The first thing you have to note about Bone #55 is this: He made it. Jeff Smith set out to tell a story with a self-published book, and here it is, years later, and we've got the ending. All too few self-published creators get to this point, they either don't know when to end their creation and wind up stagnating creatively or they fall prey to the numerous hurdles of distribution, sales and marketing that can make it impossible for a self-publisher to succeed. So although Dave Sim got there first with Cerebus, you have to give Smith credit for bringing this long-running series to a successful close. All of that said, however, I have to admit that I found Bone #55 to be a touch on the anticlimactic side, as Smith gives over as much time to revisiting characters from earlier in the run as he does to finishing up the epic story of the Locust. The good news there, however, is that the lighter tone of the series returns to some degree in this final issue, and the choice that Smith presents his lead character with is one that hasn't really been touched upon throughout the series but which makes sense as the central fulcrum on which the final issue should rest.
Smith's story here is actually stories, as he includes the Christmas tale that showed up elsewhere and breaks the rest of the story into two distinct parts, the final battle with the Locust and the long-awaited attempt of the Bone cousins to find their way home. It's a lot of story to pack into one issue, even a double-sized one, and the result is that the opening sequence, featuring a spectacular return of dragons and the end of a major nemesis, kind of gets short shrift. Smith essentially turns his characters into observers for the final battle, and while the visuals are pretty spectacular (and a little creepy, like watching a swarm of insects rather than majestic beasts), there's definitely a touch of anticlimax. I confess also that I need to reread the whole story, because I can't quite work out the motivations (and thus resulting actions) of the dragons and where they fit in the whole scheme of things.
Fortunately, if the epic finale is less than earth-shattering, the rest of the book is excellent, and reminds me why I fell in love with the book in the first place. Though I can't remember all of the various characters that Smith introduced over the course of this book, I get a sense that this last issue is sort of a check-in with most if not all of them. Such favorites as Ted the bug make a return appearance, and Smith even references great moments in the series like the Great Cow Race. There's still a melancholy feeling that hangs over the end of the book, as in the end of all things, but there's some real joy in seeing the characters facing less life- and world-threatening decisions again as well.
Then, of course, there's the artwork, which never disappoints. Smith's portrayal of a swarm of dragons is different from what I expected, but still quite impressive. And I continue to be amazed by how expressive he can make characters like the Bones or Bartleby the rat creature, despite what seems like a dearth of real facial features. Smith's art seems simple when you look at how clear and straightforward the storytelling is, but if you step back a little and just focus on one panel, you see just how much work goes into each one and how they can stand alone as separate works of art. In some respects, I'm glad to see Bone come to an ending, because Smith's next project is Shazam! at DC, and I'm very interested in seeing what he'll do with that set of characters... although I hope that he'll be coming back to creator-owned sooner rather than later.
In the end, Smith doesn't focus on the rebuilding of the kingdom or the cost of war or any of those things that would seem the natural outcome of a focus on a nearly world-ending war of destiny. Instead, he casts his eye and his pen back to the dilemma that faced the Bone cousins early on, the one that is still printed on the inside front cover of each issue, the question of staying in this strange valley or going home. For all but one Bone cousin, the answer is easy, although Smith provides a nice little subplot relating to Smiley and Phoney that plays off of their nature and a dilemma they face in going home as well. Fone Bone, however, is faced with a choice that all of us have faced at one time or another, trying to decide where home truly lies. I confess that I was surprised by his decision, but it was done in a way that made sense, and that last page really does provide a closure for the series that feels absolutely right. All the while leaving room for more stories in the future, if Smith ever decides he wants to return to these characters.
