Adventure Time: The Complete Third Season

In a behind-the-scenes extra here, Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward says that at fan gatherings he is profusely thanked by parents who are grateful that his hit Cartoon Network heroic fantasy satire can be enjoyed by grownups as much as their transfixed kids. The simply-drawn setting is the magical medievalist realm of Ooo—actually our own post-apocalyptic world—where boy hero Finn, aged 13, enjoys escapades amongst a plethora of strange princesses and cultures with his roommate/stepbrother Jake, who also happens to be a talking, shape-shifting dog. Noteworthy antics here include a revelation (courtesy of a VHS tape) of the origins of not-terribly-threatening antagonist the Ice King, and the resolution of a second-season plot thread in which Finn's unattainable love, Princess Bubblegum of the Candy People, regresses in age from 18 to 13 herself, making her (briefly) potential date material (the final episode introduces a fiery—literally—new princess as a possible romantic interest for Finn). One tale even unfolds nearly dialogue-free as it chronicles the friendship between two peripheral creatures who are normally mortal enemies. Guest voices include Neil Patrick Harris, Keith David, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. Compiling all 26 episodes from the 2011-12 third season, extras include episode commentaries. A smart and entertaining series, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Cassady)