Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson: Homecoming

the store could have made it much clearer this was a graphic comic. Buyer beware. The lack of info provided is ridiculous and downright misleading. NOT at all the author's fault though--so giving it 4 stars because reviews should be about content, not poor salesmanship. If you like graphic novels I'm sure this will be great.

With the very brief descriptions that are provided, I totally misses that this was a graphic novel. I was pretty disappointed. If I was expecting the comic, I probably would have been okay with the book.

Graphic novel???? Really? After the dozens of reviews that say "wow - had no idea it was a graphic novel" - maybe someone would get the clue that this should be featured somewhere that it's obvious - like, perhaps, the title??? I'm a big fan - but this SUCKS.

So I woke up this morning anxiously awaiting the book store to open so I could rush to get a copy of "Homecoming". Unfortunately, I was not able to get to the book store until 5 minutes before 10pm (which is when they close). By that time, I was able to read early reviews of the book and 90% of the reviews were bad. Like others, I was not aware that this was a graphic novel but I still wanted to give Patricia Briggs a chance since I loved all of her previous works. I got my copy and raced home and arrived around 10:11pm. I finished the book by 10:34pm. Lets just say that I'm not really into graphic novels and the story was a boring for me. In all fairness, if you go to Brigg's website, she informs us that this is the first installment of a Mercy Thompson graphic novel series NOT the 5th book in the Mercy Thompson novel series. The fifth book is set to be released sometime in early (February) 2010. So all in all, let's give Patricia Briggs a break. If you are into comics and graphic novels give "Homecoming" a shot. If not, don't waste your time or borrow a copy from a friend. This story line just gives us background info on Mercy before she moves Tri-Cities (People who have been following the series won't really find the story interesting or exciting). I did purchase her other book that came out today "Hunting Ground" which has received good reviews so far so I'm looking forward to a good read (So far Patricia's good for it!). I hope this helps you all :). Happy reading!

I am an avid reader, but apparently "graphic novel" wasn't a word I knew the true meaning of. I totally thought this was a new book in the Mercy Thompson series. It is not. It is basically a comic book in a hardback cover. I plan to return this product without reading it.
I hope, in the future, the store.com will post this type of information so people, like me, won't be "stupid" enough to purchase something they don't intend to read.

Thanks!

Homecoming (2009) is the first graphical Fantasy novel in the Mercy Thompson milieu. This volume is a precursor to the series. It takes place in the Tri-cities area of Washington state.

In this novel, Mercy Thompson is a Walker, a supernatural creature. She can turn into a coyote. She is trained as a history teacher.

Siebold Adelbertsmiter is the Smith of the fae. He has created the three weapons of the sidhe.

Tad is the son of Siebold. When his human mother died, Siebold got drunk and almost nine years old Tad took over the business.

Bran is the Marrok of the werewolves. He is Mercy's foster father.

Adam Hauptmen is the Alpha of the local werewolf pack. He is obeying Bran's instructions to take care of Mercy.

Stephen is a vampire. He is also keeping an eye of Mercy.

Markus is a vampire sheep with a bad temper. He wants the car waiting for a clutch job.

Orson Park is the Alpha of a band of rogue werewolves. The Marrok sent Adam and his pack to deal with them.

In this story, Mercy cannot find a job teaching history. She follows several leads, but they want something else. The last lead wanted a coach who also taught history, but she walked out on them.

She is attacked by the rogue pack and is rescued by Adam's pack. Her VW Jetta is damaged by the rogues and she takes it to the nearest garage. Tad is running the garage while his father recovers from his loss.

Markus roughs up Tad and wants to know why he is working on Mercy's vehicle instead of his mistress's car. Tad is rescued by Mercy. She offers to help with the clutch job. Afterward, Tad offers her a job.

After walking out on the coach job, Mercy accepts Tad's offer. Then Siebolt returns to the garage. He tells her to get out of the garage.

Mercy takes a job on the counter of a burger joint. Steven has a talk with Siebold. He apologizes to Mercy and hires her back to help Tad.

This tale embroils Mercy in the werewolf war between the packs of Adam and Orson. Everybody tells her to stay out of the battle. Mercy doesn't obey such commands and gets into the conflict.

Mercy makes a difference. The next installment in this sequence is Moon Called.

Highly recommended for Briggs fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of werewolves, fae, and a Walker. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

I love Patricia Briggs books especially Mercy's series and the Alpha/Omega series. Homecoming was awful just awful. I can't believe it cost so much - fool-me I paid it ... I put it in the Library donation box, I won't screw someone out of their money by re-selling. One star is too much.

From my blog On Starships and Dragonwings

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is a graphic novel about when Mercy is first visiting the Tri-Cities area. This just happens to be at the same time that the Marrok (head of North American werewolves) has sent Adam Hauptman (Alpha werewolf) and his pack to deal with a rogue pack in the area that has been bad. Between vampires acting out, the werewolf gang war and some really bad luck on the employment front, Mercy just isn't having a good week.... Makes perfect sense to move-in!
Patricia Briggs is proving just how versatile of an author she is with her foray into graphic novels. She's doing such a wonderful job building up the world that Mercy Thompson and the companion series, Alpha and Omega, take place in, and it rocks! When I saw Homecoming available for $6 at the local Meijer, I had to grab it for the pretty pictures alone :D. Better yet, it's an original (short) story that tells of how Mercy and Adam actually came to live in the Tri-Cities area. Fun fact: Mercy wanted to be a history teacher! Look how that turned out, haha!

Title: Mercy Thompson: Homecoming
Author: Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence
Illustrator: Francis Tsai, Amelia Woo
Pages: 168
Genre-ish: Urban Fantasy graphic novel!
Rating: ★★★★☆- Really fun, minor turn-offs
Setting: All of the Mercy Thompson series, including Mercy Thompson: Homecoming, are set in an alternate US where werewolves, fae, vampires and coyote shifters all exist. The fae came out of hiding several years ago and the humans have mostly dealt with that shock, and everyone in the supernatural community knows that vampires and werewolves exist. Shifters, however, are thought to be extinct, making Mercy a bit of a spectacle even for a supe.
Premise: A gang of rogue werewolves has been attacking humans in the area that Mercy Thompson also happens to be interviewing for a teaching position. When she's just out for a nice run (in coyote form) this rogue pack just has to come looking for a snack. Fortunately, a much more responsible pack has been sent over to take care of the situation, and they are able to save Mercy. This convinces the Marrok who also happens to be Mercy's foster father, however, that she should not be in the area which causes Mercy to respond by getting a job as a mechanic instead. Now if only this gang war would leave her along, everything would be peachy.

Strengths:
Mercy has always been a really strong and fun character and Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is no exception. She has a tendency to pick fights she has no hope of winning due to her honor, standing up to the most powerful werewolf in North America simply because his orders annoy her, and going out to dinner with vampires.
Generally I am a big fan of the artwork of the various characters. Zee, Mercy's fae boss, wasn't how I had pictured him; he was better. Stefan, the vampire who is a huge Scooby Do fan, had a wonderfully painted VW bus and Adam had some pretty fine moments ;-).
Prequel stories are always so much fun when you know what ends up happening with the characters and get to giggle at their interactions. It was an awesome moment when Adam realized he had bought a house next door to Mercy. Also, Mercy's desire to teach history explains her various book researching adventures in the series very well.
Weaknesses:
Apparently they switched artists part way through the development, which is clear looking at some of the pages, but didn't really bother me. What did both me is that the second artist drew Mercy much more sexually and I just didn't like those panels as much. Mercy isn't supposed to be that sexual; she's covered in motor oil half the time!
Shape-shifting tends to leave people without their clothes on, which is fine in a novel since you don't really picture that detail much (or at least I don't, haha), and Briggs made a great decision to keep that realism element in Mercy Thompson: Homecoming. This does mean, however, that there is a fair amount of female skin showing throughout the novel. No actual full frontal nudity, but plenty of scenes with conveniently positioned arms and legs with everything else showing. Just a warning not to let small children read it and to be careful who can peek over your shoulder.
The first two chapters have a really weird transition that heavily confused me until Briggs resolved it with a memory scene. Basically, they jump forward in time and skip a significant encounter and then go back to describe it. I really didn't like it; it seemed unnecessarily confusing, but I'm hoping that by telling you, you will be less confused.
Summary:
Graphic novels are a really fun edition to a novel series and Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is no exception. You get a combination of a new prequel storyline and really pretty art! What could be better? It's obviously a very fast read because it's so short, but you should definitely be prepared for PG-13 artwork and bad guys. Anyone who has been enjoying the Mercy Thompson series so far should definitely pick it up or borrow Mercy Thompson: Homecoming.

Every time I turn around, another fantasy series is being adapted into graphic novel form. Some good, some bad, and some that just aren't ugly enough.

The newest addition to this genre: "Mercy Thompson: Homecoming," a prequel that explores what happened upon Mercy's arrival in the Tri-Cities area. It's a tightly-written, fast-moving little graphic novel with solid character introductions and some intriguing twists and turns, although the ever-shifting art is a bit offputting.

As the story opens, Mercy is going out for a run, when she is attacked by a pack of werewolves. Just in the nick of time, ANOTHER pack comes to save her, but her car is wrecked in the fight. After a disastrous job interview ("It's more important that a history teacher can coach track than explain the Bill of Rights!"), Mercy heads to the local garage to get her car fixed -- and it turns out the person running the place is is a nine-year-old boy with a fae daddy -- and he quickly runs afoul of a vampire's human "sheep."

Mercy intervenes and offers to help fix it, since she knows how to replace a clutch. The kid even offers her a job, which Mercy finds herself seriously considering. But in the meantime, the savage rogue werewolves are still hunting Mercy, intending to force her to help them. While a friendly local vampire named Stefan helps her a few times, it's only a matter of time before she becomes entangled in a bloody pack war.

Patricia Briggs is something of a rarity in urban fantasy, since her Mercy Thompson series focuses on a small rural town full of "ordinary" (read: nonglamorous) vampires, fae and werecreatures, and its heroine is a shapeshifting mechanic.

So "Mercy Thompson: Homecoming" is not written to be glamorous or sexy, which is part of its rough-hewn appeal -- especially since Briggs dodges many of the cliches. She and David Lawrence spin up a solid little story explaining how the scrappy "walker" came to the town, how she met the vampire Stefan (who looks an awful lot like Vincent Valentine), her boss Zee, and how she got her job.

After the confusing introduction, the taut, quiet plot smooths out into a stream of snappy dialogue ("Adel... bert... smiter? So you smite Adelberts?"), blood-spraying action, and I-need-a-job stress (Mercy's brief stint in a fast food restaurant). In fact, it adds to the supernatural goings-on that Mercy's personal woes are so down-to-earth, though black-and-white flashbacks show her experiences as the Marrok's ward.

And Mercy is a likable heroine -- she's strong enough to stand up for herself, while still being vulnerable enough to stumble. And despite being quickly established as a coyote walker, she seems very much like an "ordinary" woman -- she needs a job, needs an apartment, hopes to be a teacher, and can rearrange the internal parts of a car with no stress.

Francis Tsai's artwork is quite good, albeit kind of uneven -- a shadowy, murky experience filled with grimy walls, blue Washington nights, glitzy fae bars, big hairy werewolves and pallid befanged vampires. Mercy is rather harshly and exaggeratedly drawn initially, but Tsai's lines become more delicate and less cartoony by the midpoint. And with the arrival of the good-guy weres, the color palette shifts from the rainy night colors to burnt lighter ones.

"Mercy Thompson: Homecoming" sets up this prequel nicely, and will leave readers wanting to see more of Mercy's move into this small town.

Since I have not read the entire original novel series, I am going to give a review as an outsider to this series starting with a graphic novel.

Confusion. That is the one word that sums up my experience with this graphic novel. I truly believe that if I had read the original series first, than this graphic novel probably would have made much more sense. Yes it is easy to follow along with, but as a new reader to this author, it did lack answers to some questions. I still have no idea about Mercy's life growing up and what she was doing living with Bran. The other part that left it confusing, was the illustrations. As other reviewers have mentioned, they are beautiful. The downfall of them though is that they change. Mercy will look one way and then change to a different look on the following page. One moment she is thin and graceful, the next she is muscular and stocky. Graphic novels are suppose to tell the story through the pictures and less text, but it makes it difficult for the reader if the looks are constantly changing.

Overall it was an okay and quick read for a Graphic Novel. It is not one of my favorites, but it still made me want to read the original novels.

The Mercy Thompson novels are some of my favorites and I really enjoy the graphic novel format, so I was really excited to see this Dabel Brothers collaboration. I put off buying it because I couldn't justify the price for the length, but I ended up checking it out of my library. I'm really glad I did because it was not up to the quality I was expecting.

I waffled between giving this two or three stars but decided on three because I did like the story. Ms. Briggs is a wonderful storyteller, but I don't think short-form is her best medium. Part of the appeal with Mercy's world is how inclusive it is; you can lose yourself in the descriptions and utter believability of the Tri-Cities. That wasn't as evident here, and I really think first time readers would be a little lost picking this up. I liked learning how Mercy ended up in Seattle but I think I would have preferred this particular story in novella format.

The artwork is what really turned me off about this book and almost justified two stars. The most glaring aspect? That is not Mercedes Thompson. The only picture that comes close to how she is described in the books is the front cover. I didn't mind the nudity (let's face it, she is often nude in the books) but this over-sexualized, Anglo version of Mercy was a total disrespect to the character. Some of the other characters, such as Zee, we're closer to their book counterparts but overall, the artwork was a miss for me. The panel layout also wasn't the best and often interrupted the flow of the story.

If you are a Mercy fan, I still say this is worth a read on one condition -- check it out of your library or borrow it from a friend and save your money for the next actual book in the Mercy Thompson series.

bookshelves: series-mercy-thompson, graphic-novel, paranormal-werewolves, shapeshifters, paranormal-vampire, adult, paranormal-fae, paranormal-witches, 1st-in-series, paranormal-romance, novella, mythology, paranormal-magic

Recommended to Lissa by: Peronal Favorite

Recommended for: Adult Readers of Paranormal Graphic Novella's & Lovers of the Mercy Thompson Series

Read in January, 2011, read count: 1

The story is good and informs readers how Mercy and Stefan became friends. As well as how the tantalizing not so much a relationship ignites a flare when Adam thrusts his way in to Mercy life. We also discover the reason the cat like wolves and why the cat will never be eaten by Adam no matter how grumpy he may seem.

This was my first graphic novel experience and I was somewhat disappointed. In this prequel to The Mercy Thompson Series, it introduces us to the tri-city area Mercy calls home. The story line is good, however it holds several major inconstancy/ inaccuracies are apparent throughout the novel but don't let that distract you. It is an enjoyable read if you are a fan of the Mercy Thompson Universe! However, I feel I must warn readers, especially the females. Mercy strong heroin character goes from being a Native American/ white coyote with back bone to an always naked brunette with big tits a little brain.

I enjoyed a peek into tantalizing not so much a relationship ignites a flare when Adam thrusts his way in to Mercy life. However, again ~this differs from what Patricia Briggs has written in her series. We also discover a new reason the cat likes wolves and why the cat will never be eaten by Adam no matter how grumpy he may seem. In addition, readers learn a different scenario as to how Ted, Stefan and Zee fit in Mercy's life. Again, that differs from the original story line.

In conclusion, in the back of this hardback graphic novel, readers will find and enjoy an art gallery and an interview of the author, Patricia Briggs, by David Lawrence.

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 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: partial nudity

Patricia Briggs has created Mercy Thompson, a VW mechanic who's a shapeshifter and lives immersed in a supernatural world. Although she's a were-coyote (a skinwalker), she was raised by werewolves. She's also believed to possibly be the last of her kind, and no one knows for sure why she's become what she is. Those mythos are still spinning out in Briggs's ongoing novel series about Mercy. When Mercy hit the bookstores, though, she generated an instant audience that fell in love with her.

I wasn't sure how Mercy Thompson would translate to the comics page. I like her voice on the book pages, the way she thinks and the way she sees her world. I didn't know if I was ready to have that world I'd already interpreted for myself rendered in colorful pages that would still be limited compared to what I can do for myself.

I was also concerned how it would be to read a story I was already familiar with when the Mercy Thompson stories are organic in the books and keep marching forward. I was a little relieved to discover this volume would concern itself more with how Mercy arrived at her little corner of the supernatural world that fans have come to be so familiar with and love. Subsequent volumes are going to retell the novels, and I'll be interested in seeing how well that goes over with stories I'm already acquainted with.

In some ways reading this graphic novel was like watching a rerun. I knew most of the story but there were some action bits and character bits thrown in that weren't relayed in the first Mercy novel. I liked the chase sequences, especially the one in the beginning where the werewolves have Mercy cornered while she's in coyote form and are about to bring her down. Those sequences were well rendered by the artist (Francis Tsai), and enjoyed watching the change from coyote to human, though the "shift" was really fast.

One of the later "shifts" really strains credulity, though, because it shows Mercy getting chased in coyote form and managing to change into a human before a werewolf can run her down at full speed. And manage to snatch up a revolver and start blasting away. (There is a problem with that scene too that involves technical accuracy. The dialogue calls for a .38, a revolver, but the panel shows a semi-automatic.)

In places, though, the artwork feels too cartoonish. The images just don't square up. I loved the color though.

The story sets up everything that takes place in the first Mercy novel but doesn't really introduce anything for long-time readers. All the characters and pieces are there, and we get to see stories acted out that we only heard about before, so that's kind of nice. Readers new to the series will probably find a lot in this urban fantasy world to enjoy (although it takes place outside the city), and I encourage them to hurry on down to the bookstore and pick up the novels.

I love the Mercy Thompson book series, and would appreciate this story in novel form. I like some graphic novels, i.e., The Color of Earth series of 3 books. However, I don't like this graphic version. I probably would not like the other graphic novels in this series either.

The graphics are interesting, especially to adolescent boys. One thing I hate is the bimbo-ization of Mercy Thompson by the cover artists of the book series and the graphic artists here. In the books, I don't picture Mercy as tattooed sex goddess. I believe the books only mention the tattoo that is below her navel - the coyote paw print. That's all I remember. She is sexy, but doesn't wear revealing clothes and multiple tattoos. It's her personality and whole self that are sexy.

On the back cover of this graphic there is a picture of Mercy on the hood of a VW with her legs spread obscenely, although clothed. There are several nude pictures of her inside. I am not a prude, but did find it a bit distasteful even though she is a walker and does have to disrobe a lot to change into a coyote. I guess it was my dislike of the overall bimbo-ization that influenced this feeling.

I thought that I saw it advertised on the store as well as implied by the title as about where Mercy came from. I expected that to be her life with the Marrock in Montana or wherever, maybe even including her birth parents and then the Marrock. I would like to read a book about this, as well as several sequels in the series. Instead, this book is about the beginnings in the Tri-Cities, post-Marrock life.

Briggs writes very well in this genre. In the books, not the graphic novel.

bookshelves: series-mercy-thompson, graphic-novel, paranormal-werewolves, shapeshifters, paranormal-vampire, adult, paranormal-fae, paranormal-witches, 1st-in-series, paranormal-romance, novella, mythology, paranormal-magic

Recommended to Lissa by: Peronal Favorite

Recommended for: Adult Readers of Paranormal Graphic Novella's & Lovers of the Mercy Thompson Series

Read in January, 2011, read count: 1

The story is good and informs readers how Mercy and Stefan became friends. As well as how the tantalizing not so much a relationship ignites a flare when Adam thrusts his way in to Mercy life. We also discover the reason the cat like wolves and why the cat will never be eaten by Adam no matter how grumpy he may seem.

This was my first graphic novel experience and I was somewhat disappointed. In this prequel to The Mercy Thompson Series, it introduces us to the tri-city area Mercy calls home. The story line is good, however it holds several major inconstancy/ inaccuracies are apparent throughout the novel but don't let that distract you. It is an enjoyable read if you are a fan of the Mercy Thompson Universe! However, I feel I must warn readers, especially the females. Mercy strong heroin character goes from being a Native American/ white coyote with back bone to an always naked brunette with big tits a little brain.

I enjoyed a peek into tantalizing not so much a relationship ignites a flare when Adam thrusts his way in to Mercy life. However, again ~this differs from what Patricia Briggs has written in her series. We also discover a new reason the cat likes wolves and why the cat will never be eaten by Adam no matter how grumpy he may seem. In addition, readers learn a different scenario as to how Ted, Stefan and Zee fit in Mercy's life. Again, that differs from the original story line.

In conclusion, in the back of this hardback graphic novel, readers will find and enjoy an art gallery and an interview of the author, Patricia Briggs, by David Lawrence.

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 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: partial nudity

Patricia Briggs has created Mercy Thompson, a VW mechanic who's a shapeshifter and lives immersed in a supernatural world. Although she's a were-coyote (a skinwalker), she was raised by werewolves. She's also believed to possibly be the last of her kind, and no one knows for sure why she's become what she is. Those mythos are still spinning out in Briggs's ongoing novel series about Mercy. When Mercy hit the bookstores, though, she generated an instant audience that fell in love with her.

I wasn't sure how Mercy Thompson would translate to the comics page. I like her voice on the book pages, the way she thinks and the way she sees her world. I didn't know if I was ready to have that world I'd already interpreted for myself rendered in colorful pages that would still be limited compared to what I can do for myself.

I was also concerned how it would be to read a story I was already familiar with when the Mercy Thompson stories are organic in the books and keep marching forward. I was a little relieved to discover this volume would concern itself more with how Mercy arrived at her little corner of the supernatural world that fans have come to be so familiar with and love. Subsequent volumes are going to retell the novels, and I'll be interested in seeing how well that goes over with stories I'm already acquainted with.

In some ways reading this graphic novel was like watching a rerun. I knew most of the story but there were some action bits and character bits thrown in that weren't relayed in the first Mercy novel. I liked the chase sequences, especially the one in the beginning where the werewolves have Mercy cornered while she's in coyote form and are about to bring her down. Those sequences were well rendered by the artist (Francis Tsai), and enjoyed watching the change from coyote to human, though the "shift" was really fast.

One of the later "shifts" really strains credulity, though, because it shows Mercy getting chased in coyote form and managing to change into a human before a werewolf can run her down at full speed. And manage to snatch up a revolver and start blasting away. (There is a problem with that scene too that involves technical accuracy. The dialogue calls for a .38, a revolver, but the panel shows a semi-automatic.)

In places, though, the artwork feels too cartoonish. The images just don't square up. I loved the color though.

The story sets up everything that takes place in the first Mercy novel but doesn't really introduce anything for long-time readers. All the characters and pieces are there, and we get to see stories acted out that we only heard about before, so that's kind of nice. Readers new to the series will probably find a lot in this urban fantasy world to enjoy (although it takes place outside the city), and I encourage them to hurry on down to the bookstore and pick up the novels.

I love the Mercy Thompson book series, and would appreciate this story in novel form. I like some graphic novels, i.e., The Color of Earth series of 3 books. However, I don't like this graphic version. I probably would not like the other graphic novels in this series either.

The graphics are interesting, especially to adolescent boys. One thing I hate is the bimbo-ization of Mercy Thompson by the cover artists of the book series and the graphic artists here. In the books, I don't picture Mercy as tattooed sex goddess. I believe the books only mention the tattoo that is below her navel - the coyote paw print. That's all I remember. She is sexy, but doesn't wear revealing clothes and multiple tattoos. It's her personality and whole self that are sexy.

On the back cover of this graphic there is a picture of Mercy on the hood of a VW with her legs spread obscenely, although clothed. There are several nude pictures of her inside. I am not a prude, but did find it a bit distasteful even though she is a walker and does have to disrobe a lot to change into a coyote. I guess it was my dislike of the overall bimbo-ization that influenced this feeling.

I thought that I saw it advertised on the store as well as implied by the title as about where Mercy came from. I expected that to be her life with the Marrock in Montana or wherever, maybe even including her birth parents and then the Marrock. I would like to read a book about this, as well as several sequels in the series. Instead, this book is about the beginnings in the Tri-Cities, post-Marrock life.

Briggs writes very well in this genre. In the books, not the graphic novel.

Hmm...how to start? The first graphic novel featuring Mercy Thompson is a mixed bag; the story as a whole is perfectly fine, it may not be great but it's serviceable. The illustrations are very good and attractive, however Mercy herself is not. Well, okay, the girl(s) is actually drawn well, but she's not Mercy. My first thought was, "When did Mercy go from being Native American/white to Hispanic?" Even though there are different artists and styles of Mercy used in this book, like many graphic novels employ, none of them come close to matching her description. Save the cover illustration which is done by the same artist who does the full-length novel covers, Dan Dos Santos. Since she is the main character, I really think that is vital and hope the artists work on that for the next book. As for the dialogue, it's rather mediocre, sometimes choppy, and a few times didn't follow a logical sequence. I'd be reading along, then a sentence or statement would pop up that made me think I missed something somehow, so I'd proceed to go back, then find out I didn't miss anything after-all, and it just didn't make sense with everything around it. My last complaint has to do with how the book reads and the panel progression. The way the panels and speech balloons were set led to much confusion, I'd read one panel, move on to the next just to find out I should have read that one first. I have read graphic novels before and never had as many problems with them as I did with this one. I felt that more panels would have helped tell the story and there wouldn't be so much confusion as to what had actually happened. Still, the book isn't totally bad, it's a good starting place, but hopefully everyone involved will learn from this first graphic novel so the next will be better executed. I'd say that if you're not into graphic novels, that you should give it a pass unless you absolutely must read everything Mercy Thompson related.

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming explains Mercy's beginnings and is the perfect prequel to the book series. Her start at the repair shop, her life with the Marrok, the initial meeting with Stefan, and Adam as well, are described in these pages through a visual format. This is a highly successful way to bring the series to a new crop of readers. There is a large amount of unnecessary nudity, as far as Mercy is concerned, which is not entirely true to the book. This serves as a distraction and detracts from the graphic novel as a whole. Overall, I was surprised that I enjoyed reading Mercy Thompson: Homecoming, as I am not a fan of graphic novels.

I pre-ordered this book. At the time the description only said "Hardback". I do enjoy her books, but I don't like Graphic Novels. It's a little too graphic for me. It taught me a lesson about pre-ordering that's for sure!

"Mercy Thompson Homecoming" is a prequel to the series. This sets up Mercy's character as a 'walker' and an adopted kid of the werewolf leader, Bran the Marrok.

The story begins with newly-graduated Mercy Thompson coming to the Tri-Cities area to apply for a teaching job and discovering that the school didn't want a History teacher, they wanted someone 'well rounded', in other words a coach. She's about to leave town when her car breaks down and she ends up in a garage with a nine-year-old kid working there.

When a vampire comes to make trouble, Mercy steps in and gains the kid's trust and a job. She also ends up in the middle of a war between two werewolf packs.

While the book's short, it's beautifully illustrated by Amelia Woo, who draws Mercy just as I have seen her in my head. If you're a Briggs fan and have enjoyed the series, you're going to like having this piece of art to accompany the books.

Rebecca Kyle, August 2009

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming, by Patricia Briggs

I'm not normally a fan of graphic novels, but I had to check this one out because I love the Mercy Thompson series.

"Homecoming" is a type of origin-story, in that it explains how Mercy came to live in the Tri-Cities, and how she began working for Zee as a mechanic. There's also a tangle with some rogue werewolves, her first meeting with Stefan, and a trip to Uncle Mike's.

Overall I enjoyed "Homecoming," and I did like getting a chance to see some of my favorite characters sketched out. I did feel that the characters were all very close to their descriptions in the novels, and often had the thought, "Oh so *that's* what Zee looks like," and the picture usually matched my mental image - a testament to the collaboration of Briggs and the artists. I absolutely loved one panel - Mercy as a baby coyote...it was just adorable.

I wouldn't say that "Homecoming" is worth $22.95 though, I think it should been published in paperback. It's short, but a good diversion for fans waiting for the next installment of the Mercy series. If you're iffy on graphic novels, I suggest getting it from the library.

4/5.

Well, I let myself get caught again. A 15$ Hardcover, and I expected a book, not a poorly done comic book. The artists didn't even bother to notice their own cover had full tats on the right arm,and the story line was weak, mostly because if you have read the series, there were no new pieces of information. As I have said before, when I read a book, I enjoy interpreting it through my own eyes, and experience, not the way some artist wants to draw it. Way too many mistakes, and the "Mercy" in this thing kept changing styles, body build,and appearance, and the storyline was repetative and confusing. Apparently it was done in four seperate comic books. OK, call me a snob- it took less than 30 minutes to read it (look at it), I had to keep going back to figure out what they were doing, and even MS.Briggs mentioned "graduating" from comic books to books. These things will always be popular to people with limited reading skills, and I dread the future, when newspapers are done in comic book fashion. Read a good book, you will be suprised how much more educated you become than if you just look at the pictures.

a warning that was thisvis a graphic novel and is very unsuited to kindles. perhaps ok for fires or other large tablets but a warning is needed. i feel cheated since after i bought it i cant rerurn nor can i read it on my kindle paperwhite

We all knew the Mercy Thompson novels were fantasy when we got started reading them; we're all hooked on 'em, that means they're pretty good. This graphic novel, like the visual fleshing-out of Jim Butcher's popular series we all know about, comes after a number of satisfying installments(over a period of years) have given us all a mental picture of what to expect. So any variation from what we "see"(which is, after all, inside our head) is not always readily accepted...or even tolerated !
However, for the first-time viewer or those not too attached to what they want to see, the visuals are pretty good. Remember, for the images of Mercy, the artist has had to contend with the cover art. The images of Adam, Zee, Bran, Darryl and Stefan were close to the novels' ideas, but yet different - the result of letting another artist "play in the author's sandbox"...there's an image to stay close to, but room to throw in a few twists and turns of thier own design(Check out Stefan's "Rush" T-shirt).
While I sympathize with those disappointed by this graphic novel not being the eagerly-awaited next shot of Mercy, please remember this is not wrong but different, and meant to be - and, unlike the way Hollywood "dumbs down" popular stories or series(or brutally eviscerates them) - this visualization(like the "Dresden Files" graphic novel) is done with the active assistance and collaboration of the original author(and, I might add, their blessing) and so adds to the total Mercy Thompson experience.

Shapeshifting human walker Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson can shift into a coyote. However, having just graduated from college, Mercy just wants a job. Thus the Oregonian goes for an interview in the nearby Tri-Cities, Washington.

However, minding her business and having her nerves on edge seem not to matter for Mercy. She must deal with vampires, werewolves, and her mom as well as the interviewing horde. Just another normal day for a college grad seeking employment with the worst terrorist being her lecturing mother telling her she is ruining her life. Mercy is not sure whose life mom is referring to in her latest diatribe.

This is a terrific graphic comic with a strong Patricia Briggs' story line that occurs before the Mercy novels take place and with vivid powerful illustrations by Francis Tsai and Amelia Woo. Fans of the saga will relish this new direction that showcases the heroine just after her college graduation while newcomers will find this a wonderful bridge into the world of Mercy Thompson.

Harriet Klausner

Graphic novels have their place. Personally I'm rather nostalgic for the comic books I bought as a kid for $.25. They had more story and fewer graphics. BUT if you want to know if you'd like this graphic novel click on the "look inside" and you will see exactly what to expect. I am very grateful to the store for posting what is probably 1/4 of the novel (if the novel length is like the other graphic novels I have bought). Patricia Briggs says she enjoyed seeing her characters drawn out, I do too. My only observation is that the artist can't seem to settle on Mercy's tats or cup size, they are in constant flux.

So like quite a few other folks, I ordered "Homecoming" with the expectation that it was a novel. If I had known it was going to be a comic book, I'd NEVER have ordered it. The graphics are terrible and the naked-except-for-oh-look-my-arms-are-crossed panel of Mercy is just gratuitous borderline anime porn. I don't even want to read the thing - I just want my money back. Know what it reminds me of? When a really great book series is made into a movie or tv show (Sookie Stackhouse vampire series), and the mental images you crafted from reading the books are forever spoiled. Urk.

This is a nice, tightly written little prequel graphic novel.

Yes, graphic novel, which does *not* imply it is just for kids. It reads just like a Mercy short story, and it's a blast seeing the artist's representations of the characters. The characters all act as you'd expect them to, and seeing the first rocky steps in their relationships is wonderful. (Little Tad just needs a big hug.) I think my favorite part, though, is a scene of baby Mercy as a coyote-pup, just because it's beautifully drawn and the coloring is very nice (in a warm flash-back way).

My one real nit-pick with the book is that they had a very hard time keeping an artist, so the artwork changes pretty much from issue to issue. None of the artwork is bad, but it's a bit disconcerting to have character designs changing all the time. Hopefully the "Cry Wolf" adaptation will have better artistic luck.

Overall, if you like Mercy and have an open enough mind to give a graphic novel a try (which I hope many do--disliking any artistic medium without giving it a fair shot rubs my fur the wrong way), pick it up. Flip through it. You might be pleasantly surprised.

I love love love Patricia Briggs and all her stories. She is probably in my top three authors (if not right up there at number one). I really enjoy her characters, world building, and writing style. All of these are combined with pretty pictures that appeal to my anime-fan-girl-self. I loved the story, a prequel to her Mercy Thompson series, and very much enjoyed the depth it gave to her main characters. The illustrations are beautiful as well. Bottom line, if you are a fan of Briggs (or Mercy!) or comics, or writing in general, then you should pick this one up. Very Happy fan!

I don't understand why everyone is saying they did not know this was a graphic novel. It says it is a graphic novel on the cover and in the product description. I guess that says something about Patrica Briggs' work, people will buy anything from her without reading the description first.

This is a fun addition to the series. It tells a quick story about when Mercy first moves to town, gets her job at the garage and her first meeting with Adam (swoon). My only complaint is that the illustrations of Mercy were not consistent, it was a noticable difference.

I would recommend this for any graphic novel lover and for anyone who can not get enough of Mercy's story.

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is a comic book prequel for one of my favorite series of books by Patricia Briggs. The story translated really well into a visual medium and I loved the artwork. I think there have been quite a few negative reviews and to be honest I am not really sure why. The artwork is cool and I loved how Mercy and her beau were depicted. If there was one character I was not as keen on it was the vampire Stefan. I thought he'd be a little prettier. Cool story, great art and a very stylish interpretation of one of my favorite characters.

Mercy Thompson is a walker, a magical being with the power to shapeshift into a coyote at will. As a child she had been handed over to Bran Cornick "the Marrok" who ruled the werewolves, to be raised. The Marrok is the biggest, baddest werewolf of all. Since the age of sixteen Mercy has been on her own.

Mercy leaves Portland for an interview in the Tri-Cities of Washington. Mercy hopes for a teaching position. She ends up being hired by a nine-year-old named Tad as a mechanic for his father's auto repair shop. Tad and his father, Zee, are part of the Fae. Mercy finds herself in the middle of a war zone. She would have left, but the Marrok erred and Mercy decides to spitefully stick around. Seems the Marrok has sent Adam Hauptman to deal with a band of rogue werewolves in the area. Adam is an Alpha, leader of the Columbia Basin Wolf Pack. And whether Adam or the Marrok likes it or not, Mercy is making the war for territory her business!

***** FIVE STARS! An outstanding and original graphic novel set in the Mercy Thompson universe. If, like me, you have not read any of the Mercy Thompson novels, then you are in for a sweet treat! For those fans who have kept up with the series, you will finally get to see how Mercy and her mentor, Zee, met.

As most know, when morphing into another form, the clothes being worn are shredded. The illustrators have done an amazing job of keeping true to that fact by using some pretty cool techniques. I could not be more impressed! Very tastefully done indeed! Mercy's personality and her sense of dark humor flows naturally and I often found myself chuckling aloud as I read. More than once my son stopped, while walking by my room, to glance in and wonder what I was laughing at. That just made me laugh louder.

In the back of this hardback graphic novel, readers will find an art gallery and an interview of the author, Patricia Briggs, by David Lawrence. Will there be more Mercy graphic novels in the future? The interview has me believing there will be. But this one is an original story; made especially for this graphic form. I have no doubt what-so-ever that fans will flock for this major collectable item. And new fans will be won as well. A magnificent graphic debut that will be long celebrated! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I've seen some nasty ratings/reviews about the fact that this is a graphic novel, which is uncalled for since it has nothing to do with this novel. Anyone who paid the slightest bit of attention would know what they were buying. A.) Patricia said it was a graphic novel before it even showed up on the store. B.) Clicking on the title gives you the name of the illustrators and publisher...something that isn't done with any of Ms. Briggs sci-fi/urban paranormal books. C.) Price and number of pages. The original price of a hardback book is generally $25+ and around 300+ pages. This book is cheaper and has less than half the normal amount of pages. The bottom line is that it was obvious that you wouldn't be buying a "typical" Patricia Briggs book.

If you know what you're buying, but are still confused: I enjoyed the novel and I think the illustrators did a great job of portraying Mercy in a way that would be familiar to fans, yet still capable of grabbing the attention of comic fans unfamiliar with the series. Think of the graphic novel as a movie/tv adaption (such as the Harry Potter films or the Sookie Stackhouse True Blood show) that's still in book format. As for the price, it's the normal price for a hardback graphic novel from a popular fiction author. The price is based on the fact that you're buying a collection of comics (which is how this book was originally published and each comic was $3-$4) bound in a hardback format. If you're interested/curious about the graphic novel, but are put off by the price, try a sample: the individual comics are still sold at any major comic book store.

Most of the plot we're familiar with from revelations in previous Mercy Thompson works, but it's the first time we're seeing it. Fairly good comic adaptation of characters. On par with Buffy. I enjoyed a lot of the art in here. Like the novels' cover art only more of it. Coyote-Mercy is adorable, though I disagreed with the artists' interpretation of a couple of characters. There were multiple artists working on this project so sometimes the art style changes. Overall worth the money. This is definitely a medium that works well for one-shot stories. I don't think I'd like to see the whole series redone in comic form, but any short stories Briggs would care to write to expand the Mercy-verse should be fair game.