Rose (comics)

"Rose" is a prequel to the Eisner-winning comic book "Bone". It was written by "Bone" creator Jeff Smith and fully painted by Charles Vess, who earned an Eisner nomination for his work on the series. The story was originally published as a three issue mini-series and was later collected into both trade paperback and hardcover collections.

Plot summary

The story revolves around Princess Rose, a younger version of the character Gran'ma Ben from "Bone". It takes place an unspecified number of years before "Bone", when Rose must defeat a dragon that, unknown to her, is possessed by the Lord of the Locusts, the central villain of the "Bone" series, and must also contend with another threat; the treachery of her sister Briar, whose schemes also were revealed in the earlier book. The story contains no new material directly related to "Bone", instead serving to flesh out character histories revealed in that story.

Characters

In addition to Rose, Briar, and The Lord of the Locusts, Lucius Down, Captain of the Guard and, in the original series, bartender at the Barrelhaven Tavern, have significant roles. The rat creatures, monsters for whom the world of Bone is semi-famous, also make an appearance, though the only rat creatures given individual personalities within Bone do not appear here probably because they weren't born yet. The Veni-Yan, a benevolent religious order, also make a return appearance. Mim makes an appearance, although she was not a significant character in Bone. The only characters in the book to not also appear in Bone are Rose's two talking dogs whom only she can understand.

Differences in content from Bone

It is important to note that unlike either "Bone" or its other spin-off, Stupid, Stupid Rat Tails, Rose is not written with an all-ages audience in mind. There is a good deal of violence and gore contained within, and the series is meant for mature readers.