Bone

Bone is definitely a unique case in the world of comic books. It's probably best described as a collision of the cartoon sensibilities of Calvin and Hobbes with the epic fantasy world of The Lord of the Rings, with a lot of the best features of both. It begins as Fone Bone, a small white-skinned fellow and his cousins Phoney and Smiley wander into a valley far from their home of Boneville, and accidentally become embroiled in a conflict that they may be partly responsible for and threatens the entire world. There's a fair amount of humor throughout the story and especially early on, but the focus definitely tends towards the dramatic plot as it goes on. It's a story Jeff Smith slowly told over the course of about 14 years, and as a labor of love by a single man it's one of the best I've ever seen.

The book is certainly not without its flaws. It seems like things get over-explained a bit as we're present every time a different character gets filled in on the intricate history of the world and all the important events, without only a bit of new information revealed each time. And there are some aspects of the story that I don't feel paid off fully. I had some issues with the ending specifically, though most of the issues don't matter so much in light of the full accomplishment. The fantasy part of the story isn't exactly wholly original but it works, and the characters are so universally likable and there's so many fun, memorable moments that it's hard not to come away from these 1300-odd pages without a smile on your face. I uh... yeah. Bone's good. Read it.