Joker: Review
by Nathan on October 12, 2019
Joker, jester, fool, prankster...the idea evokes the image of a clown, a silly ragamuffin who makes children laugh and prances around joyfully. Somewhere along the line, that idea became distorted. I don't know the history of how the idea of "clown" went from an amusing circus oddity to becoming the face of nightmares. How did we take guys with face paint and squeaky noses and turn them into demonic entities that haunt Stephen King novels and criminals who rejoice in the deaths of innocents? It's baffling...and yet, it makes for compelling characters.
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Review: Jeff Smith’s “Bone”—Book 5: “Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border” Finally Gives Our Starring Protagonist a Role of His Own
by Nathan on September 22, 2019
Odd as this may sound, I think “Rock Jaw” was the book that introduced me to “Bone.” If I recall correctly, I’m pretty sure I borrowed and read an individual “Rock Jaw” full-color volume from the library before ever embarking on the entire “Bone” saga. I don’t remember how I came about reading it, why I decided to read it, or even if it was a book I found or my dad borrowed for me. All I remember is the colored cover of this volume staring me in the face before I ever read the entire saga.
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Review: Jeff Smith’s “Bone”—Book 4: “The Dragonslayer” Dedicates too Much Time to Subplots and Fails to Significantly Enhance the Main Story
by Nathan on September 21, 2019
J. Jonah Jameson.
That’s the image that continually popped into my head whenever Phoney Bone appeared the page. Nearly every time words were blurted from the mouth of that star-shirt-wearing, big-nosed buffoon, I could easily picture them coming from The Daily Bugle’s irascible publisher instead.
(come of think of it, would J.K. Simmons be a good voice actor for Phoney in a “Bone” movie? Hmm…)
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Review: Jeff Smith’s “Bone”—Book 3: “Eyes of the Storm” Kicks Smith's Epic Story into High Gear, Stumbling Only Slightly Along the Way
by Nathan on September 20, 2019
This third chapter in Smith’s “Bone” is where things begin to take off. Smith’s complete story is revealed piece by piece, chapter by chapter, but Book 3 promises at least more explanation that we were given in either “Out From Boneville” or “The Great Cow Race.” “Eyes of the Storm,” for me, marks a discernable shift in Smith’s narrative.
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Review: Jeff Smith’s “Bone”—Book 2: “The Great Cow Race” Stands Wonderfully on its Own but Adds Little to the Overall Narrative
by Nathan on September 14, 2019
Jeff Smith had a lot of worldbuilding to do in his first book, “Out From Boneville,” and was very successful in crafting a complex world with compelling characters. Despite some minor pacing issues, “Out From Boneville” was a thoroughly entertaining initial chapter in Smith’s “Bone” saga, one which not only introduced readers to Smith’s environment and world but also gave a hint of the epic narrative awaiting us in the rest of the book.
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