Out from Boneville (1995)
Out from Boneville Review
Out from Boneville is the first volume of Bone comics written and illustrated by Jeff Smith. It was first published in 1995.
The first volume covers the first six issues of the series and follows the three Bone cousins as they meet the inhabitants of a mysterious valley and seek their help in finding the way back to their home in Boneville. I knew going into this series that it would be pretty good judging by the artwork and its premise, but I was still surprised to witness such a wonderful comic book that truly enchanted me. I loved every second of reading this first story arc and I can’t wait to read more.
Right from the first issue, we are introduced deftly to this unique world and its inhabitants. These Bone creatures have very authentic designs and are, thus, easily distinguishable from other cartoon creations. The fact that one person both wrote and illustrated this series is mind-blowing and surely Jeff Smith deserves more praise within the industry for managing to do such a terrific job with it on both ends of the process.
The background work is absolutely gorgeous. The natural landscapes are lush and detailed, but also fittingly dark and menacing when needed. The tone here is pleasingly versatile – light and witty at first, but becoming more sinister as it goes along. The comic looks polished and super modern while benefitting from superbly utilized balloon speeches. The dialogue is fantastic and one of the highlights for me personally. The humor is phenomenal and quite timeless while the character dynamics are brilliant.
Fone Bone is the protagonist and he is both cute and also more interesting than your standard main character as he’s not too heroic, but is competent enough for now. Smiley is more goofy and silly while Phoney is the standout as this Uncle Scrooge-like figure obsessed with wealth and greed. I did not quite care for the introduction of human characters as I honestly think this world would be better off with no humans, but at least Gran’ma Ben was delightfully over-the-top in her cartoony super strength and sassiness. Thorn, however, is boring and just a pretty love interest for now.
I loved the dragon character and the Rat Creatures are very creepy. This first volume sets up the villains in a very cool and menacing way and I can’t wait to see how their story plays out in the future. The creatures are dangerous in this environment, which added a level of urgency to the overall story. But the highlight for me was that first issue that was a stellar opener and a great hook for the entire series. The cartoony style to plot progression, storyboarding of plot and character moments and its slapstick humor made for such a dazzling visual experience.
