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 | Boneyard: Volume 1 by Richard Moore | Reviewed by Amy Harlib | |
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| Publisher: NBM Publishing, Inc., NY
http://www.nbmpublishing.com ISBN: 156163316X Release date: July 2002 Format: Large format trade paperback Pages: Price: $12.95 | |||
| Up and coming American comics creator Richard Moore, already well-known for his mixed genre fantasy series "Far West", for mature readers 18 or over, only adds further luster to his reputation with the launch of another continuing sequence of fantastical stories for all ages in the graphic novel Boneyard: Volume 1, which contains the first four episodes. This extra-large (9" x 12"), 96-page trade paperback (soon to be re-printed in standard size) offers ample space to appreciate Moore's excellent black and white artwork printed on heavy-stock, high-quality paper.
Cleverly mixing darkly supernatural elements with humor, Boneyard, set somewhere in the heartland of the United States, concerns grown young man Michael Paris, who just inherited a plot of land in the remote town of Raven Hollow. Upon arrival, Michael observes that the settlement appears to be shaded by an oddly permanent cloud cover. Then he discovers that his grandfather bequeathed him a cemetery, and a haunted one no less. The gravesite's inhabitants consist of quite a lively bunch of weird beings that would be very much at home in any Halloween scenario. The townspeople, heavily influenced by Mayor Wormwood and believing it and its spooky-looking denizens accursed, find the graveyard anathema and want it destroyed. Paris, willing to consider both sides of the story, makes the acquaintance of the dwellers in his boneyard, only to discover that beneath their seemingly frightening or otherwise outre exteriors, they really aren't that bad at all, rather preferable in fact to the rigidly antagonistic and hateful attitudes of the villagers, especially their leader. The reader, along with the protagonist, quickly grows to sympathize with and eventually to ally with the cemetery's colorful crew, most notably Abbey, the gorgeous, smart and feisty vampire babe; Leon and Boris, the very animate guardian gargoyles of the gate; Ralph, the imposing-looking but genial werewolf; Sid, the sarcastic, cigar-chompng sleleton; Mr. Vincent, the ghoul, and his eternally embalmed "practice corpse," sporting Victorian-era style suit and top hat; Edgar, the very articulate, be-spectacled raven; Nightcrawler, the giant sentient worm with six pairs of eyes needing three pairs of glasses; Hildy, the archetypal, complete with perpetually bubbling cauldron, witchy crone, constantly quarreling with Glump, the demon who wants to use her cooking vessel for a hot tub; and a truly odd couple, the hulking Frankenstein-like Brutus married to the flirtatious, strangely attractive Nessie, a friendly, female version of The Creature From the Black Lagoon! The story arc of Boneyard: Volume 1 involves Paris's growing affection for the entities living in his inherited plot, an attitude enhanced when Raven Hollow's sheriff and mayor make blatant attacks on Abbey. This compels Paris to take a decisive stance as events build to a crisis and the true nature of the mayor as the Adversary gets revealed. This only begins to set the stage for the long-term continuing struggle to come in subsequent episodes of the tale. Describing Boneyard in this manner shouldn't spoil the utter enjoyment the reader will experience with the story, the characters, and the artwork. Richard Moore's delightful blend of wacky, frequently satirical wit with dark fantasy, genuine suspense, and thrills and his skill at creating colorful yet compelling characters whether they be the protagonists or the formidable antagonists, makes this graphic fiction series a treat. Moore's visuals, rendered in highly detailed yet very clearly defined, sharply contrasting black and white inks, dazzle the eye with their vibrant energy, superb compositional flow across the panels, and the artist's ingenious ability to communicate cartoony humor and suspense simultaneously. Boneyard offers refreshingly quirky entertainment along with comically exciting plotting that contains some thoughtful subtexts concerning tolerance of personal, cultural, and spiritual differences while also examining the nature of good and evil and the recognition of same. Do come and visit the Boneyard and discover why you'll want to stay there for a very long time! | |||
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