Digger, Volume Five

Digger #5

by Ursula Vernon

In this fifth volume of Digger, covering chapters nine and ten of Ursula Vernon's webcomic, our wombat heroine embarks on the journey into which she had been cajoled by the statue of Ganesh in the previous volume, accompanying Murai and her destiny towards a monastery in the Morrakgon Mountains that once had connections to the god shackled underground. Along the way, they meet up with Grim Eyes, who had been sent to join them by Boneclaw Mother, hire a guide with an interesting history (and morphology) all his own, and are surprised to find that Shadowchild has been trailing them all along. One of the oracular slug's prophesies comes true, with disastrous consequences that threaten to end their quest rather abruptly, but with a good dose of teamwork, wombat-style glow-sticks, and Grim Eyes' first-aid skills, they manage to resume their trek.

Unfortunately, when they arrive at the monastery, they find it to be rather less inhabited than they had hoped, though not completely empty. Murai's destiny is interrupted by the arrival of one of Digger's relatives, from whom they learn the history behind the god who is chained underground. Their path forward becomes clear, but before they can return to the temple, Shadowchild gets a visit from a relative of his own, and for him the phrase "confronting your demons" takes on a whole new meaning.

Genres: Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comic Book, Webcomic, Mythology

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2010

About the author

Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher, is an author and illustrator. She has written over fifteen books for children, at least a dozen novels for adults, an epic webcomic called “Digger” and various short stories and other odds and ends.

Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, studied anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.

Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.

Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature, the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Sequoyah Award, and many others.

Reviews

[Tym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every volume is better than the last

[Octavia Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got to admit that, like Digger, I have little truck with prophecies. There's some interesting stuff going on here as Digger meets a deer-faced guide who is a walking warning against herbal medicine, a monastery deserted of everything but ghosts and demons, and a shadow that grows up. The last is both the most and the least interesting of the piece - I feel as if I've read that story (a monster, raised with the kindness of strangers to something more) numerous times before, but it was well-done if not hugely original.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

And all of a sudden this was very hard to put down. And as I finished chapter 11, I realized I needed to backtrack (since volume 5 is chapters 9 and 10). Oh. That was a chapter break. It was kind an of awesome end of chapter. And end of volume. Suffice to say, some of the cast definitely gets a chance to grow.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic

[Kir · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know you're off to a good start when you're chuckling on the first page.

[McKenna Deem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vernon starts to wrap up the story by bidding some characters farewell. This fifth volume shows readers the pain of growing up and knowing that others have faced pains unimaginable.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely read this before but somehow never added it to my Goodreads! There is some really fun gender politics in this one, too. <3

[Mary Catelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

spoilers for the earlier ones.

Digger and Murai head off to find the monastery that might have knowledge. Grim Eyes is sent with them. It involves a guide who needs to be warned against tall tales, the Shadowchild conveying a prophecy from a slug and otherwise helping, deciding to go back and finding they can't, the impossibility of onomatopoeia for ethereal chanting, ghosts, jade-eyed dwarves, questions answered, and more.

Story tightens as the ending approaches.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

a journey, an arrival, a demon, and a man with a stag's head. a favorite character departs (but not quite forever). and we finally meet another wombat! sort of. also, the summary of the previous volume at the start of this one might be the funniest thing in all six books.

[Christiane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry to be nearly finished (one more volume) with this inventive and funny tale. I really enjoy the various characters, particularly our hero, Digger (the wombat). I am really going to be pushing this at my summer reading school visits this year!

[Cloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read online.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun, quick read with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor. The art style compliments the quirky cast of characters well; who'd have thought a story about a wombat would be so enjoyable?

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1961056.html

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything comes to an end... But there's time enough for some surprises...