Book Review - Bone Series by Jeff Smith

Book Name :Bone

Genre: Graphic Novel/ Comedy, High fantasy

Written by : Jeff Smith

Illustrated By : Jeff Smith

Colorist(s) : Steve Hamaker

Publisher: Cartoon Books

Image Comics on issues #21–27

Scholastic / Check http://www.scholastic.com/graphix/

Publication date: July 1991 – June 2004

Cover price: US$ 9.99/ INR 350 ( Price in 2010)

    The Bones, three cousins Fone Bone, Phoncible P. "Phoney" Bone,and Smiley Bone are thrown out of their town , Boneville and get completely lost in the desert, and even worst is waiting and swarm of locusts ends up separating them  they soon end up in a valley filled with mysteries all on their own. In this valley Fone Bone meets Thorn and her Grandma Ben a farmer who races cows on foot. Then begins this epic story of magic, dragons, bugs which talk and really stupid stupid rat creatures all locked up in a battle between good and evil. 

Out of Boneville

    I brought the first bone comic ( there are 9 volumes) at a local book shop and once I read the first volume I was hooked, I just rushed to the shop the very next morning to get the remaining 8. You need to read this, this seriously is a brilliant brilliant graphic novel. It made me think of the  Lord of the rings series a lot, no direct connection , but when I was reading this it felt like the LOTR meets Disney kind. Every character is very well conceptualized and the way the novel progresses is just plain brilliant. The art work is superb. You will fall in love with almost every character , yes even the evil scheming stupid stupid rat creatures. Fone Bone is a simple guy with  a heart of Gold. He is the hero of the series. Phoney is greedy and scheming and always tries to con people, while Smiley is like the village idiot or simpleton, however you put it. Thorn is a girl who is brave at heart and Grandma Ben is a warrior. 

    I don’t want to reveal details about the story as you will not be able to enjoy is completely if I do that. Of course you will love the whole series even if you know the story, I have read the whole series about 3 times and I plan to read in again soon. The whole book is well designed, including the art work and the characterization. As mentioned earlier there are nine volumes of this epic adventure , 

1.      Out from Boneville

2.      The Great Cow Race

3.      Eyes of the Storm

4.      The Dragonslayer

5.      Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border

6.      Old Man’s Cave

7.      Ghost Circles

8.      Treasure Hunters

9.      Crown of Horns

    Every book of this series is as interesting as the other, Trust me you seriously can’t put it down . The moment you finish one volume you will get this compulsive urge to pick one more volume up. So what are you waiting for, go get yourself the bone series and let Fone Bone and his merry band take you on an epic journey of filled with fun, mystery and magic. This is seriously one of the best Graphic novels I have ever read. Jeff Smith you rock.