BONE: Full Color One Volume Edition

I was first introduced to Bone when I played the point and click video game based on the series' first installment. The characters and the world captivated me, but sadly, Telltale Games never finished the story and I was left hanging. I shrugged it off and didn't really think about it that much, but eventually came across the graphic novel series. It looked interesting and the fact that the series had NINE installments and not just two got me pretty excited and hungry for nostalgia. The story of this book is not quite like anything else. The whole feel of it is very unique, but if you have a thing for fantasy fiction, you won't be disappointed. People have referred to this as the "Lord of the Rings of comics" and I have to say I agree. Jeff Smith has created a vast and beautiful world that you won't soon forget after turning the last page. For those of you planning to get this for your children, I should throw this out there. The "Rat Creatures" (the villains of the story) can be slightly disturbing and scary looking, regardless of the fact that they are often used for comedy scenes. Also, the story starts out decently lighthearted with a taste of adventure, but a few books into it there is blood/violence. Nothing major, but it's worth noting and gets a little more graphic in the final book. Also, there's a few references to some "New Age" type worldview thrown in there. But even if you're against that sort of thing, it hardly takes much enjoyment out of the overall story itself. In the end, the story is satisfying. That's really all I can say without spoiling anything. Now, onto the book itself. Each individual Bone book costs roughly $10. This volume with the entire series costs roughly $100, but there's only 9 books, so you've got an extra $10 floating there. You might be wondering if this book is worth the seemingly ridiculous price and I'm here to tell you that it most certainly is! The individual books are paperbacks, whereas this book is hardback and contains all the books in one volume, so it pretty much all depends on whether you want separate small volumes or one big (slightly heavy) one. The book itself is amazing quality. It feels really sturdy and has a cloth bookmark attached inside the book. (like the average leather bible) The artwork is in full color and looks great. Some people have said that it's a little small, but the size of the book was never an issue for me as far as how big the pages were. If it were much bigger, the weight would be a little ridiculous. Overall, it's pricey, but if you're looking to buy the whole series at once and you want something that feels like it's going to last, I would definitely recommend it.

There are two things to review here: the comic, Bone, by Jeff Smith and this particular edition. I cannot recommend both enough. First of all, the graphic novel... The graphic novel itself by Jeff Smith is a classic and a delight. The characters are rich, memorable, and enjoyable to follow. The world and situations in which the characters grow and develop is incredibly interesting and fun. This is a comic for all ages, but there's more here than meets the eye here. While I'd give this to most kids I know to read, I'd also recommend it to many adults as well. I'd highly recommend this to fans of fantasy, readers of comics/graphic novels, and, in fact, lovers of great stories in general. This isn't one to miss. About the edition... This edition is wonderful. The colors are vibrant, beautiful, and, most importantly, fitting. Whether you are a new fan of Bone or a returning one, the color edition is very worth experiencing. In my humble opinion, the colors complement, not distract from, the original artistic vision. Having this all in one volume is also great. The book is very heavy (don't plan on reading this on-the-go much), but it's very well constructed. Everything from its binding, to its pages, to its protective sleeve are made with care. Not to mention this fits very well in a comic collection. It's very worth the price ($97.36 at the time I write this). Enjoy!

I feel that anything and everything I could possibly say about BONE has been said already--and quite likely far better than I'd ever be able to express. So I'm not going to waste your time singing this story's praises (well deserved as they may be). Chances are, if you're looking into buying this edition, you are already a fan. And if you're not already familiar, but are interested in learning, then I cannot think of a better port of entry. So, a quick review of the specifics of this edition. Slipcase: The 20th Anniversary Edition includes a print-wrapped slipcase that houses the book neatly without being too snug or too loose. There are two crescent cut-out tabs on either side of the book, for easy removal. The casing boards are sturdy, with no immediate visible warping, though I would not want to test them against any real pressure. The Book: The covers are nice, sturdy boards, of perhaps slightly heavier stock than the slipcase, again with a print wrap. The spine is completely flat, with the binding ever-so-slightly concave, giving the pages a slight outward bulge in the front (which thankfully does not extend beyond the covers). The pages are lightweight, but nowhere near as thin at the pages that caused the dreaded art bleeding in the B&W one-volume editions. With gorgeous full-color glossy pages, art bleed is now at an absolute minimum. To me, that makes this version the unquestionable go-to edition right there. The book also includes non-glossy endpapers featuring the map of the Valley, and a baby-blue ribbon bookmark, glued to the middle of the binding. And finally, I am happy to report that the book will shut close to flat again after a thorough reading. The One Negative: Weight. At over six pounds, oh my goodness, is this book heavy. I read the entire thing cover-to-cover in about 11 hours, and my wrists and arms are pretty sore now from holding it. After a while, there's just no comfortable way to support that weight. But that is the trade-off of a one volume edition. If you'd prefer not to deal with it, there are always the 9 individual volumes. So in short, if you have not already experienced the beauty that is colorized BONE--or BONE at all--don't hesitate. I don't see how it could get better than this.

BONE is an amazing story shown here in beautiful quality.

I have recently gotten into reading graphic novels and after consulting many lists of the top best collections; I discovered this one ranked very highly. Initially, I found the extremely simplistic "bone" characters" to be a bit off putting due to their vintage Disney-esque simplicity but the depth of the characters and incredible twists and turns of this exciting story have absolutely blown away my expectations. As you read, you can absolutely and distinctly "hear" each character's voice and the story is in itself nothing short of EPIC. Think Lord of the rings epic. The world building element of the map in the front of the book adds an additional layer of richness. There are moments of nail-biting suspense intermixed with laugh out loud humor and the subject matter is tame enough for kids and well written enough for adults to enjoy as well. In short, I feel this is nothing short of a comic classic and the full color gorgeous inked version makes it all the richer and amazing experience to read.

The book is has 1,318 page of artful comics from beginning to end which means you get the second photo times 659 of artful colorful pages. That's like 8 pennies a page for full color comics at current mark down and with a great story to boot who wouldn't want to buy it. It not small and it far nicer then the non-colored paper back. It weights like brick because of of all the content. You want to use a pillow or something to lay the book on when reading and it's likely best a adult handles the book as a small child could easily hurt themselves and very likely damage the book because of the weight as it really takes two hands to hold even for a adult. It comes with box with cover art on it that book can be place in when not in use that nice in itself. Alot of people order non-colored soft back by mistake so just don't and just buy the full color hard back as it's much easier to turn the pages and the colored artwork is just out of this world. Just not let the price stop you from buying as it like a whole set of long books format as one book. The pictures make story telling to a child without even actually having to read the words the characters say perfectly possible and easy if you want to on the spot tell the story in a classic simplified event driven bed time story format.

If you are reading this review im sure you already know about Bone and there is no need to go into detail but a must read!! Now onto the actual review, the Hardcover is amazing! Well produced, heavy stock cardboard and beautiful artwork. Certainly something to put on display when not in use. Now upon saying this, like many other reviewers have said, this is a HEAVY book. You're not going to sit in bed or lie down reading this beauty. On a desk or somewhere sturdy. I actually bought this for my daughter(9yrs) and she is loving it but at the same time she's about 75% of the way thru and she is def. finding this a daunting task to read. Kids may lose interest or may not be THAT interested in finishing a book if they are not finding the subject entertaining. However my daughter is loving Bone and has def. turned her into a graphic novel/comic book fan. I can't wait to "borrow" the book once she's done. Btw I have read some reviews about color vs. b&w, beleive me when I say color all the way. It lends depth to the characters and lands of Bone, if you're on the fence about this, don't be. Put down the bones for Bone!! p.s. When I received this from Amazon the first time, I noticed some tears and dents in the cover/book sleeve. I sent this back promptly and when I received the 2nd copy it was in much better shape. ymmv

Bone itself is amazing. It always has been always will be. Unfortunately my copy that I got has a misprint I didn't discover until after the return window had passed.