Written by O’Brian Gunn

Cover for Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic.

When life gets a bit too real, a bit too complicated and confusing - it’s nice to dive into a narrative aimed at a younger audience, but still makes for an entertaining way to engage your imagination. Jeff Smith’s Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic offers just such an escape, one with a surprising amount of depth (and not just for the thickness of the complete story collection - which clocks in at 1,332 pages). While it took me some time to work my way through the entire fable, it’s a ride I’m glad I wasn’t too tall for.

Upon first glance, while thumbing through the pages of Bone, it’s clear the story is aimed at younger audiences. The art style is reminiscent of Disney’s early animated movies, and the main characters, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone, have an undeniable cartoonish appearance. The simple approach to storytelling further cements the target audience, but as the story deepens, it becomes apparent that Jeff imbued the tale with more adult-oriented themes that readers of all ages can easily identify.

Bone kicks off with Fone, Smiley, and Phoney wandering the desert after being cast out of their hometown of Boneville (after Phoney attempted to cheat the townspeople). The trio becomes separated, but one by one they find each other in a forest valley, one populated by rat creatures, rustic townspeople, dragons, talking animals, war, and destiny. From there, the Bones do what they can to stay alive, help their newfound friends, stand against a darkness they never knew existed, and find their way back home.

I enjoyed how Smith injected some light philosophy and psychology about authority, responsibility, heroism, and identity. It all serves as a solid foundation for deeper exploration for young readers. Bone may very well do for adolescent readers what books did for me when I was younger: Ignite an ever-burning curiosity and passion for the inner workings and nuances of people as individuals and as various societies. Thankfully, Smith doesn’t throttle the reader or burden the narrative with preachiness or pretentiousness, which some adult narratives could learn from. This may be another reason that young adult novels are so popular right now, because adult readers have grown exhausted seeing their real-life struggles, complexities, and confusion not just reflected, but magnified in their movies, books, TV shows, and the like.

On a related note, Bone also makes for a great “beginner epic.” Younger readers may not quite be ready for intellectually meatier classics such as Moby Dick, War and Peace, or The Odyssey (some older readers may not be ready for those stories, either), but slowly working their way through a story like Bone helps set a proper framework. It took me a while to work through the collection, but the storyline was simple enough that I didn’t have too much trouble remembering what was going on.

Another aspect of Bone that I enjoyed was the fact that the Bone cousins were essentially supporting characters in the story at large rather than main characters. The narrative lens is most certainly tightly focused on the three, but Fone, Smiley, and Phoney are not the heroes of this fable, and I don’t think that’s a spoiler to say so. The three cousins are more concerned with surviving and helping Thorn, Gran’ma Ben, and the rest of the townspeople against Kingdok and his army of rat creatures and anything else that besets them. These guys are the definition of “stay in your lane.”

There’s some great mythology and worldbuilding to enjoy in this story, a level of which surprised me at turns with its sheer creativity and scope; Smith didn’t skimp on the details or the imagination when he was creating this tome. The way magic is portrayed is often subtle rather than flashy, something that’s seeped into the land itself, which makes it all the more satisfying when Jeff conjures literal magic onto the page.

Speaking of magic, Smith’s artistic style weaves a spell in the reader’s mind. Sticking to just black and white, Bone has some great uses of light and shadow, especially shadow. Smith’s decision to “limit” himself to just two colors was influenced by old comic strips, something older readers can easily pick up on. I’m certain this also made it easier to churn out installations bimonthly without Smith feeling rushed or having to compromise on his style.

I couldn’t wrap up this review without mentioning the news that Netflix has decided to adapt Bone into an animated series. I’m looking forward to seeing the art style the series will have, as well as what parts of the story and its themes the show will explore for younger audiences, especially because the story was originally published from 1991 to 2004.

There’s a lot to absorb, appreciate, and mull over with Bone, no matter your age. It’s easy to understand why this one is such a beloved classic, one to share with future generations. When life’s problems have too many shades of complications, it’s a comfort to know there’s a world where everything is black and white and brimming with adventure and humor at every turn.

Page length: 1,332 pages

Recommend Buy New, Used or Skip: Just for the sheer size, I say buy used if you can find a copy (or, as always, check your local library)

Up Next: Kindred, the graphic novel adaptation of Octavia Butler’s classic novel. Adapted by Damian Duffy and illustrated by John Jennings, Kindred is the story of a young Black woman named Dana who lives in 1970s California and finds herself yanked back in time to the antebellum South. Dana eventually returns to her own time, but she’s drawn back to the son of a plantation owner again and again. Can Dana survive the ordeal and anchor herself in her own time once and for all, or will she succumb to the immortal violence, racism, and sexism that endures the test of time?

Don't Wake Me 'Til It's Done

Don't Wake Me 'Til It's Done

The Story Bone’s Connected to the Fone Bone - A Review of Bone, Written and Illustrated by Jeff Smith

Page length: 1,332 pages

Recommend Buy New, Used or Skip: Just for the sheer size, I say buy used if you can find a copy (or, as always, check your local library)

Nerd Team 30