Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher: Book Review

My Synopsis:

In this prequel to the first book in the beloved Dresden Files series, Chicago PD’s Special Investigations unit calls in wizard Harry Dresden to investigate an impossible murder at the Chicago Zoo. The best they can come up with is, “The gorilla did it.” But Harry and Lieutenant Karen Murphy know something dark is happening, with the zoo at its center.

My Review:

This was a pretty fun entry in the series. It’s nice to read something set fairly early in Dresden’s life, before things get so…messy. The mystery is pretty straightforward and engaging enough. Harry tries to be his sarcastic self but I think the shorter format interferes with that a bit. How many panels of snark are truly important to an action-packed story?

The artwork was mostly great. I had to look at a handful of panels for a few minutes, wondering what was going on or why the artist chose to portray the scene from such an awkward angle. I’m no artist myself though, so I may have just missed something. Harry is portrayed pretty much as I picture him but Murphy is a bit more complicated. I do know that she’s a deceptively cute little blonde, but I cannot get the tall brunette actress who portrayed her in the TV show out of my head. It was kind of nice to see her as she’s really described but a bit jarring all at the same time.

I recommend this for fans of the series who also like graphic novels. It’s not necessary to the overarching series plot but it’s a fun way to pass an hour or so.

Similar Books:

If you liked Welcome to the Jungle you might also like my reviews of

• Storm Front by Jim Butcher
• Welcome to Lovecraft (Locke & Key #1) by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez
• Preludes & Nocturnes (The Sandman #1) by Neil Gaiman, et al.

Purchase:

Buy Welcome to the Jungle from Malaprop’s Bookstore in beautiful Asheville, NC