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Published by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: Feb. 26, 2014
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Dave Watcher
Cover: Dave Watcher
Purchase at Amazon
World War II is the setting for this tale, putting a small Jewish community in peril against the asshole Nazis who are there to take over the town. Surely they have other plans, as we all know from our history lessons, those Nazi bastards. A young man named Noah recalls his youth a few years prior to the war, while he himself is engaged in the heat of battle. In particular, he recalls the story of when his grandfather passed on the secret of the golem, a mystical being in Jewish folklore made out of mud.
After his father and dozens of other men departed the town to go off to fight, Noah is left with his grandparents to be raised. A fighter plane crashes nearby and the two rescue the pilot, a pilot that is an enemy of the Nazis. They hide the incapacitated man, and when the Nazis come a'callin', it doesn't end well for the bad guys. As a result, more soldiers come to town with a lot of firepower. Noah's grandfather teaches Noah about the golem and along with the rest of the town's inhabitants they actually build one. A gigantic creature made of mud that does just what the boy tells him too. You can guess what that is.
Breath of Bones is the story about the relationship about the boy and his grandfather, and at the same time a story about a boy's understanding of good versus evil. It's a fast read to be sure, but a really well structured story. Steve Niles creates a couple of characters, the boy and his grandfather, that are instantly likeable and their relationship is one many people can relate with. Niles writes a story that is more than just a big monster killing Nazis.
The artwork by Dave Watcher is beautiful. The black-and-white pages contain tons of detail and create a satisfying atmosphere that helps to really give the reader of sense of the dreariness in the village. His monster, the golem, is menacing with its faceless expression and lumbering mass, and practically every page he's on makes this reader sit and stare. His single panel pages are amazing and his action sequences are really well executed.
Originally released as a three-issue series, Dark Horse reprints them together in this single volume. The artist provides some commentary at the end along with concept sketches as an added bonus. It's a great read and with gorgeous artwork. This is a book that 100-percent deserves more than one reading and is recommended reading for those looking for more than superheroes.
That IGN quote on the cover kills me tho, not really the benchmark of quality, IMO. A Comics Journal quote would be much classier. Or anything comic related.