Bone

Jeff Smith

     The three Bone cousins, cast out of their beloved Boneville, wander into a “forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures…”

     With these words, beautifully understated in the fabled tradition of the great fairytales, Jeff Smith makes his own magnificent contribution to the hallowed genre.

Bone, fit for all ages (the best fairytales always are), is a classic saga of good battling evil for the fate of an enchanted realm.  In the grand tradition of Disney and Tolkien, Smith places the fate of a people on the shoulders of a seemingly innocuous, puny being (Fone Bone, aided by his erstwhile cousins, scatterbrained Smiley and moneyhungry Phoney), a being who discovers deep reservoirs of courage and loyalty within himself for the sake of love and a cause, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. 

     Smith’s art, which can size up a character with a simple, yet deeply expressive, gesture or expression, lovingly recalls Disney at its finest.  Indeed, he has created a cast of characters, an array of settings, and a story as memorable, thrilling, and absorbing as any in comics, or general fantasy for that matter. 

     It’s hard not too feel like a kid again when reading Bone, especially for the first time.  Upon reading the first tradepaperback, “Out from Boneville,” one will be sucked into a world of dragons and rat creatures, ancient warrior societies and royal lines.  The dreaded Hooded One, the living omen of an ancient evil force renewed, seeks dominance over the humans of the valley, and rallies the flesh eating rat creatures to its side.  The Bone cousins, strangers in a strange land, caught up in these epic events, slowly unravel the complicated history of the valley, one steeped in age old traditions, hatreds, lost loves, and war.

      Smith is too good a writer to give everything away at once.  Instead, we travel with the Bone cousins, delighting in their many misadventures (Smith has that rare gift of humor which can touch both child and adult), as they try to assimilate.  Befriended and taken in by Thorn, a lovely young farm girl who Fone becomes immediately taken with, and her hearty Granma Ben, the danger and mystery the Cousins face is revealed slowly, in bits of conversation, chance encounters, fitful dreams, and sudden violence.  While there are magical, larger-than-life forces at work, Smith always reminds us that the everyday humans and creatures the Cousins encounter all play a part in the unfolding drama, and all are affected by its potentially terrible repercussions.

       Suffice it to say, the Cousins realize their destinies are tied to that of the valley, whether they like it or not (and Phoney often doesn’t), and Fone, in particular, must rise to the occasion to protect and support the girl he loves, as her true heritage and purpose is revealed.

      Bone completed its' 55 issue run in 2004.  The entire series has been collected in both a series of 9 trades, as well as one massive volume.   If you are a parent, and are looking to interest your child in reading, or to read something with them, Bone is the ideal choice.  It is an UltraPigPick.

For more about Jeff Smith and Bone, check out: www.boneville.com