perhaps their most terrifying adversary yet—Robot Finn, who’s going around being all unheroic and totally besmirching the real Finn’s good name! Can our heroes—with the help of some familiar faces—get to the bottom of this mechanical mystery?! From cartoonist and animator Nick Winn (Adventure Time: Best of Buds) and the series' next stellar artist, Austin Baechle (Sesame Street), “Handbook Heroes!” is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers and old fans!

But wait! There’s more! ADVENTURE TIME #9 also features the first part of” Lemonhope, Alone,” a backup story from writer Elizabeth Brei (Rubber Match) and artist Cleonique Hilsaca (Sleep Little Dozer) featuring the musical stylings of everyone’s favorite lemon. This momentous issue features courageous covers from Nick Winn (Adventure Time: Best of Buds), Austin Baechle (Sesame Street), JustaSuta (Sesame Street), and Nicole Goux (Orcs in Space, Shadow of the Batgirl)!

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this preview with us.

 

Adventure Time #9 Cover Preview

 

COVER A BY NICK WINN

It took losing their bodies to realize how much they meant to each other. They may have disagreed who was the biggest butt cheek. But even as ghosts, Finn and Jake discovered they could still be adventurers. Now that they have their bodies (and butt cheeks) back, where will Finn and Jake travel next? And will they enjoy the detours as much as they do the destination? 

Here's all the info from Oni Press: 

ADVENTURE TIME #9

WRITTEN BY NICK WINN & ELIZABETH BREI ART BY AUSTIN BAECHLE & CLEONIQUE HILSACA COVER A BY NICK WINN COVER B BY AUSTIN BAECHLE COVER C 'COMPUTER PRINCESS BLUE' SKETCH VARIANT VARIANT (1:10) BY JUSTASUTA VARIANT (1:20) BY NICOLE GOUX B&W VARIANT (1:50) BY NICK WINN ALL-NEW ARC! ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT! HANDBOOK HEROES STARTS HERE! With the Enchiridion—the famed guide for adventurers—seemingly gone for good, Finn and Jake set out to make their own handbook on how to be a hero! (See what we did there?) Armed (literally) with new tech from Computer Princess, the best of buds aim to record all the sword swings, fighting styles, sick dance moves, and weird junk they can find. But what happens when they run into perhaps their most terrifying adversary yet—Robot Finn, who’s going around being all unheroic and totally besmirching the real Finn’s good name! Can our heroes—with the help of some familiar faces—get to the bottom of this mechanical mystery?!  From cartoonist and animator Nick Winn (Bloody Mary) and the series' next stellar artist, Austin Baechle (Sesame Street), Handbook Heroes! is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers and old fans! $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FULL COLOR | ON SALE JANUARY 21, 2026     Here are more cover options:     COVER B BY AUSTIN BAECHLE     COVER C 'COMPUTER PRINCESS BLUE' SKETCH VARIANT   VARIANT (1:10) BY JUSTASUTA   VARIANT (1:20) BY NICOLE GOUX   B&W VARIANT (1:50) BY NICK WINN   Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this cover preview with us.