5 out of 5

Aw, it’s so much fun to re-visit Bone.  This sourcebook, published when the series moved to Image from Cartoon Books – at issue #21 – is also a reminder of how affecting the title can be: the content’s review of characters and plotlines stir some similar feelings of wonder that I had when reading the issues for the first (or Nth) time.

We kick off with a “Why Image?” letter from Jeff Smith, that’s very sincere and legit and not just an advertisement.  (Summary: creative control and wider exposure.)  Then Andries Mulder gives us a rundown of the characters over a couple pages, and Karen Root draws an amusing role-playing-esque map of the story / timeline, with blurbs along the path to catch us up for issue #21.  Tracking this sourcebook down might be completely worth it for the Jim Lee / WILDc.a.t.s. mash-up poster in the middle, or just because you – like many, like me – love Bone and enjoy the spotted ephemera that came out in support of the series.

Also includes a checklist of available Bone stuff at the time, which is dangerous if it tickles your collector’s-bone fancy.