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Title: Kingdok
Series: Bone #4
Author: Jeff Smith
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Comics
Pages: 28
Words: 1K

Synopsis:

From Boneville.fandom.com

The day before the spring fair Fone Bone and Phoney Bone do chores around the farmhouse. After Fone Bone tells Phoney about the great cow race and how they bet on the races Phoney Bone thinks of a new scam and runs off to Barrelhaven. While traveling to Barrelhaven, Phoney Bone encounters the two rat creatures and Kingdok. He overhears that they are looking for a "small bald creature with a star on its chest". The rat creatures are summoned to a high council by "The Hooded One" who sends every rat creature in the valley to attack the farmhouse.

My Thoughts:

Things take a turn for the serious here. Not only are the 2 rat creatures here, but we are introduced to their king, Kingdok, who is on a scale larger than them as they are to Fone Bone. And we meet the Hooded One, who appears to be leading Kingdok, and who knows the dragon that is guarding Fone.

Phoney Bone is still causing trouble on the farm but runs away to the town to do some betting. He overhears the 2 rats and Kingdok and I do wish he'd been caught and eaten. Oh well, can't have everything I want in a comic I guess.

The issue ending with a horde of rat creatuers surrounding the farm of Gran'ma Ben really hits home the point that this comic is not going to be a bunch of panels of talking heads (like the Peanuts) or one issue gags (like Garfield). Smith has a big story to tell and I felt like we as readers fell down the rabbit hole in this issue. There's no going back and no way out except forward.

If you'd like a review of the whole series at once (I'm going to be taking years at this pace), Jeroen recently reviewed the Complete Bone. Just remember, he's a jaded european, not a bright, cheery, optimistic American like me. So take his review with a grain or three of salt ;-)

★★★✬☆ ( )