Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Del Rey Books (2009), Hardcover, 168 pages
Description
Mercy Thompson is a walker, a magical being with the power to transform into a coyote. She lives on the fine line dividing the everyday world from a darker dimension, observing the supernatural community while standing apart. When Mercy travels to the Tri-Cities of Washington for a job interview, she quickly finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a gang war between rival packs of werewolves. And as if fangs and fur weren't bad enough, Mercy must deal with the scariest creature of all: her mother, who is convinced that Mercy is making a mess of her life and determined to set her daughter on the right course. The thrilling adventures of Mercy Thompson-Moon Called, Blood Bound, and Iron Kissed-have topped the New York Times bestseller list. Now Mercy makes her comics debut in an exclusive new story created by Patricia Briggs. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is sure to please longtime fans and capture new ones with its mix of unforgettable characters and thrilling supernatural intrigue.… (more)
Media reviews
The artists change halfway through with Francis Tsai's clean lines replaced by Amelia Woo's more painterly style, but as the story gets progressively darker, that almost feels like it was planned.
As for the authors, the collaboration between Briggs and David Lawrence is a treat. The dialogue is
Show More
snappy and the panel-to-panel flow smooth.
I liked this a lot and look forward to how this team handles adaptations of the novels. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member justchris
Mercy Thompson Homecoming is the graphic novel that acts as something of an origins story for Mercy Thompson. I thought they did a good job with it. Some characters did not look at all as I envisioned them: Stefan, Uncle Mike, Adam Hauptman. And it was awfully pat that Mercy meets all of the key
Show More
characters in essentially the same time period (everyone except Tony the cop and Warren). There are some possible continuity errors: the novels give the impression that Siebold Adelbertsmiter just paid protection money to the vampires so that he didn't have to interact with them, yet here they are getting a car fixed at his garage, which was Mercy's deal when she took over the garage, being unable to afford the monthly premiums. Second, Stefan pegs immediately that she's a walker and makes it clear to another vampire (and various others) that she's not human, yet in the novels, this is something he's kept hidden from the other vampires. Third, at the end of this graphic novel, Adam points out that he's moving into the McMansion directly behind Mercy's newly rented trailor, but the novels suggest that he had the place built some time after she'd already been living there. These are all mere quibbles. I liked the style, and the storyline fit Mercy's character. And it's a very quick read, followed by an interview that involves a certain amount of backpatting between Patricia Briggs and David Lawrence (the writer who adapted the story to comic book format). Show Less
LibraryThing member noneofthis
I'm far more enamored of the storyline than the artwork. I would have enjoyed this more if it had been written as a straight short story or novella. Still, it was great to learn some about Mercy's background history.
Though, y'know, I don't consider myself to be a prude, but did anybody else find
So. Mercy has her midriff showing in 37% of the pages in which she appears and is naked, in a towel, or in her panties in 19.7% of the pages. I cannot think of any other graphic novel wherein the main character is showing skin for nearly two-thirds of the pages where he or she appears. And, yeah, the midriff thing is almost standard for Mercy, as that's how she's depicted on the covers of the novels, and the frequent nudity is defined as part of cannon, it's part of how Briggs has structured the shapeshifters in her world; but I find it irking to see the nudity repeatedly splashed up in the artwork. Did I gloss over this aspect in the novels, or was lesser noticeably more a factor of Briggs' own writing style? I feel the urge to reread the books and compare.
I guess my problem seems to dwell on Mercy repeatably being drawn as ruminating while she is dressing. Why is that necessary? So she needs to be naked when shapeshifting (except not really and not even here in this book; she's even drawn once in a sort of action shot while going straight from clothed human to coyote) — Why does she also have to be naked between action scenes? Why can't she be depicted as thinking while having a cup of coffee or something, instead of while she is putting on her bra? If, say, Batman is ruminating with his shirt off, at least it's got a purpose and generally so the artist can draw his suddenly unveiled scars. With Homecoming it's just skin for the sake of skin.
Bah.
Though, y'know, I don't consider myself to be a prude, but did anybody else find
Show More
the skinshots in this graphic to be gratuitous? It bothered me enough that I calculated the percentage of frequency. Mercy appears in human form on 81 pages of this book (that's a tally counting every page in this graphic novel, frontispieces and end art gallery included). She's naked in 10 of those total pages. She appears in a towel in 4 of those (that's two separate scenes and a flashback to one of those scenes). She's in her underwear in 3 pages (although she was also in towel on one of those, so I ought to count that page for one or the other and not both). And her midriff showed in 30 pages.So. Mercy has her midriff showing in 37% of the pages in which she appears and is naked, in a towel, or in her panties in 19.7% of the pages. I cannot think of any other graphic novel wherein the main character is showing skin for nearly two-thirds of the pages where he or she appears. And, yeah, the midriff thing is almost standard for Mercy, as that's how she's depicted on the covers of the novels, and the frequent nudity is defined as part of cannon, it's part of how Briggs has structured the shapeshifters in her world; but I find it irking to see the nudity repeatedly splashed up in the artwork. Did I gloss over this aspect in the novels, or was lesser noticeably more a factor of Briggs' own writing style? I feel the urge to reread the books and compare.
I guess my problem seems to dwell on Mercy repeatably being drawn as ruminating while she is dressing. Why is that necessary? So she needs to be naked when shapeshifting (except not really and not even here in this book; she's even drawn once in a sort of action shot while going straight from clothed human to coyote) — Why does she also have to be naked between action scenes? Why can't she be depicted as thinking while having a cup of coffee or something, instead of while she is putting on her bra? If, say, Batman is ruminating with his shirt off, at least it's got a purpose and generally so the artist can draw his suddenly unveiled scars. With Homecoming it's just skin for the sake of skin.
Bah.
Show Less
LibraryThing member amf0001
This functions as a sort of prequel to the Mercy Thompson series, but it's a graphic novel. I liked the idea of it but found the drawings of Mercy oversexualized for my tastes, and if she was continously shown nude changing between changes, how come no one else was...
Still the story worked and the
Still the story worked and the
Show More
idea of a graphic novel (aka cartoon for grown ups) appeals to me. This is not as good as Maus (then again, what is) but I'd be curious to see what else they do with this. Worth exploring. Worth keeping if you are a teenage boy :) Show Less
LibraryThing member kayceel
While I did like the look at Mercy's life before the series' start (particularly how she got her job, met Adam, etc.), I was disappointed by the artwork. I know it's probably useless to be annoyed by the depiction of Mercy with the curves of a 50s pinup, but it still irritates the crap outta me...
LibraryThing member Rhinoa
Let's take a step back into the world of Mercy Thompson. This graphic novel sets the scene for the rest of the novels as it is a prequel and tells of Mercy first coming to Washington. Mercy is a walker, a magical being who can shapeshift into a coyote. She travels to Washington for a job interview
Her mother is also posing a problem as she thinks Mercy is ruining her life and she is determined to sort Mercy out once and for all. We see how she meets Zee, Stefan and Adam for the first time. We also see how she first begins working at the garage which Zee later sells to her. There is also an interview with Briggs at the end which was really interesting as well as some character sketches.
I liked the style after I got used to it. There was quite a lot of nudity which Briggs felt apprioriate for Mercy changing shape. I have put in a couple of pictures of the strips to give you an idea of the artwork. The story was interesting and I hope Briggs decides to do some more graphic novels to expand on the existing novels.
Show More
to work in a school. The interview doesn't turn out quite as planned and she somehow manages to get involved in a gang war between two rival packs of werewolves.Her mother is also posing a problem as she thinks Mercy is ruining her life and she is determined to sort Mercy out once and for all. We see how she meets Zee, Stefan and Adam for the first time. We also see how she first begins working at the garage which Zee later sells to her. There is also an interview with Briggs at the end which was really interesting as well as some character sketches.
I liked the style after I got used to it. There was quite a lot of nudity which Briggs felt apprioriate for Mercy changing shape. I have put in a couple of pictures of the strips to give you an idea of the artwork. The story was interesting and I hope Briggs decides to do some more graphic novels to expand on the existing novels.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mmillet
Patricia Briggs has really been feeling the love for her Mercy Thompson series lately. With Bone Crossed released in hardcover earlier this year combined with her first Mercy Thompson graphic novel - Mercy fans have plenty of reasons to become giddy. For myself, I'm not really a comic book person,
Show More
but I am a dedicated fangirl of Mercy and couldn't wait to catch a glimpse of her adventures in full-color.Homecoming is basically an origin story for Mercy Thompson: how she meets both Adam and Stefan and how she lands the mechanic position at Zee's shop. Although it is a stand-alone story, unless you've already had the privileged of reading Mercy's other adventures, Homecoming may not feel as robust as the others. It's fun, it's fast but I did miss the trademark Mercy narration. Several little details of Mercy's life are revealed that only long-standing Mercy fans will appreciate the significance of - little things like how Mercy gets her cat.As for the artwork itself: Beautiful and suitably shadowy yet very powerful. Though it was a little jarring to see how often Mercy herself changed. I know there were multiple artists working on this book, but since she is the title character, I would have expected a little more continuity with her character at least. But that said, her action scenes were fabulous. Consequently, I had buckets of fun matching up my mental picture of Mercy's gang with the artists' rendering. Adam and Zee were just as I pictured, but I was a little disappointed with Stefan as a '80s grunge rocker. Not really the way I pictured the mystery machine driving vampire.On a side note, Patricia Briggs and the artists of Homecoming did choose not to shy away (at all) from the shape-shifting side of Mercy's life - which to be honest, I'm happy with because Mercy herself is never really concerned about whether she is clothed or not. But gentle readers be warned: there are several panels of Mercy naked which might be off-putting. The artwork is stylized and the important parts are usually covered, but it is all still quite clear, which may keep the book out of the hands of Mercy's younger fans.Homecoming was a fabulous fast-paced action story and an efficient reminder of why I love the Mercy Thompson series so much. I do wish it had been longer, but I understand the format is more suited to quick action and less dialogue. Thank heavens we have Silver Borne coming in March 2010. Show Less
LibraryThing member Trai
Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs is a graphic novel about the urban-fantasy world of Mercy Thompson.
The artwork is excellent with two differing styles: One style is blocky, militant and more masculine in feel; it is frequently used for fight scenes. The fight scenes in particular will
The only complaint which I have is about the comic is that despite being a prequel, it does not work as a good introduction to Mercy Thompson at the $23 suggested retail price. Though there are plenty of reasons to review the artwork repetitively, the fact is, the story takes fifteen minutes to read and it doesn’t stand alone.
All in all, this graphic novel is a short story that is an excellent but pricey addition to the collection of those readers who are already enjoying the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs.
The artwork is excellent with two differing styles: One style is blocky, militant and more masculine in feel; it is frequently used for fight scenes. The fight scenes in particular will
Show More
help emphasize the problems that Patricia Briggs has always been careful to cause for her shape-changers: the lack of clothing. The other style of artwork is smooth and flowing; it is more frequently used in portraits. Both styles are suitable for the story and the scenes that they depict.The only complaint which I have is about the comic is that despite being a prequel, it does not work as a good introduction to Mercy Thompson at the $23 suggested retail price. Though there are plenty of reasons to review the artwork repetitively, the fact is, the story takes fifteen minutes to read and it doesn’t stand alone.
All in all, this graphic novel is a short story that is an excellent but pricey addition to the collection of those readers who are already enjoying the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Nice! This is the story of how Mercy came to the Tri-cities, how she met the various people she knows there - Stephen, Adam, Zee, Uncle Mike, etc. Though I don't remember Tad from the books - maybe he's properly in school? Or grown and gone - Mercy seems pretty young here. Interesting story,
Show More
excellent art (two different artists - I like the second one better, I think, though it may just be the artist settling into the character. I can't really tell who did what). It's making me want to read Urban Shaman again! Show Less
LibraryThing member C.Ibarra
I don’t usually read graphic novels but decided to check this out because I’m a big fan of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series. This was a great intro to her world. I liked seeing how Mercy met Zee, Stefan and Adam. The cartoon depictions are also a great way to see how Briggs
Show More
visualizes the characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member Larkken
This graphic novel presents itself as a prequel to the Mercy Thompson novels, showing Mercy's entrance into the tri-cities area. Unfortunately, despite my appreciation for both the novel series and the artwork, I generally dislike graphic novels, and this one is no exception. I don't appreciate
Show More
augmentations to my own imagination. In some ways, my low star rating for this particular graphic novel stems from how this story changes the chronology and story presented in the novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member devi
I'd like to give this more stars but the story is so short I can't justify it. The art is nice, the story that's there is fun and adds something to Mercy's world, and I enjoyed it. But I finished it in about 20 minutes. I'd feel ripped off if I'd bought an issue of this, let alone the expensive
But it's a fun story and great collaboration between a novelist and comic book writer. The art and tone are true to the novels. It makes me hopeful for the next comic installment of Briggs' wolves. I just hope there's more substance to it.
Show More
hard cover. I spent more time getting to a library that had it then I did reading it. But it's a fun story and great collaboration between a novelist and comic book writer. The art and tone are true to the novels. It makes me hopeful for the next comic installment of Briggs' wolves. I just hope there's more substance to it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member pollywannabook
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
Full disclosure: I am not a comic/graphic novel fan. I read Archie comics as a kid and made a failed attempt at reading Watchmen at the urging of a friend who swore I become a convert after trying it (I didn’t). I even bought a bunch on the Buffy season
Up front I’ll say that HOMECOMING hasn’t changed my opinion on graphic novels as a whole, but knowing that from the outset, I did enjoy HOMECOMING for a number of reasons. It’s really, really pretty. There were several artists working collaboratively and some of their different styles are apparent from scene to scene (for example, Mercy has crazy buff thighs in one panel, and then a more balanced physique in the next), I found myself staring at the pages long after I’d ‘read them.’
The best part of HOMECOMING was getting to ‘see’ the characters and locations. Zee and Stefan are two of my particular favorites from the series and they each got quite a lot of face time, although Stefan looks nothing like how I imagined him.
The thing I missed the most in HOMECOMING was the same shortcoming I find in all graphic novels: the almost non existent dialogue and internal character thoughts. It’s all about the action scenes, which are very cool to see, but I expect more from a Mercy story than action.
There aren’t any real surprises here and the storyline is nothing special, but if you’re a Mercy fan, you’ll want to check out HOMECOMING to see everyone in action and get a little inside scoop on Mercy’s first few days in TriCity (slinging fries at Burger King, buying her trailer, and how she ended up with Medea the cat).
Sexual Content: Lots of naked Mercy art.
Full disclosure: I am not a comic/graphic novel fan. I read Archie comics as a kid and made a failed attempt at reading Watchmen at the urging of a friend who swore I become a convert after trying it (I didn’t). I even bought a bunch on the Buffy season
Show More
8 and Angel After the Fall comics (which sat mostly unread on my shelves until I passed them on to more appreciative hands). What I am a fan of is Mercy Thompson, so I knew eventually I’d be picking up a copy of the Mercy graphic novel prequel HOMECOMING.Up front I’ll say that HOMECOMING hasn’t changed my opinion on graphic novels as a whole, but knowing that from the outset, I did enjoy HOMECOMING for a number of reasons. It’s really, really pretty. There were several artists working collaboratively and some of their different styles are apparent from scene to scene (for example, Mercy has crazy buff thighs in one panel, and then a more balanced physique in the next), I found myself staring at the pages long after I’d ‘read them.’
The best part of HOMECOMING was getting to ‘see’ the characters and locations. Zee and Stefan are two of my particular favorites from the series and they each got quite a lot of face time, although Stefan looks nothing like how I imagined him.
The thing I missed the most in HOMECOMING was the same shortcoming I find in all graphic novels: the almost non existent dialogue and internal character thoughts. It’s all about the action scenes, which are very cool to see, but I expect more from a Mercy story than action.
There aren’t any real surprises here and the storyline is nothing special, but if you’re a Mercy fan, you’ll want to check out HOMECOMING to see everyone in action and get a little inside scoop on Mercy’s first few days in TriCity (slinging fries at Burger King, buying her trailer, and how she ended up with Medea the cat).
Sexual Content: Lots of naked Mercy art.
Show Less
LibraryThing member FantasyDreamer
I need to say upfront that I'm not a comic book connoisseur, so this review is strictly based on my thoughts as a Mercy Thompson fan.
Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is a compilation of the four comic book issues that give you four short stories on the beginnings of Mercy Thompson's life in Tri-Cities, a
I really liked the artwork. I loved getting a visual to a lot of the characters in the Mercy Thompson series, and comparing them to what I thought they looked liked in my imagination. You'll get to see Mercy (of course!), Zee, Tad as a boy, Stephan, Adam and several other characters. For the most part, I feel the artists were able to capture the characters as I pictured them, and even added a little to the visuals I already had.
I think Francis Tsai made Mercy look a lot sexier in the comics than what I was picturing, he was the illustrator for the first two comic books and all of the comic book covers. Amelia Woo illustrated the last two comic books, I prefer her rendition of Mercy much better. But I liked Tsai's portrayal of Adam better than Amelia's.
There is a bit a nudity in this, that I thought was done tastefully. It's in the scenes where the Mercy and the werewolves are shifting their forms. Since shapeshifting is a big part of who the characters are, the comics would've been remiss without them.
The dialogue is snappy and witty. I think it fell in line with characters as they are portrayed in the books in concise form, and had held the spirit of the books.
At the end of the graphic novel there is a short interview with Patricia Briggs by David Lawrence, that is very insightful on how they collaborated together and with other team members to pull together the comics for Homecoming. Patricia Briggs also plans on adapting the other books in the Mercy Thompson series to comics in the future.
I think this graphic novel is added plus to any Mercy Thompson collection and fans of Mercy Thompson will get a lot of enjoyment out of this graphic novel, especially those who are a fan of the graphic arts. It's money well spent!
Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is a compilation of the four comic book issues that give you four short stories on the beginnings of Mercy Thompson's life in Tri-Cities, a
Show More
prequel to the Mercy Thompson series in comic book form. If you have already read the Mercy Thompson series, than you're in for a treat because throughout the graphic novel you get to see how Mercy met many of main characters. I enjoyed these first meetings between the characters.I really liked the artwork. I loved getting a visual to a lot of the characters in the Mercy Thompson series, and comparing them to what I thought they looked liked in my imagination. You'll get to see Mercy (of course!), Zee, Tad as a boy, Stephan, Adam and several other characters. For the most part, I feel the artists were able to capture the characters as I pictured them, and even added a little to the visuals I already had.
I think Francis Tsai made Mercy look a lot sexier in the comics than what I was picturing, he was the illustrator for the first two comic books and all of the comic book covers. Amelia Woo illustrated the last two comic books, I prefer her rendition of Mercy much better. But I liked Tsai's portrayal of Adam better than Amelia's.
There is a bit a nudity in this, that I thought was done tastefully. It's in the scenes where the Mercy and the werewolves are shifting their forms. Since shapeshifting is a big part of who the characters are, the comics would've been remiss without them.
The dialogue is snappy and witty. I think it fell in line with characters as they are portrayed in the books in concise form, and had held the spirit of the books.
At the end of the graphic novel there is a short interview with Patricia Briggs by David Lawrence, that is very insightful on how they collaborated together and with other team members to pull together the comics for Homecoming. Patricia Briggs also plans on adapting the other books in the Mercy Thompson series to comics in the future.
I think this graphic novel is added plus to any Mercy Thompson collection and fans of Mercy Thompson will get a lot of enjoyment out of this graphic novel, especially those who are a fan of the graphic arts. It's money well spent!
Show Less
LibraryThing member hailelib
This Mercy Thompson adventure was a quick and enjoyable read. I rather liked the art and the only character who looked a lot different from my mental picture of them was Stefan. The story follows Mercy's arrival in the Tri-Cities and shows how she became friends with Stefan and also why she ended
If you like Mercy and graphic novels don't miss this prequel to the series.
Show More
up working as a mechanic for Zee. Then there was her introduction to Adam...If you like Mercy and graphic novels don't miss this prequel to the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tivonut
Just got it from the library and I'm psyched. The beginning story in comic form. HMM.
Really just 2 1/2 and only because I already know Mercy Thompson. This had no real character building and seemed to jump around, even in time.We have the vampire attack at the shop, the werewolves attack in the
It was interesting to see the artwork and characters in comic form but even those jump form, Mercy being voluptuous at the beginning and then becoming the more thin and muscular book description in later pages. Fun to see how others picture the characters from the series but I think I'll keep my own pictures in my mind. I like my Stefan a bit more handsome, along with Hauptman (I mean he is supposed to be movie star looks) and Hauptman I think of as thicker and more muscular than what was painted here. I think of Zee as an old bear of a man in early books instead of the skinny, pot belly wolverine that is how he looks in this comic. Also, though Bran is not pictured in the story itself, there is a picture in the end, of his character. He looks like a man in his 30tys. Bran is a perpetual teenager, I imagine him as right on the edge of 20, thin but muscular, not as a mid-30tys, wide shouldered man. Stefan looks more like a teen in the picture.
Well it was fun from a Mercy fan point of view. If you are not a Mercy fan, don't bother, it is disjointed and does not explain well... well anything. It jumps around in story line and jumps around in time. I liked seeing characters realized, some I agreed with, some I could except, and some I just thought were off. Mercy realization changed throughout and some were better than others. I liked the story over all but only because I understood the characters and world.
Really just 2 1/2 and only because I already know Mercy Thompson. This had no real character building and seemed to jump around, even in time.
Show More
woods, the Marrok and Hauptman tell Mercy to go home, Mercy's bad job interview, Zee throwing her out of the shop, her working at a burger joint, the rogues kill a family, the rogues kidnap Mercy to challenge Hauptman. One scene starts at the hotel with Mercy opening the door to Hauptman, the next scene she is out to dinner with Stefan. The Marrok, who is explained as thinking Mercy a pet, and switches to the name Bran which anyone from the series would understand, but anyone reading this as a start wouldn't understand. A stand alone this isn't.It was interesting to see the artwork and characters in comic form but even those jump form, Mercy being voluptuous at the beginning and then becoming the more thin and muscular book description in later pages. Fun to see how others picture the characters from the series but I think I'll keep my own pictures in my mind. I like my Stefan a bit more handsome, along with Hauptman (I mean he is supposed to be movie star looks) and Hauptman I think of as thicker and more muscular than what was painted here. I think of Zee as an old bear of a man in early books instead of the skinny, pot belly wolverine that is how he looks in this comic. Also, though Bran is not pictured in the story itself, there is a picture in the end, of his character. He looks like a man in his 30tys. Bran is a perpetual teenager, I imagine him as right on the edge of 20, thin but muscular, not as a mid-30tys, wide shouldered man. Stefan looks more like a teen in the picture.
Well it was fun from a Mercy fan point of view. If you are not a Mercy fan, don't bother, it is disjointed and does not explain well... well anything. It jumps around in story line and jumps around in time. I liked seeing characters realized, some I agreed with, some I could except, and some I just thought were off. Mercy realization changed throughout and some were better than others. I liked the story over all but only because I understood the characters and world.
Show Less
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
This was an origin story in the Mercy Thompson series and a graphic novel. While I liked the origin story and I liked having pictures of some of the characters, I did not like slowly it seemed to move because of the pictures. I'd rather read just text. Also, I thought the picture of Mercy was
Show More
over-sexualized. She herself as written by Briggs wouldn't like being made to look like a teenaged boy's sex object. Show Less
LibraryThing member StarKnits
So I enjoyed this story but some of the inconsistencies from other stories makes me sad. Supposedly Mercy was already living in her home when Adam moves in, this story makes it seem like it happened the same time. And in this he gives her the cat, but she’s said in the books that she found her at
Show More
the shop. So yeah... Show Less
LibraryThing member Belles007
This is my first graphic novel. I'm not quite sure how to rate it. I enjoyed it so I gave it three stars.
LibraryThing member TheYodamom
Quick fast read with fairly decent art work, not the best I've seen.
LibraryThing member payday1999
This is a comic book and I didn't mind reading it because I love comic books. This is a prelude to the Mercy books and It was really great to see how Mercy got her start in the Tri-Cities and how she meets Zee, Stefan, Tad, and Adam.
If anybody wants a little more background into how Mercy met the
If anybody wants a little more background into how Mercy met the
Show More
guys and they don't mind graphic novels. I would recommend mend you read this. Show Less
LibraryThing member JalenV
When I learned that there was a graphic novel of a Mercy Thompson story I had never read, I ordered it. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is not about Mercy going back to her mother and stepfather's home in Oregon, nor is it about her going back to the Marrok's home in Aspen Creek, Colorado. It's about
Mercy was hoping to use her bachelor's degree in history to get a teaching job. How she was treated at the job interview reminded me of when I, with a new Master of Library Science, tried to get a school librarian job decades ago.
Mercy gets attacked by werewolves, only to be saved by other werewolves. Her car has taken more damage than she has, which is how Mercy comes to Zee's German car repair shop in Kennewick. Zee's human wife died some weeks ago, so he's too busy getting drunk to work. His nearly-nine-year-old son, Tad, is doing his best. Unfortunately, he's not strong enough to repair the clutch on the car belonging to Marsilia, who rules the local vampire seethe. A vampire shows up to threaten Tad, but Mercy offers to fix the clutch. This leads to Mercy meeting another supporting character in the series, Stefan Uccello, the vampire Scooby-Doo fan.
Other supporting characters introduced are Adam Hauptman, alpha werewolf of the Columbia Basin pack, and his second, Darryl Zao; Uncle Mike, the fae who owns Uncle Mike's Tavern, and a calico Manx cat who is 'Molly' before she becomes 'Medea'.
The werewolves who attacked Mercy are a rogue pack. Their Alpha, Orson Park, wants the Marrok to make Adam and his pack leave what Park considers to be his territory. They know that the ruler of werewolves, Bran Cornick the Marrok, is very fond of Mercy. (Bran works behind the scenes in this book, although he does have a cameo in a flashback where Margi, Mercy's mother, brought her little shapeshifter to Bran for help.
The rogue pack demonstrates that they need to be put down, every one of them. Their showdown with Adam and his pack makes a satisfying climax.
The trademark humor in the series is preserved, especially Mercy, as 's snarks. I enjoyed her Scooby-Doo joke while being given a ride in Stefan's van, which is painted to copy the 'Mystery Machine' from the cartoons. There's also a cute moment with a very unfortunate farm family where the father and little boy are watching 'Duck Rabbit, Duck,' the third of the rightly famous Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer hunting trilogy cartoons directed by Chuck Jones.
I liked most of the art, even if the artist didn't paint the collar Mercy mentions in when Adam and Darryl come to her room at a local Holiday Inn, giving Adam blue eyes instead of brown, and the way neither Francis Tsai nor Amelia Woo drew Mercy properly during the action scenes when she's nude. I hope it was an editorial decision because, as a woman reasonably well-endowed in the chest area, I know they should have been drawn in different positions. Mercy hasn't had plastic surgery there.
The book includes an art gallery and an interview between Mercy Thompson: Homecoming editor David Lawrence and series author Patricia Briggs. (Ms. Briggs wrote this graphic novel with Mr. Lawrence as her co-author.)
I definite recommend this book to Mercy Thompson fans as well as graphic novel urban fantasy fans!
Show More
how she came to make the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland) area of Washington State her home.Mercy was hoping to use her bachelor's degree in history to get a teaching job. How she was treated at the job interview reminded me of when I, with a new Master of Library Science, tried to get a school librarian job decades ago.
Mercy gets attacked by werewolves, only to be saved by other werewolves. Her car has taken more damage than she has, which is how Mercy comes to Zee's German car repair shop in Kennewick. Zee's human wife died some weeks ago, so he's too busy getting drunk to work. His nearly-nine-year-old son, Tad, is doing his best. Unfortunately, he's not strong enough to repair the clutch on the car belonging to Marsilia, who rules the local vampire seethe. A vampire shows up to threaten Tad, but Mercy offers to fix the clutch. This leads to Mercy meeting another supporting character in the series, Stefan Uccello, the vampire Scooby-Doo fan.
Other supporting characters introduced are Adam Hauptman, alpha werewolf of the Columbia Basin pack, and his second, Darryl Zao; Uncle Mike, the fae who owns Uncle Mike's Tavern, and a calico Manx cat who is 'Molly' before she becomes 'Medea'.
The werewolves who attacked Mercy are a rogue pack. Their Alpha, Orson Park, wants the Marrok to make Adam and his pack leave what Park considers to be his territory. They know that the ruler of werewolves, Bran Cornick the Marrok, is very fond of Mercy. (Bran works behind the scenes in this book, although he does have a cameo in a flashback where Margi, Mercy's mother, brought her little shapeshifter to Bran for help.
The rogue pack demonstrates that they need to be put down, every one of them. Their showdown with Adam and his pack makes a satisfying climax.
The trademark humor in the series is preserved, especially Mercy, as 's snarks. I enjoyed her Scooby-Doo joke while being given a ride in Stefan's van, which is painted to copy the 'Mystery Machine' from the cartoons. There's also a cute moment with a very unfortunate farm family where the father and little boy are watching 'Duck Rabbit, Duck,' the third of the rightly famous Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer hunting trilogy cartoons directed by Chuck Jones.
I liked most of the art, even if the artist didn't paint the collar Mercy mentions in when Adam and Darryl come to her room at a local Holiday Inn, giving Adam blue eyes instead of brown, and the way neither Francis Tsai nor Amelia Woo drew Mercy properly during the action scenes when she's nude. I hope it was an editorial decision because, as a woman reasonably well-endowed in the chest area, I know they should have been drawn in different positions. Mercy hasn't had plastic surgery there.
The book includes an art gallery and an interview between Mercy Thompson: Homecoming editor David Lawrence and series author Patricia Briggs. (Ms. Briggs wrote this graphic novel with Mr. Lawrence as her co-author.)
I definite recommend this book to Mercy Thompson fans as well as graphic novel urban fantasy fans!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Krumbs
An excellent prequel to the series of novels. This isn't just a recreation of what the author has written before but a new story building on things we had previously had glimpses of throughout the series. It didn't contradict anything (thank goodness) and explained mysterious bits.
LibraryThing member hjjugovic
It's always hard to see a book you've imagined in your head get produced visually...if the art isn't quite what you pictures. This gets it sort of right. The first half has Mercy a bit more comic-sexualized than I liked, but I thought the second half was spot on. The story is backstory for the
Show More
novels, some pieces of which fans of the series will already know, but this is worth the read anyway. Show Less
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
Nice art, absolutely awful writing. Didn't realize this was an urban fantasy book series when I grabbed it.
Needless to say, ain't no more Mercy Thompson in my future.
What a dreadful series.
Needless to say, ain't no more Mercy Thompson in my future.
What a dreadful series.
Language
Original publication date
2009-08-25
Physical description
168 p.; 10.54 inches
ISBN
0345509889 / 9780345509888
Local notes
When Mercy travels to the Tri-Cities of Washington for a job interview, she quickly finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a gang war between rival packs of werewolves. And as if fangs and fur weren't bad enough, Mercy must deal with the scariest creature of all: her mother, who is convinced that Mercy is making a mess of her life and determined to set her daughter on the right course.