Bone (Jeff Smith): SPOILERS
I've been aware of this one for a while, but never quite sure whether or not to track it down. That decision was made for me when I spotted the complete, one volume edition on amazon.com. 1344 pages; every Bone story printed (minus a couple of spinoffs), for a ridiculously paltry $25. I just had to buy that, and to say I wasn't dissapointed is a drastic understatement.
This. Book. Is. Just. Heavenly.
For those of you who haven't heard of it or read it, do yourself a favour, and do so. This is a perfect blend of humour, character, fantasy and imagination, all with a singular vision from the writer and artist Jeff Smith. Sod Peter Parker, Fone Bone is the true everyman in comics, and his adventures with love-to-hate-him Phoney Bone and love-to-love-him Smiley Bone are just nothing short of sublime. Not to mention the beautiful Thorn, sweet/frightening Rose, Lucius, the Great Red Dragon, Kingdok, Bartelby, Ted and Rockjaw!
It took me about 15 hours to read the whole thing, and while the fantasy story of the book is not exactly groundbreaking, and the mish mash of cartoon characters with swords and sorcery is a little odd in places, it's never jarring, and the book never fails to deliver on humour, thrills and adventure.
Highly recommended.
'STUPID, STUPID RAT CREATURES!!!'