Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs, Francis Tsai, Amelia Woo and David Lawrence

Mercy Thompson is a wanna-bee teacher who comes to the Tri-Cities of Washington looking for a job as a Civics teacher, but when her prospective employers want someone who is as much coach as teacher, she stands up and leaves in disgust.

But, she doesn't want to go home just yet, since it will mean a return to working in a fast food restaurant, and she just hates that idea. Her mother wants her to work in computers, but Mercy isn't thrilled with that idea, either. Then, a nice, relaxing run turns into a chase when a werewolf pack decides Mercy is prey. But she isn't prey and she's not a full human, either.

Mercy is a skinchanger, not exactly a were, but someone who can change without being dependent on the moon. But she knows werewolves- she was raised by the leader of all the North American Werewolves, the Marrok, whose name is Bran. But Bran has run her life and thinks he can still run it, and Mercy resents his interference in her life, which is one big reason she doesn't want to return home right away.

Thankfully, the werewolves chasing her are driven off by a second set of weres, but her car is pretty much trashed in the attack. She takes it to the local mechanic, but when she gets there, the office is being run by ten year old kid. His father, Zee, is the real Mechanic, but his wife died, and he's been drinking ever since, leaving the boy, Tad, in charge.

All her car really needs is the Windshield replaced, so Mercy hangs around and waits for it to be done. But she falls asleep and wakens to the sound of someone threatening Tad. The guy isn't a vampire, but he smells like one, and he threatens Tad if the leader of the Seethe, or group of vampires, van isn't repaired by the end of the night, he'll kill Tad.

But Tad is too small to pull a clutch on his own, so Mercy, who did community service as a mechanic's assistant, does it. Meanwhile, she and Tad talk about vampires, but another nasty man comes back and attempts to attack both Mercy and Tad- Mercy for knowing about Vampires, and Tad for, presumably telling her. But this time he's accompanied by a real Vampire, Stefan, who realizes that Mercy is no human and cuts the man off at the knees.

He apologizes for his companion, telling her that the man is a fool, and says his name is Stefan. He's surprised to see a walker, telling her he thought all of them were dead. Tad offers Mercy a job, but she still wants to be a teacher, so she turns him down.

But then that night, a werewolf named Adam Hauptman shows up at her door with a Message from the Marrok- and a check for $10,000. He wants her to go home. That sets Mercy's mind to stay- and she starts with a job at Zee's Auto Repair Shop.

But by staying, Mercy is setting herself up for a confrontation between Adam Hauptmsn's wolf pack- the one who defended her on her run, and the rogue wolves headed by Orson Park, who already live in the town- Rogues who have been breaking all the rules- and eating humans. Obviously, Mercy won't stand for that. But will Mercy's compulsion to help end in her death?

While there is a whole series of Mercy Thompson books, this graphic novel is the actual prequel to the whole series, showing how Mercy came to the Tri-Cities, got a job as a mechanic, and came to know not only Adam Hauptmann, but Sebastian, Zee, and Tad as well.

I loved this book- I loved seeing Mercy dressed up for her job as a teacher, and the much more casual attire she sports away from the job on her own- heck, I love pretty much everything about her! She may not be as powerful as a werewolf, but she's pretty kick-ass, smart, and mouthy- even when sometimes being mouthy isn't smart.

My only problem with this book was that the image of Mercy looked far less Native American than the cover art on the novels, and I had kind of gotten used to seeing her that way, not the sort of middle American white chick we get in the graphic novel. But hey, this is how Patricia Briggs sees her, so I really can't complain.

For people who have enjoyed previous Mercy Thompson books, this is a welccme addition to the series, graphic novel or not. Here, we get to see how Mercy wound up in the Tri-Cities, and why she stayed. Highly recommended.