Ghost Circles

Bone

by Jeff Smith

Natural disaster and supernatural evil collide in the seventh volume of the epic BONE series.

A long-dormant volcano explodes, blacking out the sun, mowing down trees, and filling the land with soot and ash. The Lord of the Locusts is released with the eruption. Against this apocalyptic backdrop, the Bone cousins along with Thorn and Gran'ma Ben struggle to reach safe haven in the city of Atheia. Meanwhile, Lucius Downs lies severely wounded and trapped with the villagers in the camp at Old Man's Cave.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, Graphic Novels Comics

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.

Born and raised in the American mid-west, Jeff Smith learned about cartooning from comic strips, comic books, and watching animation on TV. In 1991, he launched a company called Cartoon Books to publish his comic book BONE, a comedy/adventure about three lost cousins from Boneville. Against all odds, the small company flourished, building a reputation for quality stories and artwork. Word of mouth, critical acclaim, and a string of major awards helped propel Cartoon Books and BONE to the forefront of the comic book industry.
In 1992, Jeff’s wife Vijaya Iyer joined the company as partner to handle publishing and distribution, licensing, and foreign language publications. In the Spring of 2005, Harry Potter’s U.S. publisher Scholastic Inc. entered the graphic novel market by launching a new imprint, Graphix with a full color version of BONE: Out from Boneville, bringing the underground comic to a new audience and a new generation.
In 2007, DC Comics released Smith’s first non-creator owned work, SHAZAM! Monster Society of Evil, a four-part mini-series recreating a classic serial from comic’s Golden Age. Between projects, Smith spends much of his time on the international guest circuit promoting comics and the art of graphic novels.

Reviews

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bartleby's back! About damn time. Missed that lil guy.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are getting super dark. The mountain top has blown destroying most of the valley. In addition invisible Ghost Circles lie throughout the valley. Most of the story is the Bones, Thorn, and Rose navigating the Ghost Circles as they head south to Atreia. I like that Smith still manages to insert some humor into what is currently a pretty dark story. But then again, so is Harry Potter and it's for children too.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted here.

Why I Read It: Next in a series. Only two more to go before I'm finished!!

JEFF SMITH COULD YOU BE ANY MORE DEPRESSING?? I THOUGHT THESE WERE FOR CHILDREN!!

Seriously though, I've been saying in every review since volume 3 "this series just keeps getting darker and darker" (because it has!) but this volume takes the cake. Someone (semi)important DIES for crying out loud. It's mostly "off-screen", but still. Grim.

I liked this volume, but it felt like a lot of build-up. It mostly consists of the Bone cousins, Thorn and Gran'ma Ben making their way to Atheia. Now I'm embarrassed to say this but: I had no idea how the ghost circles actually worked; it confused the hell out of me. Ghost circles are explained briefly in one of the first two volumes, but I forgot how Thorn explained them and they don't really re-explain in this volume. And that whole bit with Thorn and Fone Bone touching and being in that strange golden place?? That confused me too. Was THAT the "real" Valley, or is the ash-covered place they're stuck in the real Valley?? But the better question is: why can't I grasp this? These are for children for crying out loud.

Anyway, despite my confusion this was actually a good volume. A little slower moving to some of the previous ones, but never boring. There's some humour (I especially loved the bit where Smiley doesn't want Fone to see him without his vest on -- the whole issue of clothing with the Bones baffles me, but Smith clearly lampshaded it in that scene), and we get some back-story on Lucius. And Bartleby's back!!! I was so happy about that. He can talk now, which was kind of weird, but he's as cute as ever.

Final Verdict: This volume of the Bone series manages to be the grimmest one yet. Even with all the Bad Times happening though, Smith still manages to infuse some of his awesome humour, along with a good story. I was confused about how some things worked in this volume (most notably the ghost circles), and the plot was a little slower moving this time around, but it was never boring either. I'm excited for the last two volumes of this series.

[Lancelot Schaubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: this starts like Calvin and Hobbes and ends like The Lord of the Rings

Series review to come

[Sarah (menace mode) · Rating 5 out of 5]

my god, the recurring Moby Dick joke is so unnecessary yet still so hilarious every single time 😭

[Ritika · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is getting more dense, there is less of the humour that was characteristic of the initial volumes. But, nonetheless it is as adventurous as always and Smiley Bone is a gem!

[nirvanajord · Rating 5 out of 5]

i do not remember these being so dark bro

[Pardis Ahmadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are absolutely my all time favorite Comics ❤️

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Κάπου έχει αρχίσει να χάνεται η μπάλα στην ιστορία, η συνοχή πάει περίπατο και το μόνο που το κρατάει ψιλά σε αυτό το τεύχος είναι το σχέδιο, το χιούμορ και μια κάποια οξυδέρκεια στους διαλόγους.

[Faryal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bone series is written and illustrated by Jeff Smith. Bone: Ghost Circles is the 7th graphic novel out of 9 graphic novel series. Ghost circles begins with Jonathan severely injured lying in a cave. Here you learn that Lucius was in the arms of the Hooded One and also that the regiment was ambushed by the Rat army. Lucius since then has been deemed a traitor, however no one knows where he is. Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, Smiley Bone, Grandma Ben, and Thorn now must embark on an epic adventure to the Ancient Capital of Atheia. They must go through Ghost Circles, Underground Pathways, and Dragon Burial grounds all while the Hooded One and the Rat army are after them.

I really liked the storyline as well as the illustrations in this graphic novel. I appreciated how the storyline was simple. Though I started on graphic novel number 7 in the series I was still able to understand what was happening. You are able to understand that Phoney Bone wants to go back to Boneville, and that Fone Bone would rather be in the Valley with Thorn. You are also able to understand who the Protagonists are and who the Antagonists are very easily. The illustration are in the style of cartoon realism. This is because you are able to see shading, and highlights, and facial features. The Bones themselves however look quite similar to the Charlie Brown graphics. This is because they a simple yet you are still able to see their emotions easily.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy or graphic novels. The storyline was easy to follow and was funny, and compelled you to keep on reading. I rated this a 3/5 since I enjoyed reading it and would love to read more from the series.

[Max's Comic Reviews and Lists · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOOO! That was a dark ass turn. With the most explosive and exciting opening of a Bone book, it really sets the stage for this gritty and bad-ass book. Everyone feels desperate and worn out the entirety of this chapter. Thorn is losing her mind trying to cope with the ghost circles and ending up in really awesome scenes with the Hooded One. The Bones add a relatable feeling to this book because without them, this would depressing, and hard to truly understand the situation. Great scenes like Smiley and Fone Bone talking about home are ever present and memorable, Grandma Ben is still a frickin bad-ass and the toughest old lady ever. And on top of all of that, discoveries are being made about characters that are dark, surprising and add emotional weight to the story. Lucius, Wendell and all the villagers are having troubles cooperating with the Stick Eaters and their Headmaster was a plot I always thought dragged the story, but now that I see how important this sub-plot is, I appreciate it and enjoy it. Ghost Circles is rough and gritty. There is definitely no going back to the fun and light-heartedness of The Great Cow Race now. Letter Grade: (-A)

[Diz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume brings us answers to some of the big mysteries of the series. Also, it provides a good balance between danger and lighter moments. I particularly liked that there were some lighter moments between Fone Bone and Thorn, which had been missing in the last few volumes.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The slowest section yet, but it was interesting to realize Smith has put references to all kinds of Ohio locales throughout this story. Atheia= Athens, Conkle’s Hollow and Old Man’s Cave in the Hocking region...

[Mathilde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bartleby is back and he is talking! How great is that?

[Raül · Rating 5 out of 5]

El xoc entre el bé i el mal sembla arribar al seu cènit, amb conseqüències catastròfiques per als nostres protagonistes, els habitants de la Vall, i fins i tot, per a la Vall mateixa. La fugida del Vall cap a la ciutat d’Atheia sembla l’única sortida. Un volum ple de drama i desolació, en el que, per breus moments, Smith fa escolar-se alguna goteta d’humor, com un bri d’esperança.

Sí a algú li quedava algun dubte de que la sèrie de Bone de Jeff Smith és molt més que una historieta fantàstica juvenil, aquest número acaba de demostrar també el mestratge narratiu d'Smith com a autor de còmics, amb atrevides i originals propostes formals, com en el cas del pròleg del volum, "Jonathan".

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

So in the aftermath of Vol. 6, the village is in ruins, the Lord of the Locusts has his hooks in both Rose and Bone, Rose's creepy aunt is a living dead scythe-wielding killer, and the rat creatures are running rampant. Team Bone is racing to the ancient imperial capital for help but reality's unstable and the odds are not good.
Smith pulls it off again. Creepy and terrifying while keeping his characters on a human scale.

[Jordan Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome back, Bartleby!! Missed you, sugar

[Gabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book, the 8th book, and the 9th book in the span of 3 days.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t say this one was treading water, but it also feels like so little of consequence happened across six chapters that I’m still inclined to say that’s mostly what this amounted to (the treading water). Smith is drawing pretty directly from Lord of the Rings here, from the eruption of Mt Doom to the generational passing of the torch to Briar as mashup of the Witch King and Saruman. There’s also so much going on with Thorn that I hope pays off, but both her and Fone Bone’s tendency to develop weird, supernatural abilities just when they need to always feel just a bit lazy in the storytelling department. I also feel like the depletion of the villagers down to Lucius and Wendell has revealed just how minimal the valley’s characters were developed and how little I truly care about their survival. It’s weird to flash back to them when I think we’re all so much more deeply focused on the Bone cousins throughout.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things have really started to heat up in the Bone saga. The land is covered in Ghost Circles that cannot be passed through and Gran'ma Ben and the Bones must get Thorn to the old capital city, Atheia, where they may be able to help her rid herself of the piece of the Lord of the Locust's soul that is trapped inside her. We learn of Lucius's past, working as a bodyguard for the royal family, and how in his youth he was torn between Gran'ma Ben (Rose) and her sister, Briar. By the end of this collection, Thorn, Gran'ma Ben and the Bones finally reach the border of Atheia and Lucius and the remaining townspeople decide to head there as well. Things seem to be reaching some sort of conclusion, although it still feels awfully slow in coming.

[Santiago L. Moreno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tras el festín de acontecimientos del tomo anterior, un volumen de transición. Peregrinaje por tierras desoladas en el que se añaden pequeños elementos nuevos a la historia. Un postapocalíptico en miniatura.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jej, Bartleby je nazad. Fun times.

[Tommy Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nearly has good as the last few I rated 5 stars, but the ending didn't get me quite as bad. Still so, so good. Can't wait to finish the series :)

[♡ Dajana ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆ 3.5/5

[Mariangel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daniel: I like when Bartleby comes back. I do not like the ghost circles.

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost Circles brings us closer and closer to the end of the series, and as such the action has begun to ramp up considerably. This entry has death, has terror, has heightened stakes the likes of which this comic has yet to see. The valley is destroyed, beloved characters are severely wounded, and even infected by the enemy. There is still humor, but it is stilted now, forced by characters pushed nearly to their limits and attempting to hold things together. Much as we readers are doing the same.

The ghost circles introduced in the previous volume are honestly downright terrifying. They transport the person, animal, anything living really, to another state of being partway between the Dreaming and the real world. The ghost circles transport them to a void state, neither living nor dead, but something entirely other. The brief encounter we have with such creatures is chilling, even if much is left to the imagination.

The journey takes us to the mountain, to the dragon's graveyard. It predicts the end times and the final (?) twist when it comes to the Bones and just what it is the Lord of Locusts and his men are after. We meet old friends. We meet Captain Ahab once more. The dragon flicks in and out of existence and Thorn both knows more than she has before and yet still not enough.

Will the day be saved? At this point, what does saved even mean? Is Thorn enough to save it? There's so much we have yet to know...

[Eddie B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10. This journey is taking a little too long. But I'm not complaining.

[Claudio · Rating 5 out of 5]

The comic book, "Ghost Circles", written by Jeff Smith is a very peculiar comic owing to the fantastic setting and characters that it involves and so perfectly extrapolates. The comic starts with a lot of action, with two different parties going to war. During the interval of the battle, a nearby volcano explodes leaving all of its surroundings in ashes. The volcano exploding meant that the Locust surged to life again. The Locust is an evil spirit that in the ancient times used to fight dragons. Once the dragons defeated the Locust, peace was among the people. Now that the Locust is back the fate of humanity is placed upon Bone and his family which includes the princess and queen of Lajifs. The plot of the book simply describes the journey of Bone from the volcano to the city of Lajifs. The only thing that will stop him are the Ghost Circles which are invisible spectrums in the air that will kill you if touched.

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The bones, Thorn, and Gran'ma are trying to flee from the hooded one while the hooded one has sent ghost circles all over the valley. Ghost circles are a invisible portal that sends you into a dimension with dead stick people.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like my reviews of the volumes of Bone are all basically the same. The art and storytelling are consistently good. Smith has created lovable characters. In each volume we get a bit more of the story as things come to a head.

In this volume, the war finally comes, so there’s a bit less humor and a lot more action.

The end is nigh!