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It's certainly a bit different--there's less room to breath and less freedom to imagine the characters as you want, but on the other hand, it's more Dresden Files!

In a nutshell, you have a murder at a zoo. Might be something on the spooky side, so Dresden gets involved.



And of course he's as snarky as can be:



At times, it feels a bit overdone, which is saying something for Dresden. You get a snarky comment a page and it's almost to the point of a caricature:



But you know what? I'll take it.

Plus, COMIC BOOK SOUNDS!



Even though the art seems a little odd at times (eyes in particular and proportions are way overblown, although that's more obvious in [b:Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Storm Front Vol 1 #2|22394962|Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Storm Front Vol 1 #2|Mark Powers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1401755307l/22394962._SY75_.jpg|41816485]), it really fits a comic book.

Alltother, don't read it instead of the novels, but there's absolutely no reason not to give both a try!



Heh. Lazybones.
( )

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.

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. ( )

According to the introduction, Welcome to the Jungle takes place immediately before book one, Storm Front. The main setting is Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, where a gorilla named Moe is being blamed for the death of a security guard. ( )

I will open by saying that I have not read any of the Dresden Files novels, but I have heard of them enough. I do enjoy graphic novels, so this seemed like a good chance to read a tale of Harry Dresden in a format I enjoy. I was not disappointed. It was a good whodunit with plenty of action and the feel of a private detective story. If nothing else, Dresden stories seem a lot better than some of the crap that is passing for urban fantasy these days. The art was pretty good. It is a very fast paced read; it goes down easy. What starts as an animal attack in a zoo turns to something a bit more sinister. Just another day on the job for the resident wizard private eye. Overall this story has made me curious enough to consider reading one or two of the novels. I think fans of this series will like it. Casual graphic novel readers and fantasy readers may enjoy it as well. ( )