Part two of the first Bone trilogy has the three Bone cousins further entrenching themselves into their new valley home: Fone Bone is still pining for the lovely Thorn, Phoney Bone is plotting more schemes, and Smiley Bone is still, well, smiling! While it's hard to upstage the hilarity and operatic chaos of the cow race, one of the really special moments of this book is from the first chapter when Fone Bone tries to outdo a beautiful country boy in a battle for Thorn's attention. Bone: The Great Cow Race is funny, joyful, and bittersweet in a way that only the immensely talented Jeff Smith can deliver.
From Booklist
The saga of the Bone cousins picks up steam in the second collection of one of the most acclaimed new comics. Now that the three refugees from Boneville--our hero Fone Bone, scheming Phony Bone, and happy-go-lucky Smiley Bone--are firmly established in the outside world, the Tolkienesque aspects of the tale become more apparent as we see more of the loathsome rat creatures and catch glimpses of the mysterious childhood the Bone cousins' friend Thorn spent among dragons. But the fantasy doesn't come at the expense of the humor and charm always prominent in Smith's work. "Bone" --and comics generally--don't get more uproarious than the pivotal cow race here, in which cantankerous Gran'ma outruns a herd of bovine contestants. Smith's animation-inspired storytelling, with its traces of Walt Kelly and Carl Barks and its impressive balancing of humor and adventure, continues to astound. Smith's neotraditional approach may not be cutting-edge, but as a graphic novel series that appeals to an audience of more than just comics enthusiasts, his is the "Bone" to pick. Gordon Flagg
Book Description
The adventures of the lost Bone cousins continue! Highlights include "The Great Cow Race".
From the Publisher
Like Pogo BONE has a whimsy best appreciated by adults yet kids can enjoy it too; and like Barks' Disney Duck stories BONE moves from brash humor to gripping adventure in a single panel
Bone: The Great Cow Race FROM THE PUBLISHER
In The Great Cow Race, volume 2 of this 9-book epic, Fone Bone and his cousins plan to return home after visiting the village of Barrelhaven with Thorn and Gran'ma Ben. But Phoney risks everything on one last get-rich-quick scheme for the town's annual Great Cow Race. As usual, Phoney's plans go disastrously awry, and Boneville seems further away than ever. Meanwhile, ominous signs indicate that a war is brewing, and Fone finds himself helping his friends defend their valley from a formidable enemy.
FROM THE CRITICS
BookList - Gordon Flagg
The saga of the Bone cousins picks up steam in the second collection of one of the most acclaimed new comics. Now that the three refugees from Boneville--our hero Fone Bone, scheming Phony Bone, and happy-go-lucky Smiley Bone--are firmly established in the outside world, the Tolkienesque aspects of the tale become more apparent as we see more of the loathsome rat creatures and catch glimpses of the mysterious childhood the Bone cousins' friend Thorn spent among dragons. But the fantasy doesn't come at the expense of the humor and charm always prominent in Smith's work. "Bone" --and comics generally--don't get more uproarious than the pivotal cow race here, in which cantankerous Gran'ma outruns a herd of bovine contestants. Smith's animation-inspired storytelling, with its traces of Walt Kelly and Carl Barks and its impressive balancing of humor and adventure, continues to astound. Smith's neotraditional approach may not be cutting-edge, but as a graphic novel series that appeals to an audience of more than just comics enthusiasts, his is the "Bone" to pick.
Art & Photography
Book Info
