Bone, Vol. 3: Eyes of the Storm

Rating:
Summary: Bone series lays seeds for epic adventure
Review: And here is where the "Bone" series' epic flourishes begin to show.

Still rooted in humor, still geared towards an all-ages audience, still showing its strong Carl Barks (Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge) and Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) influence, the third volume of the nine-volume "Bone" series, "Eyes Of The Storm," picks up where the first two left off, showing the wacky adventures of the bone creatures as they get involved with the characters populating a quaint little valley.

But here Smith begins to sow the seeds of tragedy, despair and darkness that make their way into the series later on.

Yet it's still all in good fun, with plenty of laughs, thrills and excitement.

Timeless is every way, "Bone" is an expansive story about three "bone creatures" (you'd have to see them to understand) that find themselves in a valley peopled with an assortment of crazy and interesting characters. Looming over it all is the menace of a great evil, first glimpsed by the ferocious (and funny) rat creatures, but later revealed to be something much more disturbing.

Jeff Smith's "Bone" series is a critically acclaimed but criminally overlooked epic. Critics recognize Smith's masterful storytelling abilities and are drawn to his mix of all-ages humor and more mature darkness, but the black and white art and lack of superheroes is anathema to most comic book readers, making it a hit only in the "underground" sense.

Readers able to look past the lack of men in tights and color artwork will delight in this series.

Smith combines the kind of classic storytelling perfected by the likes of the legendary Barks and Watterson - gleefully funny cartooning with outrageously expressive faces and gestures - with the epic and engaging plotting of a sweeping fairy tale. "Bone" walks a tightrope and walks it well, managing to be something fans of both Donald Duck and Bilbo Baggins can enjoy.

"Bone" is essential reading that no lover of the comic artform should skip. Little doubt people will still be reading "Bone" 50 years from now. Broad in scope yet personal and quaint, this is a charming story in every way that will surely outlast 90 percent of other comic works on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Don't call me Ishmael
Review: Bone's saga strange mix of fantasy and poetic surrealism is at its peak in these stories. Fone Bone hopelessly loves Thorn, who in these chapters will learn excruciating truths about her past. The rat creatures are on the prowl (save the two local idiots) and Phoney Bone can't think better than casting doubt on the most valid defender against them...the Red Dragon. And this, only because of a foolish bet in which poor Lucius let himself be drawn.Harbingers of all these developments are strange dreams of Thorn and Fonebone (who dreams of Moby Dick,what else? And Thorn's image is sculpted on the Pequod's prow). The better moments are the return of Lucius, Phoney and Smiley under the rain to Barrelhaven, and Ted the Bug who ironizes at Fonebone's poetry, and when moments later the Dragon to whom unwittingly Fonebone offers flowers says "don't you think daisies would be better for my eyes"? At this you'll laugh, then you'll be chilled at the Dragon's knowledge of Fone's dreams. Thus the "don't call me Ishmael"! Jeff Smith is truly the better comic artist of this turn of the century

Rating:
Summary: Don't call me Ishmael
Review: Bone's saga strange mix of fantasy and poetic surrealism is at its peak in these stories. Fone Bone hopelessly loves Thorn, who in these chapters will learn excruciating truths about her past. The rat creatures are on the prowl (save the two local idiots) and Phoney Bone can't think better than casting doubt on the most valid defender against them...the Red Dragon. And this, only because of a foolish bet in which poor Lucius let himself be drawn.Harbingers of all these developments are strange dreams of Thorn and Fonebone (who dreams of Moby Dick,what else? And Thorn's image is sculpted on the Pequod's prow). The better moments are the return of Lucius, Phoney and Smiley under the rain to Barrelhaven, and Ted the Bug who ironizes at Fonebone's poetry, and when moments later the Dragon to whom unwittingly Fonebone offers flowers says "don't you think daisies would be better for my eyes"? At this you'll laugh, then you'll be chilled at the Dragon's knowledge of Fone's dreams. Thus the "don't call me Ishmael"! Jeff Smith is truly the better comic artist of this turn of the century

Rating:
Summary: Best of the Bone series
Review: I loved this book. It is, I find, the most emotionally stirring of all the Bone books. In fact, there are times when it seemed the emotions in this book were so powerful it was nearly violent.
Bombshell after bombshell is dropped, and in the end... what are we left with ?
A thirst for all things Bone after this book. A very powerful addition to the series.

Rating:
Summary: Near Perfect!
Review: This volume is less a conclusion to the first trilogy than it is a setup for the second. Fone Bone and Thorn's dreams start to become an increasing factor and indirectly lead to a chilling escape from a pack of rat creatures during a fierce thunderstorm. Also, much of the truth is explained regarding Thorn's past.

While this volume does not have the quantity of zany humor found in the first two volumes, it does meet its quota of unforgettable moments. Smiley's dubious rescue of Phoney and Lucius the bartender from another pack of rats, as well as the bet made between Phoney and Lucius soon after are to be forever etched into the memory. Also notable is the introduction of the mastermind behind the ill befalling the valley, the incorporeal Lord of the Locusts.

If it were not for some of the details surrounding Thorn's past, which seem a bit overused to me, I would give this 5 stars in an instant. As it is, I am giving it 4, but consider this volume a must-have despite the missing star.

Rating:
Summary: The plot thickens!
Review: Those of you who have read through the first 2 volumes of Jeff Smith's, 'Bone,' series will be glad to know that in vol. #3 the high quality of storytelling and artwork that we have been accustomed to is solidly maintained. Storywise, the mood grows darker as the turn of events take a grim direction sending the story into a seemingly darker chapter. Readers are also treated to a rich backstory on the origins of Rose and Thorn that does much to flesh out the epic storyline even further. Even with this darker mood settling in, Smith still manages to balance things off nicely with sprinklings of humour that in the end balances the dark/light atmosphere remarkably well.

FYI - an excerpt from Jeff Smith's biography in this book, explains the story/character genesis of the series:

"Jeff created the Bone characters in kindergarten while growing up in Columbus, Ohio. Batman, Peanuts and Uncle Scrooge were some of his favorite comics, but when he was nine, somebody showed him one of Walt Kelly's Pogo books. From that moment on, he wanted to be a cartoonist."