Graphic Novel Review: Mercy Thompson: Hopcross Jilly

Mercy Thompson: Hopcross Jilly
(Mercedes Thompson Graphic Novels)
Written by Patricia Briggs and Rik Hoskin
Illustrated by Tom Garcia
Release: June 30, 2015
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Mercy is a shapeshifting coyote and honorary member of the Tri-Cities werewolf pack. When the pack stumbles upon the buried bones of numerous dead children, she shapeshifts into a mystery of the legendary fae - a mystery that draws Mercy's stepdaughter Jesse into the fray! The supernatural romance series Mercy Thompson continues in this all-new, original story by New York Times bestselling author, Patricia Briggs, exclusively created for the comic book medium! 

We're all huge fans of Mercy Thompson here at the blog, but not necessarily of graphic novels. So
Gretl and Rose Red decided to review Hopcross Jilly together to give you both perspectives.

Our Review: Hopcross Jilly is set in the official Mercyverse continuity between Frost Burned and Night Broken (Mercy #7 and #8) and just after Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega #4.) This edition collects six issues of the Mercy Thompson comic book series.  

On Mercy Thompson and graphic novels:

Rose Red: You all probably don’t know this about me but I absolutely love graphic novels and comics! I’ve read a ton of them over the years. I love Patricia Briggs’ books so when I discovered that there were graphic novels set in both series, I picked one of them up. I got the Cry Wolf graphic novel and I was disappointed with it.

My problem wasn’t actually with the illustrations but with how the story was adapted for graphic novel form. It’s probably me just being nitpicky because I loved Cry Wolf so much! In my mind, it just wasn’t a good adaptation. That being said, it put me off picking up the Mercy Thompson ones even though those are more original stories and not adaptions. I’ve wanted to give them a try to see if that fact made a difference. So when Gretl informed that the new graphic novel Hopcross Jilly was on NetGalley, I knew I had to try it. I’m really glad to say that I enjoyed it! This graphic novel really was well done. It reinforced my belief that anything from Patricia Briggs can be expected to be amazing! And seriously, the art and storyline were on point!

Gretl: I wouldn't say I've never read a graphic novel, but I honestly couldn't tell you what I read or when. I think choosing a familiar subject like this - I've been a fan of the Mercy Thompson books for years - is a good way to get in to a new medium.

On Hopcross Jilly:

RR: Hopcross Jilly was a quick read with the perfect amount of words and images to tell the story in a gripping way. Like always, Mercy and Adam are the stars in the story which think is fantastic! I always want more of them when I finish any Mercy book. What I love most is that Adam’s daughter, Jesse, got her own story thread. We only get glimpses into Jesse’s life outside of the pack in the novels so I really appreciated that we got a more in depth look into her school life even though it was a little sad to see how she was being treated.

The story isn't very long or very challenging compared to others, but I still had a good time reading it. I actually figured out pretty quickly what was happening, but I enjoyed seeing how it all played out on the pages. The illustrations in this graphic novel were great! I really enjoyed getting to see the images to go along with the story. While I’m reading, I like to imagine each of the characters in my head so seeing the artist’s renditions of my beloved characters for the first time was pretty cool! I will admit that I picture most of them somewhat differently myself.

What I enjoyed the most was the interactions between Adam and Mercy as well as their interactions with Jesse. I love seeing the little moments they have as a family. I found the insight into Jesse's life at school a nice addition as well as the special scenes with her and Mercy. It was just a nice interlude between the novels that answered some questions I had from the series more directly.

G: At the same time, it's always weird for me to see the characters from books depicted outside my head. (I actually made a note that said "OMG! Zee looks like Thor!" while I was reading.) Whether it's in a movie, a book trailer or fan art, they never look exactly how I want them to. Though I admit that this Mercy comes pretty close to the book covers, which made her feel familiar.

The story alternates between Jesse at her high school, investigators at the crime scene, and flashbacks to other victims. I really liked the fact that Jesse was a big part of the story, but between her increased involvement, which reminded me of Night Broken, and the Fae killer, which is a lot like the one in Dead Heat, the story felt very repetitive to me. Although I did appreciate the clear, concise explanation for why some of the Fae are getting off their reservations which wasn't given in Dead Heat. I also felt like the end was a little anticlimactic since it was obvious who the killer was from the very beginning.

Final Thoughts:

RR: I gave it 4 stars. All in all, this story was an excellent addition to the Mercyverse. You can never go wrong with anything by Patricia Briggs, right? I think most Mercy Thompson fans will enjoy this story but I think those in the fandom who enjoy graphic novels will enjoy it the most. It’s one that I’d highly recommend!

G: I gave it  3.5 stars. Hopcross Jilly really captured the feel of the Mercy Thompson books for me. I think it would be great for someone new to the Mercy Thompson or Alpha and Omega series who wants to get an idea of what this world is like without investing the time in reading a whole novel. It's also good for those of us who need a quick fix while we're waiting for the next book to come out.

ARC provided by the publisher

 

and

Our reviews of other books in this series:
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs 
Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs 
Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs