REVIEW: Bone vol 5

  Bone is a continuing series of Graphic Novels Written and drawn by Jeff Smith. It is truly an all ages adventure series. The Bones have been on the run due to actions by their cousin Phoney Bone . In their escape they come across a valley populated by strange Rat Creatures and even Dragons, then there adventures truly begin.  This volume is called Rock Jaw of the Eastern Border. Fone and his cousin Smiley Bone are on a trek to return a young Rat Cub to the wild. This is an interesting situation for them since the Rat Creatures are actually their greatest enemy.  there are a lot of little subplots in this volume. First there is a fearsome orange panther like creature Roque Ja. He isn't happy that the Bones intrusion on his lands and wants to know where there loyalties lie. then there are the young possums who have decided to leave their valley home and follow the bones. The young ones come across a band of orphan animals. Their parents are all victims of Two Rats and the young ones have banded together to survive. As these groups cross paths they are forced to become allies as KingDok the King of all the rats attacks them. This is a wonderful volume in the series filled with action and suspense. Jeff is a true master of art and writing. The colors are rich and vibrant. The monsters are scary and the young ones are so sweet and innocent you feel a genuine fear for their well being. What I also enjoy about this series is that each volume has a singular story that meshes into a larger epic tale. I'm reading all the books in order but I could see someone picking up this one volume and still having a satisfying read without knowing what came before. I'm a huge fan of the series and would really recommend it.