Mercy Thompson: Homecoming

First I'm a little disappointed in the folks who never bothered to read the product description that clearly states this is a comic, and just assumed Homecoming was the next in the Mercy Thompson novel series, and are now crying because it's not what they thought. That said, this graphic novel is awesome.

It is an original story, that takes us to when Mercy first arrived in the tri-cities. Of course she can't show up to a new city and not get herself in the middle of werewolf pack politics. She takes a few knocks on her job search, and is all ready to pack up and go home, til the Marrock (leader of all the werewolves and who's pack in which Mercy grew up) sends a check with a note saying to go home. Mercy's nature is too contradictory to pack it in after that, and decides she's going to make it work.

We see as Mercy first meets Adam, Stephan, Zee and Tad. Some of the art is dead on with what I pictured from the book, some not so much. What kind of tripped me up is that the series had to get a new artist half way through. I can't imagine it was easy for her to come into a work already started, but I liked it when I got use to the slightly new look.

The book has some great scenes: Mercy as a coyote pup with torn shirt in her mouth. The porche wrapped around a tree. The lamb necklace delivered to her from the Marrock via Adam. All things that tie in great with the series and add depth and perspective to what we already know. I hope that there are more Mercy comics in the future!

I wasn’t a huge fan of the graphics depicting the characters. They were more cartoony with the proportional views than I expected. However, I did enjoy the short story and details behind Mercy’s move to the Tri-Cities. While I don’t think it necessary to read this book since the story is glossed over in the series itself, it was still a fun read.

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.

I'm a big fan of the Alpha-Omega series (like so many others) and pre-ordered this item. I did not follow up further, and was surprised when the graphic novel materialized in my mailbox.

The main difficulty that I've got with this book is that the graphic novel format only skims through the story of Mercy's meeting with other important characters in the series, like Adam Hauptman, Zee, and Stefan. I was hoping for a richer story line, with more details and explanations to savour-- not the shortened version demanded by this short comic book.

A secondary problem is the fact that three different artists served as illustrators-- sequentially. So Mercy, Adam, and Stefan's physical attributes seem to drift a bit from chapter to chapter. I found this to be disconcerting.

So: if you've GOT to have all things Patricial Briggs, you'll want this. Otherwise, you may want to save your dollars.

I want to start by saying I LOVE the Mercy serious and like others rushed to get it! I was sorely disappointed to find out I spent so much on a comic book! For those who are into comics... good on you but the store listed this simply as a Hardcover! Just because it has a hardcover doesn't make it a book worth the same price! the store needs to do a better job of listing these products! I thought the story was okay but honestly detest the image of all hero's and heroins being unrealistically built because come on! How could she fight naked with that rack! Please do a better job in the future the store!

Since I'm not a fan of graphic novels, I should have known not to buy this, but I wanted more of a backstory to Mercy getting into the mechanic business. I do wish the story would be novel length. I'd love to see more of Adam and Mercy's beginnings.

I am a true fan of all things by Patricia Briggs, but I just didn't enjoy this. The plot line is fine, but the story loses everything digested to terse captions. I don't mind that the characters look very different from my own mental images, but there's no connection between any of them in this graphic book. The story lurches from idea to idea with little coherence, and I was left saddened that this is probably the only way we'll ever see the early story of Mercy Thompson coming to the Tri-Cities.

I am a HUGE fan of the Mercy Thompson series and graphic novels alike. This one however I am not a fan of. Not only did they alter the story but what they changed it to was pretty cheesy. The art within the graphic novel is great but that doesn't make up for the writing. I feel extremly let down and disappointed, especially since we were left waiting for months for this as the release date kept getting pushed back. If you are a fan of Mercy Thompson you will not be a fan of this book.

If you're into graphic novels great! I didn't read the fine print... or the reviews! This is not the next instalment of Mercy Thompson the novel. Needless to say I was very disapointed when my book arrived in the mail! From now I will be reading the fine print!

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.

As a fan of Patricia Briggs' books, I was looking forward to receiving HOMECOMING but was so disappointed in it. I was expecting a new Mercy Thompson novel but was mortified to get this horrid graphic novel that was a poor attempt at a prequel. Unless you were extremely familiar with her other werewolf novels, you would be hopelessly confused. The storyline was poor and seemed to skip around in a way that would have made sense in a full-length novel, the graphics were the usual unspecial comic book variety and the interview w/Briggs was a waste of paper. Overall, a real waste of the author's talent and of money.

I am breaking my own rule about leaving a review before I actually read something I bought, however I am SOOOO infuriated about the masses who apparently bought this graphic novel and didn't bother to investigate what they were ordering or buying. If you don't like this book based on the art or actual story, FINE not a problem. But don't you dare come on here bringing Ms. Briggs rating down when you haven't read the book and are just childishly angry that this isn't what you thought/wanted it to be. Also, don't insult this genre either. This is NOT a cheap genre, it takes a lot of hard work on the author as well as the artist. How dare any of you downplay that? Any of you lackluster insulters achieved what either Ms. Briggs or this artist have? Didn't think so. Grow up people...GROW UP!!

Ya know, I concider myself a very patient person...however, I get very angry when I feel lied to. No where on this whole page were the words "graphic novel" printed somewhere that I could actually read it. Ask me if I'm irritated.........very. Having the words written in tiny letters on the cover of the book does not count. I can't even even read it there. I'm sure this is a great graphic novel and everything, but I'm really annoyed that I didn't know what I was getting before I bought it. I suppose that's what I get for assuming.

AS MENTIONED BEFORE IF U ARE INTO THE SERIES AS MUCH AS U SAY U ARE THEN YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT ITS A COMIC BOOK!!!! The next book is out feb 2010 and its called silver born. You can't give it 1 star because you don't know what's going on . If your not sure if its for you take a seat at the book store read it then leave.

This is a graphic novel which is code for a comic book. I ABSOLUTELY HATE HATE HATE this format. This is the second time I have been burned thinking it is a short work with graphic words, violence or sex. I think it should be made clear it is a comic book and not worthy of being in the book category. As for being hardcover, it is con to get you to waste your money. It is a shame this kind of scam exists and the store perpetuates it.

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.

I got this product, and it wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a novel because of the price and the other books that I've ordered, but I got a cartoon book that was a bad replica of an Animae/Manga book.

I’ve never been a fan of graphic novels, but I devour any content on Mercy Thompson, so my dad got me this for Christmas awhile back. Since I’m re-reading the series for the nth time, I decided to fit this in chronologically.

It was reallt fun to finally see all the characters I’ve read about for so long. Anyone that’s enjoyed the series (and is heterosexual) will delight at finally seeing Adam. Now we just need our movie!

But I digress. The story was simple, but did it’s job of providing an “origin story” for the Mercy Thompson universe. We got to see our heroine meet Adam, Tad, Stefan, Uncle Mike and Zee. If only Tony had made the cut, oh well!

All in all, this graphic novel is probablt best enjoyed by fans of the books or fans of graphic novels in general. But definitely a nice, quick trip to the Tri-Cities.

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 have read all the Mercy Thompson books and had this one in my cart the minute it became available for pre-order. I was extremely disappointed to discover it's a comic book. I still have it because it costs too much to return it to the store. Perhaps in the store's ad it should be made VERY clear this is not a paperback but a comic book. Yuck.

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

I knew this was a graphic novel. I was looking forward to this graphic novel. I wanted to like this graphic novel. But I was upset by a storyline that doesn't even match what has already been written. Honestly, I'm surprised this issue hasn't been addressed in any of the other reviews.

I have been a HUGE Mercy Thompson fan. I loved all five books so far. I had just finished reading Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5) and wanted some more Mercy, so I finally took the plunge and purchased 'Homecoming.' I like graphic novels--I love the artwork and how it creates part of the story. The artwork is pretty good--some pieces are better than others, but that's always how it is with this medium.

I was most disappointed with all the inconsistencies in the storyline presented in 'Homecoming.' For example (and these are only what I can think of right off the top of my head without rereading books 1-5)....

1. In the books it is said that Mercy bought her home first and LATER Adam knowingly purchased the lot next to hers and built that monstrosity of his home. In Homecoming, Adam's house is already there.
2. In the books it is said that (over the course of weeks) Mercy was hired 3 times by Tad and fired by each time before Zee finally came around to the idea of having a female mechanic. In Homecoming, it was only once.
3. In the books it is said that Mercy worked out a deal with Stephan AFTER she took over the garage which is a surprise to Zee. In Homecoming, Mercy works it out with him in the first few days she's there (and she doesn't even own the garage yet!)
4. In the books it is said that Adam was married when Mercy first met him, that he didn't think of her other than an assignment until AFTER his divorce. In Homecoming, it is 'implied' that Adam is attracted to her at the end.
5. In the books it is said that Mercy's cat, Medea, was a stray that showed up at her trailer. In Homecoming, Adam gifts the cat to Mercy.

What? Hmmmm.....

I wasn't expecting to be blown out of the water with this installment of Mercy Thompson. I was expecting great artwork (check); watching Mercy meet Zee, Tag, Stephen, and mostly Adam (check); seeing what Mercy did when she first showed up in the Tri-Cities (check). I was also wanting it to fit the world that Ms. Briggs already created (no check). I felt like I was reading a storyline written by a sort-of-fan who hasn't even read all of the books all the way through. Would you enjoy a prequel to Harry Potter where James and Lilly fell in love at 10 years old, where Sirius had a fear of motorcycles, and where Harry found Hedwig in a tree when he was 3? It wouldn't make any sense! And unfortunately, so did 'Homecoming.'

Recommendation: Enjoy it for what it is, but just stick with the books.
Moon Called (Mercy Thompson)
Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, Book 3)
Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson)
Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5)
River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6)

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.

Let me preface this with the fact that I knew it was a graphic novel and that it was not the next book in the series, but the prequel to the series. For what it was, it was well done.

If you like Shiver and Twilight, then this series is right up your ally. Mercy Thompson is a strong female character, a rarity in the male character dominated world of sci-fi/fantasy. In this graphic novel, we learn how it is that Mercy came to position that we find her in in her first novel Moon Called. Homecoming was just released this August and it is a prequel to the four existing novels in the series. A bit confusing, but worth it in the end.

We meet Mercy, unemployed and frustrated, during her travels to the Tri-City area of Washington state for a bust of a job interview. Unfortunately her presence in the area has not gone unnoticed as planned. During a run as a coyote she crosses paths with two feuding werewolf packs. Did I lose you? Mercy is one of a kind, a walker: able to take the shape of a coyote at her leisure.

The direct result of this confrontation is a busted car that needs to be fixed. Mercy stumbles upon a local repair shop and intervenes on behalf of the child working there against a vampire. Again, not unnoticed. Thus begins the adventures, and misadventures, of Mercy Thompson in the Tri-Cities area.

Fast-paced and a great introduction to the series for those who weren't already fans, this graphic novel really lays the ground work for what comes later in the series. So far there are four books out, with a fifth one due March 30, 2010. So far we are guaranteed at least seven, but Patricia Briggs says she may go farther. The books are dynamic in that they shift between focusing on the werewolf/walker interactions and the "bad guys" change in each book. Fae, vampires, werewolves, witches, and all manor of spectacular creatures exist in this one series. A great variety with strongly defined and engaging characters. Enjoyable and expressive!

How do you cope with life as a coyote?

If you're a real coyote, it is simple. If you're Mercy Thompson, then the challenge of being `normal' in a world that operates on a balance between the unspoken and spoken, is one that requires fortitude, skill, and a whole lotta luck.

In `Homecoming', Mercy meets her future mentor, Zee for the first time in Tri-Cities after a failed teachers interview and sets up shop amidst a werewolf turf war in a VW shop. That's the readers digest version of the story. Fans of the Patricia Briggs universe will recognize this as the 4 issue Dabel Brothers mini-series, and appreciate the high quality reproduction. Those, like myself, will enter into a different world and have to find bearings amidst a whirlwind of nocturnal conflict.

The cast of characters the Marrock, Stefan, Adelberts, Adam Hauptman, Markus, Tad, and a supporting cast of werewolves, vampires, and the occasion human. I find it very intriguing how the surrounding community is blind to the existence of the werewolf turf war, yet somehow they manage to live a `normal' existence.

Once you realize exactly what is going on during a 2nd read, the story improves and Mercy Thompson quickly becomes a stopping place on the book shelves, illustrated or not.

Watch your back during a full moon!

Tim Lasiuta

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.

For a first book wasn't that good. I know this isn't actually the first book, but as an introduction wasn't interesting enough to make me read the rest.

Also, I saw these books have very problematic representation of Native Americans. Very offensive and stereotypical plot/stories/characters. So, I won't spend money or time in here.

First, the disclaimer: I spend a lot of time on Patty's website and forum, so I knew this was a graphic novel "prequel" to the series and NOT the fifth book in the Mercy series. (According to Patty's website, that book will be titled SILVER BORNE and will be published in February/March 2010. And for all you Sam fans, Silver Borne is supposed to be a more Sam-centric story.) So, armed with that foreknowledge, I wasn't hit with any of the disappointment that so many others experienced.

I really enjoyed this glimpse into Mercy's past: seeing her initial arrival in the Tri-Cities and her first meetings with Stefan, Zee and Tad, and Adam. The basic story of this (graphic) novel focuses on those introductions, but also on a power-struggle with a band of rogue werewolves who have tasted human blood and who are determined to claim the Tri-Cities for their own.

I had seen a few examples of the comic's illustrations online and hadn't cared for them, but seeing them in the context of the larger book really changed my opinion. I quite like the artistic depictions of Mercy, Adam, and Zee especially. (Although, why does the graphic novel's Adam have blue eyes? And does Stefan have long hair in the books?) And I liked how the basic personalities and characteristics of each main player was portrayed true to the series: the comic's Mercy is as fiercely independent and competent as we know her to be from the novels, and in this story as well we see her put herself between innocents and the dangers they face, all while standing up to those far stronger (and more deadly) than she.

My quibbles were extremely minor and really had nothing to do with this story and more to do with my own personal wish-list. For instance, since I'm a huge Adam fan, I would have liked to have seen more of him in this story. Perhaps I'll get that wish in future stories? I have no idea if additional comic volumes are planned.

All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the Mercy Thompson series, even for someone like me who isn't generally a fan or consumer of comics and graphic novels. Since I am so interested in the Mercy Thompson series, I'll snatch up any tidbits related to her story, and that includes (evidently!) a graphic novel. Still, I most definitely think that the store should have done a better job of disclosing the particulars of this story and format so that readers had a better sense of what they were ordering. I can understand why so many are upset.

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.

Come on people, let's be fair! Don't give this book a poor review just because *you* made a mistake and didn't realize it was a graphic novel when you ordered it. Give *yourself* a low score for poor shopping skills. Judge this book on what it is, a very well-written and nicely illustrated graphic novel, not what you thought it should be.

And if you have a teenager in your house, leave it laying around where he/she will find it (after you're done with it, of course ;-) My 15-year-old picked it up, read it during breakfast, then asked me whose it was. "Yours!? You're kidding right, Mom? Really? Wow, Mom! You're modernizing! Way to go!" More to the the point, he asked if there were more books by Patricia Briggs, whereupon I handed him my stack of Mercy Thompson books, and he's now halfway through book #1. Reading... A book with a female protagonist... No light sabers or Darth Hidious (sic)... Now *that* is really unexpected! Thank you, Patricia!

Like many others I believed this to be the next novel in the Mercy series. I was not expecting a graphic novel. Wish I had read the reviews because I would not have purchased this book. A mistake I will not make again.
And yes it was my mistake because when this novel was recommended to me through the store I pre-ordered, as I do with all authors I enjoy. I did read Homecoming and I was a bit thrown off by the changing of artists. Other graphic novels I own I purchased because of the art work and, to me, by changing the artists it gave the story a very disjointed feeling. Add that to the nature of graphic novels having a small amount of pages to capture it's reader is a reason leading to my low star. Maybe it is because I have read the rest of her books that this one also felt a bit rushed in the story line in comparision.

I pre-ordered this book assuming it was the next book in the Mercy series. I guess it is, but it is a graphic novel and not an actual novel. This dissapointed me, and I would not have purchased it if I had noticed that. My fault for assuming and not looking. I will definatly look closer in the future.

To me spending 14 dollars on a graphic novel by an artist I dont specifically like is a total waste. The writing is good, but I much prefer her full novels. When I like a writer, I like their writing, thats why I buy their books. I prefer long books even... and graphic novels are honestly to me more about the art. I feel you don't get enough writing in them for it to be about that.

The graphic novels I usually purchase are for the art, not the story... and this is not an artist I would have purchased.

Oh well, it will be a great gift to a friend. And I learned a lesson about looking closer.

I'm not gonna bother on a synopsis of the plot and spoilers as there's several other reviews that do that.

People complained that they didn't know this was a graphic novel? How could you miss that?

Now I do enjoy the idea of Graphic Novels. Not all of them, but I'll give them a shot where my favorite series such as Mercy Thompson and Harry Dresdin are concerned. The story was fairly good, to see some of how characters met and when. The artwork wasn't the greatest and that's what drags down the review for me is the awfulness at times of the art, too rough, too blurry, it lacked a certain refinement... something. The rest was solid.

So if you like Graphic Novels and you like Mercy Thompson, do give this book a chance.

As I'm a major fan of the Mercy Thompson series, I've been looking forward to this first graphic novel by Patricia Briggs. Overall I was very pleased. I did feel the quality of the artwork improved as the storyline progressed, though the wolves are still a little too shaggy for my taste. (The panel where Park and Adam attack each other reminded me more of crazed Pomeranians than wolves.) I honestly rate the book a four, though I almost gave it a five to counter somewhat all the unfair one star reviews from people who didn't realize it was a graphic novel.
Please, people! Briggs is not the only excellent fantasy writer venturing into the graphic novel format. You might want to at least wait to order a book until you see its cover. (Though it WOULD be nice if "graphic novel" showed up somewhere in the title or product details, the store and/or publishers, as a courtesy to the potential buyers and a way to avoid future misunderstandings.)

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.

Umm... would've been nice if MAYBE they would've advertised this was a freaking comic book! It was quite ridiculous spending 15 dollars on a COMIC BOOK, that took 20 minutes to read. It was an extremely unnecessary waste of writing time.

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.

Amazing how many people don't bother to do any research on a book before ordering. Any basic check will tell you this is a graphic novel (or more accurately a trade paper back which collects a comic series).
I read the four part comic series as it came out and though at first wasn't sure about the style, it grew on me. I believe that Ms. Tsai did the first two comics in the series but wasn't able to complete it so Ms. Woo finished it off. Thus the style changes as the book progresses. I liked Ms. Woo's art a little more.
This was intended as more then just an additional story for Mercy fans but also introducing her to a whole new set of readers - the comic book fans. As such I think it is a good introduction into her world and an interesting back story for those already familiar; it is one I personally enjoyed.
Dabel Brothers plans on putting Ms. Brigg's Alpha and Omega characters into comic form next and the first comic in that series is supposed to ship this month. I believe they will doing the first book, Cry Wolf. For those put off by the art style in Homecoming, it looks to be in more traditional comic book style. For look at the cover art, you can google imag search "cry wolf dabel brothers" and I'm sure it will come up.

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.

Before I bought it, I already knew that this one is to be a graphic novel.
In fact I went to Dabel Brother's site for more info and was shown a few pages from the novel itself.

That said, I would like to say that I really enjoyed reading it.

The changes into werewolf or coyote is very well done, reminds me a bit of the vamp-face morphings in Buffy the vampire slayer

The story was way too short, but quite informative on how she, as the outsider coyote, finally settled down in the Tri-Cities.

The characters came to life, finally seeing portraits of Tad & Zee, Uncle Mike and of course Stefan.
The way he changed Zee's mind is just soo masterfully done and Zee's outbursts on rogue werewolves was funny to see.
I did not expect Darryl to have dreads, but it does make him look cool, so I'm fine with that.
I am not sure if it's supposed to be a running gag, but Mr. Hauptman does show up quite often and unexpectedly at that (unexpectedly for Mercy of course).
It's also good to know that Medea became Mercy's companion when she finally has her own "home sweet home".
Homecoming indeed.

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.

This is the prequel to the first Mercy Thompson book and shows/tells how she,zee, stephan, tom met oh and how she got her cat.

I liked the story. I loved the graphics and art work and was pleased that the visuals matched what I had after reading books.

I like reading the recreation of books into comics but especially love books in the series created especially for the comics.

What a disappointment! I pre-ordered this because I love the Mercy Thompson series. I had no idea it was a graphic novel and I feel the publisher didn't want us to know in order to dupe fans into buying it. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for the graphic novel genre, but this is cheesy and sophomoric. It looks like a hard back comic book; hardly a "novel", even of the graphic sort. The author has cheapened her characters, in my opinion, by publishing this riduculous book. Ms. Briggs, you have insulted your readers. 0 stars.

I was hoping this would get my husband hooked on the series, but I think it's really intended for existing fans. There was not as much meat to the story as I would have liked and I think too much is left unsaid, assuming you already know it. Maybe I don't read enough graphic novels to be a fair judge. I love the series. I really enjoyed the artwork. I was confused at first until I realized it was a prequel. I don't think it was enough to get new readers hooked and my husband agreed.

Okay, first off Homecoming is not a novel it is a graphic story. The next installment in the Mercy Thompson series is called "Silver Borne" and is not being released until 2010. This story takes place before the first Mercy Thompson books, "Moon Called". Its excellent if you love the series and want to see Mercy's world drawn out. As far as immages is converned I's give it a B+ . . . some of the characters just did not fit my personal discription. Great story and I'd recommend it to any Patricia Briggs fan.

Nowhere in the description does it say "graphic novel". The price is way too much for one, no matter that it is hardbound, no matter WHO wrote it. I am going to have to really think hard before buying another book from this author.

I know many people have written poor reviews of this book because they thought it was a traditional novel, not a graphic novel. I agree that if you were looking for a novel about Mercy Thompson like Patricia Briggs other books, this is not the book for you. However if you like graphic novels (which not everyone does) this is a good story with decent illustrations that gives the reader a glimpse into Mercy's background. I have read all of the Mercy Thompson books thus far and I liked this graphic novel about Mercy. I enjoyed the story and would read other graphic novels about Mercy Thompson. I just wish people would stop giving this book such poor reviews just because it's a graphic novel and not a traditional novel. If you don't like graphic novels, don't read this book.

I, like many other reviewers have stated, pre-ordered this back in February 2009, and was waiting eagerly to get my hands on it. At that time, the only details given on the the store website was that it was a hardcover item and part of the Mercy Thompson series; I didn't get around to checking for more details after that. So, I was surprised to receive a hardcover comic that took me less than 30 minutes to finish, cover to cover.

Even though I'm not a comic-fan, and prior to this, have never purchased a comic, I think it's an interesting concept and that the characters and world that Mrs. Briggs has created translates well to this format. I enjoyed Mercy's back story and seeing someone else's visual interpretations of a few of the major characters, so I'm not necessarily disappointed with what I received. That being said, it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I hope that in the future, the Publisher provides clearer details upfront, so that buyers can make an informed decision on their purchase. I think it's a shabby way for a Publisher to represent their author; Patricia should raise some hell!

This is how I came up with my rating:

(0) Zero Stars for the mishandling of the product details. There is no way that the Publisher did not know that this wasn't a novel, but rather a comic (or graphic novel, if you will), and that information should have been provided to the retailer (in this case, the store) from the get-go. This isn't the author's fault, but unfortunately it does affect my review.

(4) Four Stars for concept & artwork. Visually very interesting; I will definitely be re-reading it more than once to soak it all in.

(3) Three Stars for the actual content and the way the story was presented. I'm not a comic reader, so I prefer more substance to my reading material and obviously this left me unsatisfied. I did like the basic back story, but I would have preferred an entire prequel-book!

This averages out to a little over Two (2) Stars, so I upped my overall rating to Three (3) Stars.

I'm certainly not going to begrudge Patricia Briggs a new revenue source, nor do I place any of the responsibility for the lack of details on her. But, had a more specific description been provided, the backlash from the majority of reviewers could have been easily avoided. Overall, I love the Mercy Thompson and the Alpha & Omega series. I look forward to reading more of these adventures (as in books), but I can't honestly say I'm particularly interested in purchasing any more comic versions.

I love Patricia Briggs' books, so, I preordered this. Sorry, Ms. Briggs, but I am not a comic book fan. Please give your readers credit for having active imaginations that feed upon the written word. Graphic artists pale in comparison to a mind activated by your writing. Stick to what you do best. . .WRITE and leave the graphics to the inventors of super heroes and villains!

I love this story. I thought the art was captivating and the story was a wonderful addition to the Mercy universe. I enjoyed seeing how Mercy met Adam, Zee and Stefan and I can't wait for the adaptions of the other books in the series to come out. Some characters weren't quite the way I pictured them, but it's a bit like seeing a book adapted to a movie. Like going on a whole new ride.

Incidentally, for those of you who feel you were somehow misled, I hope when those adaptations do come out in hardcover you'll read the descriptions very carefully. I'd hate for you feel the need to write another negative review when you find out that the hardcover version you thought you were getting turns out to be another, 'gasp' low-brow graphic novel.

I did love the prequel, I do agree that it was a bit disconnected in some parts of the plot, and the artwork did look a bit rushed. However the story is a good addition to the collection of books I own.

If any other books are coming out in this format, I would suggest that he price drop a bit. I bought the book elsewhere, it's full price, and I was expecting a bit more story for the price it was.

As the kick off to a graphic novel version of the series, Homecoming covers territory I had been wondering about. We meet the incomparable Adam for the first time and get to see Zee while he still owned the garage. The two artists are good and their differing styles highlight Mercy quite well. I for one, wouldn't mind continuing in this vein, and while I rarely buy multiple versions of a story will most likely continue to purchase the graphic novels.

It's a shame that this has such a low score simply because so many people didn't read closely enough to realize that it was a graphic novel as it skews the score of a solid book and the promising beginning of a graphic novel series.

I thought it was a little expensive since it wasn't really a Mercy Thompson book, at least in the way we're all used to. But I really enjoyed the art. Now while the art is cool, some of the characters weren't exactly what I was imagining namely Adam, he's way hotter in my head.

When I got this from the store, I was so excited to read a new book in the "Mercy" series. Boy was I disappointed and moaning. I had no idea it was a "graphic badly drawn comic". There was maybe 2 pages of dialog I am not kidding. And the pictures of the characters were not at all what I would expect-- more like the old "Scooby Doo Villians"...and...,shall I say, in Mercy's case, to reveiling... Ms. Briggs write another great novel for your Mercy fans please! We are here just waiting for your talent as an author to shine!!!

Sincerely,

"A sheep in Wolf's clothes" or in this case "Coyote"

I got this from the library and read it in about ten minutes. The artwork is nothing special and the story itself (which shares how Mercy ended up in Tri-Cities is completely lackluster.) The story would have been better executed in a full length book instead of being given a brief overview in comic form. It lacks any kind of emotional depth or nuance that fans of the series have come to expect from the novels. I was really hoping that this graphic novel would have the same level of artistic and intellectual punch as something like the "Y: The Last Man" series but it just falls flat. After the disappointment of the last MT book, this tepid offering didn't do much to revive my interest in the Mercy universe. I recommend that you buy it used or get it from the library as this really isn't worth the money.

Very upset after all the waiting to open up my pre-ordered book that I had been waiting months to get and paying for( thats what really bites!) a hardback comic book, I know Biggs went outside the box but really?????Again very disappointed!

I love the Mercy Thompson series And i knew it was a graphic novel. I ordered this to get me through the time between Bone Crossed and Silver Born. The story is pretty interesting. But still I am really disappointed it doesn't mesh well at all with the books that have been released. That being said I am still looking forward to the release of silver born.

My feelings after reading this graphic novel were basically along the lines of: is this even written by the same person? The characters feel like parodies of themselves with ridiculously overdone drawings and absolutely flat characterization. Mercy is a whiny little girl with more tits than common sense who just runs around ripping off her clothes and doing the opposite of what people tell her just to be contrary. The way she is drawn rankles me the most. I know the comic book artist can't draw her to meet everyone's expectations, but she looks less like the non-conventional strong Amerindian-esque beauty she seems to be from the book's description to a typical comic-book brunette who looks like she was drawn just to play into male fantasies (the giant boobs and tiny waist are just ridiculous!) and sell comics. Since she is frequently naked, it seems someone tried to add a lot of sex appeal to this book, but I can't imagine why. I'm pretty sure most of the people who read this series are female, or at least more interested in story lines and plots than busty heroines.
Aside from the art, I can't say much about this book. It has only the bare semblance of a plot and very little backstory that is not already present in the books. There is a little plot about being kidnapped by werewolves and meeting Zee and Stefan, but it's hardly worth reading let alone buying.
The Mercedes Thompson series has long become one of my favorites and I'll continue to read them, but I will be avoid any more graphic installments to the series. I find myself fortunate the local library had a copy of this before I made the colossal mistake of purchasing this and hope the author doesn't head in this direction in the future.

I thought this was a good prequel to the books. I did know that this was a graphic novel and have read others before so I knew what to expect. The graphics started off a little shaky but did improve by the end. I did find it too short however. I would have much preferred a longer story.

I'm a big fan of Ms. Briggs work and I pre-ordered this item, expecting from the description and price for it to be a hardcover novel. However, it is a hardbound graphic novel (i.e., upscale comic book) and is basically a short story. While the story is fine and the artwork done well, I would have much preferred and better enjoyed the story in written(as opposed to graphic) form. For someone who was both a fan of graphic novels and Ms. Briggs, this would be an excellent purchase, for me, not so much -- the story content, which is what I thought I was purchasing, does not come close to justifying the price charged.

It's not right to give the book a low rating simply because you did not realize it was a graphic novel. That is your error, not a fault with the novel itself.

As a big fan of Stephan, I was anxious to read this for more information on their early dealings. I was not disappointed in the least.

As with the other reviewer, "I have been waiting MONTHS for the next Mercy book to come out." ARRGH! What do we get? A hard-cover COMIC BOOK?!?!?!? You have GOT to be kidding.

I took one look at the the store shipment, dug this out of the bottom, opened it to do a quick scan and immediately dropped it in the round file. When I ordered it I hoped that at worst it would be a novel with lots of illustrations. But no. When they say "graphic novel" (as opposed to "adult novel") they meant comic book in a hard cover.

Dear Patricia. I surprised myself by really really liking the Mercy Thompson novels. The other stuff I sampled of your novels, not so much. This 'effort' really stinks. Know your audience. Comic books R NOT us. For the record, I am an old fudd of 61 years young, retired from USN as a mustang LCDR (former enlisted who obtained a commission), engineer by education, tech-geek by trade, father and grampa. And I am really surprised at how much I like the Mercy Thompson novels and not at all surprised at how much I hate and was dissappointed in the comic book. I would give this zero stars if I could. I gave up comic books almost fifty years ago. I have not entered second childhood enough to actually "consume" this product, and I feel pretty dumb for wasting my money on it.

For you Dear Reader, I have only this to say; don't. Just, don't.

Not being aware of any Mercy Thompson series, I borrowed this nice looking comic from the library.

So you get a girl who changes into a coyote and battles it out with guys who change into wolves. The girl has to be naked first before she changes into a coyote. Yeah, this will appeal to the pre-pubescent crowd.

I am one of those readers that enjoy books and graphic novels but I really did not like this book. It felt kinda thrown together. But for all the reviewers saying on how they didnt know it was supposed to be a graphic novel. Patricia's website and the store clearly says it is a graphic before and after it was released. Just open your eyes and read everything next time before you waste your money. Geez

I know when I placed the pre-order for this book it only said hard cover - not stupid graphic novel. If that was stated I never would have pre-ordered it. Not worth the money, save it and buy a REAL book.

Nowhere in the description does this indicate a graphic novel. I thought 112 is very light for a book, but was willing to pay for a nice novella while waiting for the next mercy book. Extremely annoying. Now I have to waste money on shipping returning it.

I am a big fan of Patricia Briggs, so as soon as Homecoming came out online, I placed it in my cart and pre-ordered right away. It was a mistake. I'm not a fan of comics at all, so as soon as I read all the reviews and opened my box, I was very disappointed. I didn't even bother reading the contents of this so called hardcover comic book. Returned it right away to the store. It's not worth $15 at all. Please don't waste your money.

Mercy Thompson Homecoming. The suspense is over and I am very disappointing. I Have read the other Mercy Thompson books and waited patiently for the next installment. The pre-ordered item came and it was a comic book. I am too old for a picture book.

I am a Patricia Briggs fan. Mercy novels make my day and my nights. She is a fresh no-nonsense voice in the over-packed and over-explored genre of urban fantasy. Notwithstanding the competence of the graphic designer, I have NO interest in reading a comic book in hardcover depicting men and women that come alive in my mind as I read her complete, rounded out and relevant books. Whomever advised her that this was a good step in advancing the series: Gong!
Meanwhile back at the ranch I will re-read the previous books and wait for the next real installment from Ms. Briggs.

I was so excited about getting another Mercy Thompson book. Boy! did I have a surprise when I opened the box and it was a COMIC BOOK!!!. I was extremely disappointed in this book. I never liked comic books in the first place and to purchase one, at that price. If I would have know prior to pre-ordering this item, I would not have gotten it. I guess it is just another way to get money form the customers.

I pre-ordered this copy back in March... No where did it tell me that it was going to be a Comic Book. I am so dissappointed that I am returning the item. I was expecting another amazing book by Patricia Briggs... I am sore disappointed that I have waited so long for this book and it isn't even a book.