174. Bone 4: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith

The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith (Canada) - (US)
Bone, Vol. 4

Pages: 168
Ages: 9+
Finished: Aug. 7, 2011
First Published: 1997 (2006 colourized edition)
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Graphic novel, fantasy, children, humour
Rating: 5/5


First sentence:

"Okay, Mister! Here's your soup an' ale."

Acquired: Purchased a new copy through an online retailer.

Reason for Reading:  next in the series.

This volume was fabulous!  Maybe part of my sheer enjoyment was due to the little break I took between books 1-3 and this one. (I'm trying not to rush through them "too" fast) But while the break may have refreshed my zeal for these characters, this was still a top-notch story.  Things turn quite dark in this volume as we finally meet the bad guy and see him surrounded by his minions.  He wears a costume that hides his actual identity and it makes me wonder whether if and when his hood is lifted we might see a familiar face in the end.  Great story with some multiple plot lines going on; first and foremost the Lord of the Locusts is gathering the rat creatures to help him take over the valley, Thorn learns her true identity and fights a battle with King Dok, and as usual Phoney Bone is up to his usual scams this time scaring the villagers into believing that they are under eminent attack by dragons and he, a true dragonslayer, is the only one who can help them. The red dragon makes his usual appearance and steals the scene.  I love that guy.  I kind of imagine  him being voiced by Kelsey Grammer if there were an animated version.