Jeff Smith's Bone pt.4

Even as he was approaching the end of this fantasy epic, with characters we had come to know dying as a result of the evil of the Lord of the Locusts and the distrust and betrayal from some of those in power within the city of Atheia, Smith would still inject some humor into the narratives in order to keep that balance and not allow things to become too heavy. A couple of my favorite examples from later in the story are:





Smith also knows when to allow the images to convey the story rather than overwrite things (as was seen with the scene from issue #16 when Thorn, Gran’ma, and Fone Bone were fleeing the rat creatures in the night). The final confrontation with Mim and the dragons was incredibly powerful, and carried out with no dialogue or captions whatever.



Smith’s artistic ability really conveyed the majesty and the gravity of the situation incredibly well, and made for a fitting climax to a wonderful story.

Some final thoughts:
When Thorn was moving through the Ghost Circles, particularly that final time, it reminded me very much of Aragorn’s trek through the “Paths of the Dead” from Tolkien’s Return of the King.
It had been so long since I first read BONE that I’d forgotten a lot. Many of those who died, I did not recall. The Crown of Horns was as much a surprise on this reading as the first. And, though I ultimately knew good would win out, I did not remember how it all went, and I found it even more satisfying this time than how I remember it feeling the first time I read BONE. Smith, in creating a personal story like this, imbued his story with a tension that wouldn’t be available in a mainstream book. You don’t know who will die because anyone could die at any time. It adds a level of enjoyment that I often (note, I did not say always) find missing in the mainstream.
I loved how Smiley was trying to convince Fone Bone to come with him and Phoney when they leave at the end, and the use of the “TM” symbol after all the delicacies he uses to entice his cousin.
And when I got to that last page, it was sad to think it was over.

Go, find this book, read it, and enjoy.

-chris

Jeff Smith's Bone pt.3

Smith sucks readers in with the cute Bone creatures and the comic aspect of the tale early, and then slowly turns the narrative toward the more epic and fantastical tale he is telling. This is not a simple funny anthropomorphic tale, but a traditional fantasy with hidden royalty and swords and evil spirits. And somehow, Smith manages to keep a good balance between the heavy, darker aspects of his story and the comic moments. He never forgets to temper the darker sections of the narrative with some levity. And, in the same way Smith utilized the comic page to relate his comic timing, he also understands how to use it to create tension and dread in his audience. A prime example from issue #16 comes when Thorn, Gran’ma, and Fone Bone are skulking through the rainy forest in the dead of night trying to evade the rat creatures:


































This is a brilliant use of the comic page to convey the emotion he wants readers to feel.

Smith can do creepy too:
































Smith also takes everything about the comic page into account when crafting his stories. Like Dave Sim, who may be the master of this, Smith utilizes his lettering to convey emotions in pages like this one:

Jeff Smith's Bone pt.2

I was also impressed, on this re-reading, how much of the broader story was laid out so early in the series.

On page 9 of issue #1 readers get their first glimpse at the Dragon.


The signature phrase, “Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures!” shows up in issue #2.


- Issue #3 introduces the map that becomes important later.
- In issue #4 we first see the Hooded One.
- And issue #6 offers the first mention of the 50ft. balloon of Phoney, which is only a throwaway line meant to elicit smiles in this context, but becomes so much more when readers reach the final act of the story.

All of these important points are laid out in the very first trade collection. Like any worthwhile storyteller, Smith sets everything up well in advance for a great payoff later.

Something else I noticed (after my wife pointed it out) was how Smith drew Thorn and Gran’ma Ben with a definite, though subtle, family resemblance. It’s little details such as this, that many people might not notice, that add so much to this book.





Look at those chins.

Jeff Smith's Bone pt.1

Another "Book of the Month Club" @ CGS that I gave some serious thought was the examination/discussion of Jeff Smith's Bone (the episode's here). It's a great, epic story that has humor, pathos, drama, and tragedy all mixed together with Smith's beautifully emotive and meticulous artwork. Brilliant book. If you haven't read it yet, you should definitely do yourself a favor - get it and read it.

I discovered BONE with issue #10. Before then, I hadn’t seen a copy of an issue on the shelf, or not noticed it. But I’d heard good things about it, and the clincher was that the first letter in the letters’ page was from George Perez. My favorite artist. No way could I put that issue back. I also picked up the first trade that day, and from there I was hooked.

One of the best things about Jeff Smith’s BONE is the comedy, which is all about timing. And Smith’s timing is impeccable, something made more challenging by the medium he’s chosen to tell his stories, comics. Not only does Smith need to conceive funny scenarios, but he needs to writer and draw it in a way that leads his audience to read it in a way that achieves the comic effect. Some of my favorite examples:

- In this first issue, everyone has been telling Fone Bone that he needs to think about getting out of the valley before the first snow comes. Once that hits, he'll be stuck. It's mentioned a few times, keeping it fresh in readers' minds. Fone Bone really doesn't think much of it, until the final page.


Then there's this page where Fone Bone calls out the Dragon:


And Fone Bone trying to show off for Thorn by telling her he should be the one to chop the wood:

More later.
- chris