All-ages

So, okay, I know that part of what we talked about in class was that all-ages comics was that they aren’t necessarily “safe” – there are dark moments, deeper themes, etc. And I agree that that sort of stuff needs to happen for the older readers. But...I can’t help but think that it’s a bit much – at least in Bone – for the young kids reading this. Okay, I know what you’re thinking – what the heck am I talking about? Bone, as a whole, isn’t as intense, say, as Death Note or even Tales from the Farm. But, in my opinion, if I were a mother, I don’t think I’d want my children to read parts of this story. I’m thinking of when the captain gets cut in half on page 1146, or when we discover that Kingdok’s tongue has been ripped out by Roque Ja on page 774, or when the locusts explode out of Briar on page 829. All very disturbing, violent images. I mean, I suppose here it is kind of balanced with the amount of humor interspersed throughout, and the images are pretty widely spaced so as not to bombard the reader with it (as opposed to Pride of Baghdad, which I just got done reading – yikes...). I guess it’s not like I’m against it, per se – I don’t think those parts should have been left out, certainly. I’d just be hesitant to introduce it to a child.  

And can I also say that I laughed incredibly hard when they told us the name of the founder of Boneville? “Big” Johnson Bone – Wow, Jeff Smith. Just wow.