Bone: Out From Boneville
Published by Cartoon Books
142 pages
$12.95

I wish comic books were a part of mainstream America. I mean, the millions of people who enjoy the comic strips in their local newspaper, but scoff at the thought of reading a comic book (what's up with that?) really don't know what they're missing. Especially considering those exceptionally good books that I believe mainstream America would enjoy, if they gave them a chance, and if someone got them into mass marketing. One of those books is Bone: Out From Boneville, the first collection in several volumes, by creator, writer and artist Jeff Smith.

What is Bone? It's a combination of things, really. Things like fantasy, adventure, humor, and even a little horror, done in such a way that all ages can enjoy. It's Dungeons and Dragons, meets Walt Disney, with just a bit of The Lord of the Rings tossed in. Yet, it all smacks of freshness and originality.

In this volume, the three Bones (Phone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone) have been banished from Boneville (where else?), and are on their own in a strange land containing talking bugs, vicious, but not-too-smart rat creatures, a rather large red dragon, and the like. Landing smack-dab into the middle of an ages-old conflict, one of the Bones is sought out by the rat creatures, who hope to rid the valley of the "Great Red Dragon." Adventure, intrigue, and hilarity ensue.

Not only does Jeff Smith's elaborate writing and characterization thrill the reader, but his artwork is unmatched, for it's ability to render simple cartoon-like characters, and well-detailed, dramatic ones in the same frame, all of whom he is somehow able to make the reader care about. There is, quite simply, no reason for anyone not to take the first volume of Bone for a spin. They would soon desire more.

Recommended for all ages, Bone: Out From Boneville can be found at comic shops, some bookstores, online here, and directly from Cartoon Books at boneville.com.

Mark Allen

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