NOTE: I tried to avoid spoiling major plot points as much as possible while writing this.
I had an unusual relationship with comics and graphic novels as a kid. I loved to draw my own comics – sometimes up to 40, 50, or 60 pages long – and would spend part of almost every night drawing. I also was a voracious reader of books. It was rare that I would go anywhere – school, doctor appointments, etc. – without a book at hand. It’s somewhat strange, then, that I rarely actually read any comics or graphic novels. Sure, I read a random comic book here or there, but by the time I hit college I had probably consumed no more than five total. What I did frequently read were the Sunday comic strips in the newspaper, but the majority of them lacked the long-term storytelling I was used to in my self-drawn comics and the novels I loved. So why, then, did I never really pay attention to this art form? I’m not sure I’ll ever know the full answer, although I’m guessing that it comes down at least in part to an interest in creating my own art rather than looking at the art of others. Still, it’s largely a mystery to me to this day.
How is all this relevant to this column? Well, it means that I never ended up reading Jeff Smith’s classic fantasy adventure graphic novel series Bone until now. I was certainly aware of the series when I was in elementary school, as the school library had multiple copies of each volume and I saw many of my classmates carrying them around. I even remember being intrigued by the covers. But, as expected, I never even attempted to check them out. And I had absolutely no idea what I was missing.
A few years ago, with my interest in drawing my own comics waning and the realization that I could read comics digitally (either as web comics or through my library’s ebook service), I began to dip my toes in this almost entirely new (to me) medium. I quickly became enamored with Digger, the Hugo-winning web comic by Ursula Vernon (aka writer T. Kingfisher), and decided to buy the newly released physical omnibus edition. It was while ordering it that I noticed the Bone All-In-One-Volume edition (black and white) being recommended to me and decided, almost on a whim, to buy it too. It turned out to be an excellent decision.
What is Bone about? For those unaware, Bone (originally published from 1991 to 2004) follows a trio of blobby-looking cousins – Phoney Bone, Smiley Bone, and Fone Bone – on the run from their hometown of Boneville after being chased out by the populace due to one of Phoney Bone’s get-rich-quick scams. Lost in the wilderness, they stumble upon a mysterious valley and find themselves unable to return home due to snow in a mountain pass cutting off the only exit. Befriending a young human woman named Thorn and her surprisingly strong Gran’ma Ben, they become increasingly involved in the goings-on of the people of the valley and their struggle against the monstrous ‘rat creatures’ and the enigmatic being known as the Hooded One. Adventure ensues, involving wise dragons, a massive and irritable mountain lion, an imprisoned god, and a cow race.
What is it that makes Bone so compelling? A number of different factors that I will try to cover here, if I can get my thoughts together. The first one, and one that I often saw brought up before I started reading the first volume, is the way in which the story escalates. Initially the plot is presented as a simple story of three cousins lost in an unfamiliar place and trying to find their way home. And that is the way it largely stays for the first couple of volumes, with fun, seemingly standalone adventures involving running from monsters, taking residence on Thorn and Gran’ma Ben’s farm, and the aforementioned cow race. But even early on there are hints that something deeper is afoot, a more complex and thematically darker plot that gradually comes to the forefront over the succeeding volumes until the stakes reach nearly apocalyptic levels. It’s an interesting strategy, one that pays off very well. Without the extensive character moments and worldbuilding provided by the narratively more straightforward early volumes, the events of the later volumes wouldn’t hit anywhere as hard as they do. Meanwhile, the increasing complexity of the plot grants the series a grand, epic feel that makes it a true page-turner. It also helps to keep older readers engaged, allowing the series to achieve its place as an all-ages classic.
As you could probably guess, there’s more to Bone than just the plot, however. A plot of the shifting scale present in the books would be flimsy without well-developed characters to support it. Luckily, Bone is drowning in great characters. The Bones themselves each have different and easily grasped personalities that are evident right off the bat, with Phoney being a greedy con-artist, Fone (the ostensible main character) being a level-headed bookworm with a strong sense of morality (and a love of Moby Dick, of all things), and Smiley being the goofy one who often assists Phoney in his schemes but is prone to having his own harebrained plans as well.
These conflicting dispositions provide for much drama and humor alike over the course of the tale, while also setting up strong character moments for all three. Beyond the cousins we have Thorn, who is strong-willed but haunted by a past she can’t fully remember; Gran’ma Ben, who is physically as strong as an ox, takes no guff, and hides secrets that cut to the core of the current conflict; Lucius, a hot-tempered and gruff but reliable tavern keeper; a surprisingly low-key dragon who has somewhat of a mischievous side; a bug named Ted; and a whole host of townsfolk, warriors, and monsters to go with them. This eclectic group of characters help keep the world of Bone colorful even during the more serious parts of the story, and additionally provide some measure of poignancy (Thorn, Gran’ma Ben, and Lucius in particular).
Seriously, Gran’ma Ben is one of my favorite characters ever:
I would be remiss not to mention Smith’s artwork as well. The books were originally released in black and white – which is how I ended up reading them – although some later editions were printed in color. The Bones themselves were drawn very simplistically, essentially being humanoid white blobs with faces. Meanwhile, everything else (the landscapes, the citizens of the valley) are drawn with much more detail. This juxtaposition between the two drawing styles, combined with the original black-and-white coloration, really serves to create a unique visual identity for the series. In a way, it reminds me of one of my favorite animated TV series, Adventure Time, where the backgrounds are often significantly more detailed than the characters themselves. Smith has a deftness with creating both moments of hilarious slapstick and moments of awe through visuals alone in a way that quite inspires me in my own drawing. And there are just so many interesting flourishes here and there, from the almost mammal-like appearance of the Red Dragon to the way the tails of the Hooded One’s word bubbles disappear inside its hood.
In short, Jeff Smith’s Bone is a treat to behold in terms of story, characters, sense of humor, and art style. I regret that it took me so long to get around to it, but I’m glad that I finally took the leap. The series will hold a cherished spot in my book collection for years to come.
As a side note, I mentioned Digger by Ursula Vernon at the start of the review. If you like Bone, I strongly recommend Digger. It is perhaps what Bone most reminded me of. Vernon still has it up for free online, or it can purchased physically as the ominbus version Digger Unearthed.
