The Great Cow Race: A Graphic Novel (Bone #2): Volume 2

Like the title says. I've read the odd Disney comic, and they were good for a few chuckles; but "Bone: The Great Cow Race" was so funny, I had to put it down a few times to catch my breath from laughing so hard!

Fone, Phony and Smiley Bones adventures continue in Pt. II The Great Cow Race. While Grandma Ben prepares for the big upcoming cow race which she'll race every cow in the valley Phony and Smiley have been devising a plan. They will spread a rumor of Grandma being to old to race this year and then of a Mystery Cow a truly monstrous beast that is bound to defeat Grandma (especially since it's Smiley in a Cow suit!) But through a combination of Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures, Granma's dtermination to unmask the "mystery cow," and pure rotten luck their plans goup in smoke. This book has more humor and that feeling that makes you want to say "OOOH No" between fits of laughter. Bone: The Great Cow Race is a worthy addition to anyone's Graphic novel collection.

At long last! Jeff Smith's epic high fantasy comic masterpiece is being produced in color. Fans of Bone will be pleased with Steve Hamaker's crisp coloration, which frequently adds shadow and texture without overloading the panels and really brings out the details of the art. Fans familiar with the one-volume addition will also be glad to see additional artwork filling the space between chapters, as artwork in the original black and white nine-volume series has been reintroduced, including the 'Possum kids' goofy poem and the two-page spread of Thorn frolicking with the Bones. These new color volumes also reveal more of Smith's (or his editor's) endless fiddling. The dialogue in the one-volume edition had been altered, sometimes significantly, and very minor changes have been made again. Most noticeably, the misspelling of "Kewpie doll" has at last been corrected. The quality is much higher than in Volume One: Out from Boneville. The pixelation that some panels suffered in Volume One is gone. The printing is crisp and even the colors seem brighter. However, as in the last volume, the panels have been shrunk. The one-volume edition was smaller than the original nine volumes and the new color volumes have been shrunk again. Surprisingly little detail is lost, considering the intricacy of Smith's art, due no doubt to the high-quality printing. Hamaker and Scholastic are doing a great job and are truly bringing Bone to life.

I have read Bone from back when it first came out in individual comic issues. I must say, this color edition, especially the hardcover one, is the nicest one yet. The black-and-white original always felt a bit sparse for the tone and humor of the story. The beautiful coloring in this edition is perfect. I've bought the two that have come out, and can't wait for the remaining 7. Great job, Scholastic!

Volume #2 of the 'Bone,' graphic novel series collects issues #7-11 originally released in 1992-1993. Those who enjoyed the first volume will surely enjoy this second collection even more, as the characters and storylines introduced in vol. #1 hit their full stride and become further fleshed out in fun and effortless fashion. Reading through the 'Bone,' series is reminiscent of listening to a well-crafted pop song in that there is seemingly little effort taking place to enjoy the work and moments later after you're done digesting it you suddenly realize what a rich and complex work the piece actually is, functioning on several unique layers. 'Bone,' works exactly in such a fashion and trust me when I say that you'll never have more fun while reading through a book and digesting the nuances afterward as you will with this series.