SUSPENDED ANIMATION: Review of Bone: Old Man's Cave

<b>COMING NEXT WEEK: Special comic trivia contest. Correctly answer the two questions that kotv.com will post over the next five weeks beginning Wednesday, November 29th and win a special comic prize

Friday, November 17th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

COMING NEXT WEEK: Special comic trivia contest. Correctly answer the two questions that kotv.com will post over the next five weeks beginning Wednesday, November 29th and win a special comic prize courtesy of Suspended Animation and kotv.com. WATCH FOR THE CONTEST QUESTIONS AND RULES BEGINNING NOVEMBER 29TH.

Review by Michael Vance

Replace Frodo the Hobbit from. Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece Lord Of The Rings with Pogo (the comic strip) Possum. Now picture Tolkien's epic drawn by Will (The Spirit) Eisner. You have imagined Bone, possibly the finest comic book published today.

Bone is an epic adventure of three odd little creatures who are chased out of town and separated until each finds his way into a valley filled "with wonderful and terrifying creatures". Those creatures are the remnant of two great peoples who, after having almost destroyed one another in war, are busy trying to finish the job.

Layers of subplot, intriguing characters, believable dialog, perfect timing, and an eye for detail are what make this story excellent.

As example, the visual focus in one scene shifts away from the conversation of two major characters until the reader is staring into the mousy face of a minor one. Without a written word, the reader knows this "bit" player will become important, and by his expression, owns a secret.

The devil is in the details, and writer and artist Jeff Smith knows how to bedevil his readers.

Equally flawless technique and singular style are what make Bone's minimalistic art excellent.

Minimalistic simply means that no line is added that is not needed to visually tell the story. In itself, minimalism is no better than any other approach to storytelling. It is the mastery of every aspect of any style that elevates one artist over another.

Smith has ridden the style elevator to the top floor. (Sorry, I know that's awful, but I could not resist.)

In particular, Smith's use of big slabs of black or white in his panels is impeccable, adding contrast and mood in a way seldom matched by other cartoonists.

Stripped to the bone, this comic book is entertaining, intriguing and exciting, and Bone receives my highest recommendation for readers of all ages.

Bone: Old Man's Cave is 112 pages and priced at $15.95. It's available as a trade paperback collection from Cartoon Books and is sold in comics shops and by mail.

Questions? Comments? Send e- mail to miklvance@yahoo.com.

About Michael Vance

Michael Vance was first published in The Professor's Story Hour chapbook at the age of eleven and became a professional freelance writer in 1977. Vance has been published in dozens of regional magazines and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, "Forbidden Adventure: The History of the American Comics Group," has been called a "benchmark in comics history".

His magazine work has been published in seven countries, and includes articles for "Starlog," "Jack & Jill" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

He briefly wrote the comic strip, "Alley Oop" and his own strip for five years called "Holiday Out," that was reprinted as a comic book. Vance also wrote comic book titles including "Straw Men," "Angel of Death," "The Adventures of Captain Nemo," and "Bloodtide". His work has appeared in several comic book anthologies, and he is listed in the "Who's Who of American Comic Books" and "Comic Book Superstars".

His short stories about a fictional town called Light's End have been published in "Media Scene," "Holiday Out Comics," "Dreams and Visions", "Maelstrom Speculative Fiction" and "Infinity Press."

With novelists Mel Odom and R.A. Jones, he co-wrote "Global Star" a tabloid in a world where werewolves and babies born with bowling balls in their stomachs are reality, and the New York Times and Washington Post are "trash journalism".

In addition, he worked in newspapers for twenty-two years as an editor, writer and advertising manager, creating three successful newspaper magazines.

Vance is currently communications director of a nonprofit agency, the Tulsa Boys' Home, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is a Christian and Presbyterian.