Bone Review: The All-Ages Fantasy Masterpiece
Jeff Smith's funny, epic, all-ages fantasy — great for any reader.
By Web Admin
There’s a particular magic to a book that a nine-year-old and a forty-year-old can both stay up too late reading, laughing at the same jokes and gasping at the same cliffhangers. Bone is that book. Written, drawn, and self-published by Jeff Smith over thirteen years from 1991 to 2004, it grew from a scrappy black-and-white indie into one of the most beloved graphic novels ever made — an all-ages fantasy epic that stands shoulder to shoulder with the best comics for grown-ups. This is our full review, and our take on which edition belongs on your shelf.
What is Bone?
Bone is the complete, self-contained fantasy saga created entirely by Jeff Smith, who wrote, drew, inked, and originally published it himself through his company Cartoon Books. It ran as 55 issues from 1991 to 2004 and totals around 1,300 pages. Smith has cited an unlikely trio of influences — Pogo, Peanuts, Moby-Dick, and The Lord of the Rings — and you can feel all of them in the finished work: newspaper-strip comedy fused with mythic, sweeping adventure.
The story begins as comedy. Three cousins from Boneville — sensible Fone Bone, greedy schemer Phoncible P. “Phoney” Bone, and goofy cigar-chomping Smiley Bone — are run out of town and lost in a vast, uncharted wilderness. There they stumble into a hidden valley, and what starts as a lighthearted fish-out-of-water romp gradually deepens into a grand war between good and a rising ancient evil.
The story: from slapstick to epic
The genius of Bone is the slow, seamless gear-shift. Early chapters are pure fun: Phoney’s get-rich schemes, Smiley’s cheerful idiocy, a pair of hilariously menacing rat creatures who mostly want to make quiche. But Smith plants seeds early, and over the saga’s length the stakes climb toward genuine fantasy grandeur — a lost princess, a mysterious hooded lord, dragons, and a war for the valley itself. By the final volumes you’re fully invested in a mythology that snuck up on you while you were laughing.
That tonal control is the mark of a master. Very few creators can make you belly-laugh on one page and feel real dread a few pages later, and fewer still can sustain it across 1,300 pages without a single stumble. Smith does, and the pacing never sags.
The characters
- Fone Bone — the earnest, kind-hearted everyman at the center; hopelessly smitten with Thorn.
- Phoney Bone — the greedy, scheming cousin whose ambition drives half the plot’s trouble.
- Smiley Bone — the gentle, dim, endlessly likeable comic relief with a surprising heart.
- Thorn — a young woman with a hidden royal heritage, whose coming-of-age anchors the epic.
- Gran’ma Ben — a tough, cow-racing grandmother who is far more than she appears.
- The Great Red Dragon — a wry, watchful guardian, and one of comics’ best dragons.
The art: cartooning at its finest
Jeff Smith is a cartoonist in the fullest, most honorable sense of the word. His line is impossibly expressive — the Bone cousins are simple, rounded shapes who can convey an entire performance with a raised eyebrow — while his landscapes and creatures have real weight and menace. He draws comedy and terror in the same confident brushstroke, which is exactly why the tonal shifts work. It’s a masterclass in visual storytelling that animators, illustrators, and comic artists still study.
Is Bone appropriate for kids?
Yes — with a small caveat that’s worth naming. Bone is a genuine all-ages book, meaning it’s written to be enjoyed by children and adults rather than watered down for either. It contains no profanity or sexual content. There are, however, scary moments — the rat creatures and the looming villain can be genuinely creepy, and the later war has real peril and stakes. Most kids around eight and up handle it wonderfully (it’s a fixture of school libraries), but very sensitive young readers might find parts intense. It’s a fantastic read-aloud for families.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Genuinely all-ages — delightful for kids and adults alike
- Perfect tonal balance of comedy and epic fantasy
- Jeff Smith’s cartooning is world-class
- A complete, satisfying story with a real ending
Cons
- Some scary moments for very young or sensitive readers
- The one-volume black-and-white edition is a hefty brick
- Color editions cost significantly more overall
Which edition should you buy?
This is the most common question about Bone, and the answer really does depend on the reader. The core choice is between the complete black-and-white omnibus and the nine full-color volumes.
| Edition | Collects | Color | Approx. price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete Edition (One Volume) | All 9 books (~1,300 pp) | Black & white | ~US$40 | Best value; adult readers |
| Color paperbacks (9 vols) | One book each | Full color | ~US$13 each | Kids; easier to handle |
| Color hardcovers | One book each | Full color | ~US$23 each | Gifts and collectors |
Our guidance: for an adult reader or a dedicated collector, the massive one-volume black-and-white Complete Edition is astonishing value — Smith’s linework is arguably at its purest in black and white. For younger readers, the individual color paperbacks are less intimidating to hold and the color, added later by Steve Hamaker, is lovely and inviting. You can’t go wrong; buy for the reader.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonWhy Bone belongs on every shelf
Bone occupies a rare category: a book with no wrong audience. It’s one of the finest on-ramps into comics for a child, a headline pick in our best comics for kids guide, and it’s genuinely one of the best fantasy comics for adults too. If someone in your life is fantasy-curious but nervous about comics, it’s also a natural recommendation from our best comics for beginners list. Simply put, it’s earned its permanent place near the top of our best graphic novels list.
It’s also a landmark of independent publishing. Smith built this entire world by hand and self-published it before graphic novels were a bookstore fixture, proving that a single cartoonist with a singular vision could produce something to rival any studio. That legacy is part of what makes Bone so beloved by other creators.
The verdict
Some books are great for kids. Bone is simply great — a funny, thrilling, beautifully drawn epic that happens to be safe for kids and irresistible to adults. Whether you buy the black-and-white brick or the color volumes, you’re getting one of the most purely enjoyable reading experiences in all of comics. It’s a masterpiece, and one of the easiest recommendations we ever make.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bone finished?
Yes. The main saga is complete in nine books, and it tells a full story with a satisfying ending — no waiting on ongoing installments.
Should I buy Bone in black and white or color?
The one-volume black-and-white Complete Edition is the best value and shows off Jeff Smith’s linework beautifully. The color volumes are more inviting for young readers and easier to hold.
What age is Bone good for?
Most readers around eight and up love it, and adults do too. It’s clean of profanity and sexual content, though it has some genuinely scary moments in later volumes.
Is Bone a good first graphic novel?
It’s one of the best. The comedy hooks new readers instantly, the story is self-contained, and the cartooning is easy and joyful to follow.
Looking for more family-friendly picks? See our best comics for kids, our best fantasy comics, and the all-time greats in our best graphic novels list.
