2011 Books 16

16) Rasl pocket book 1, by Jeff Smith: Smith, much better known for his bestselling, award winning Bone series, has chosen pretty much the anti-Bone for his second project - it's a Science Fiction Crime Noir, following the life of an on the run physicist who uses his experimental dimension shifting suit to perform art thefts, while being on the run from, well, someone, for having done, well, something. OK, I know more than that, but I'm not sharing, as the book is a long slow unfolding of events. Smith is clearly in for the long haul here, as he was with Bone, and is more than willing to use silence, extended panel sequences, repeating images and various other comic visual mechanisms to set the mood and tone. It's very good - so good that you're not thinking "yeah, you're just doing this to show that you can do more than Bone." Smith can do more than Bone, and he's proving it to you without 'proving it to you'.