A 250 word (or less) review of Bone
by Jeff Smith; Cartoon Books
Bone is a truly epic adventure story. It features the Bones: Fone, Phoney, and Smiley, a group of cartoon people run out of their hometown for schemes and rabble rousing. As they cross the wilderness in search of riches, they run afoul of wretched and fearsome Rat Creatures and a dragon before ending up in The Valley. There Fone, cut off from his friends, is taken in by the kindly Thorn and her tough, cow racing grandmother, Grandma Ben. But the trouble in the wilderness is only part of something larger, something that threatens to drive the entire region into turmoil. And Grandma Ben has a secret. It is up to Fone, Thorn, the other Bones, and their friends to save the valley from the forces of evil. Bone is one of those absolute gems of comics that you encounter if you take one big step away from the superhero mainstream. It is epic in scope and format, beautifully and adeptly illustrated, and has some really fun, really well constructed characters who grow over thousands of pages of comics. While the comic is very accessible, and safe for a variety of audiences, it is also wonderfully idiosyncratic and unique: there is nothing else quite like it. And, drawing as it does on a variety of comic styles and traditions, it really operates as this grand celebration of the medium. It is, in my eyes, an essential comics read.
Word count: 238
Post by Michael Bround
Previously:
RASL
A 250 word (or less) review of RASL the complete, collected series
By Jeff Smith; Cartoon Books
Rasl
is an inter-dimensional art thief who steals alternate versions of this world’s
masterpieces. However, in a past life, Rasl and his best friend and colleague,
Dr. Miles Riley, were military engineers developing technologies based on the
works of Nikola Tesla. It was during this time that Rasl developed his T-suit,
the electromagnetic device that allows him to travel through the Drift and
visit other dimensions. Meanwhile Dr. Riley was developing the St. George
Array, a weapon which taps into the Earth's magnetic field and promises
enormous strategic value. A weapon that can only be completed with knowledge
only Rasl possesses. And so Rasl is literally on the run from his past as his
former employers pursue him through the multiverse. RASL is a tale of hubris,
Mad Science, and personal betrayal. It is very much a proper Thriller comic built
around a solid Science muggufin. Despite being yet-another-Tesla-comic and my
gigantic pet peeve of inaccurate Science premises, RASL ends up being a really
enjoyable read. Part of this is that comic does a really good job not overdoing
the Science while also providing a really fascinating biography of Tesla. The
other part is that RASL is gorgeous: Jeff Smith manages to imbue his cartoons
with a truly remarkable amount of life and style. RASL then, is a comic with a solidly
engaging plot featuring artwork completely worth the price of admission. (I do feel, though, that it takes awhile
to really get to speed, so give it a chance.)
Word
count: 250
