Bone: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith
Friday, February 8th, 2008
After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins – Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone – are separated and lost in a cast, uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filed with wonderful and terrifying creatures.
Eventually, the cousins are reunited at a farmstead run by tough Gran’ma Ben and her spirited granddaughter, Thorn. But little do the Bones know, there are dark forces conspiring against them and their adventures are only just beginning!
Bone: Out From Boneville is the first book of the Bone graphic novels by Jeff Smith featuring the Bone brothers and all the wonderful characters of the valley.
Fone Bone is the first Bone brother we get to follow one-on-one, which was an excellent choice on Jeff Smith’s part. Fone Bone is an entertaining and lovable character who is easy to follow into this story. He has all the awkwardness of a clumsy teenager as well as a good heart, a combination fit for a hero.
The valley is rich and beautiful in characters, humour and settings. Both the characters and the valley itself will have you laughing even in the most dramatic chapters of the story.
There is even a bit of romance thrown in just to make things more complicated
Jeff Smith does a superb job with the art. It’s full of detail and colour, but it doesn’t overshadow the story or the characters. He combines simple lines along with fine details to create a world I couldn’t have created better in my imagination.
If you haven’t read a graphic novel before (and even if you have), I highly recommend you read Bone. It’s funny, engaging, and an excellent graphic novel overall.
