posted
So with the long running conflict with Mr. Dark finally at an end, there feels like a restored freshness to the comic with the latest issue(s). Never once did it lose it's amazing quality--the long running contender for #1 best comic book being published--but it feels good to move on to the next phase.
Masters Willingham & Buckingham nail it like always: perfect writing, artwork, composition, pacing, etc. The sense of transition gives it momentum, and yet many little moments are packed in.
Rose being the one to first head back to the farm is a great touch; as is Fly not even thinking twice about holding back Bigby's personal business from the others. The newly christened Leigh Douglas is set to be a continued antagonist, and likely as Pov suggests, the new Mr. Ms. Dark.
Snow & Bigby's kids are the focus of the new story arc though if anyone other than the child who is actually wind gets it that would be a surprise. The best touch was when the boy Ambrose, who is a bit cowardly, has a moment with Bigby and Bigby proves what a great Dad he is by telling the boy that it's okay to cry for his dead grandfather (when his son says he's not as tough as Bigby). Being a father myself now, these moments hit me harder than before.
It's difficult to find new ways to praise the best comic out there (and contender for best ever). If you're not reading then wow, you really owe it to yourself to start!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I really love this series. Certainly, Willingham could have called it a day after #75 and moved on to a new project like Gaiman did with the Sandman. The series would stand as the probably greatest comic book of the 2000s.
He decided to go on, which is always a problem to to the inevitable feelings of anticlimatic storytelling coming up. He did great by introducing the Dark Man as a new archvillain, logically explaining his popping up being the fault of the Fables beating Gephetto thus disenabling him to keep watch of all those boxed bad guys.
This was pure genius.
Unfortunately, the Dark Man was to powerful to keep for another 75 issues - so he had to be removed, and that's where for my taste the sstory realy got anticlimatic.
Here you have this bad guy, for 25 issues it's all about "how to beat the Dark Man", then he is beaten in #100 - and gets free again. Aaaaah that was not so good.
Even more anticlimatic was the final battle with Mr. Northwind just seven issues later. Pop, he was gone - hm, this seemed easy...
So in some ways, I am not that enthusiatic about the book now than I was one year ago. I thought the handling of the Dark Man seemed somewhat clumsy in the end.
But now, there finally is time for all the characters to finally take some fresh breath and take care of all the danglers left out there. This should be fun once the engines are restarted and get rolling. Right now, I feel that the book has to search for a new focus, a new direction, and even if stories like the Northwinds successor or Munkin in Oz might be fun, the book needs a bigger story in the background to keep the characters going. For 75 issues, the Adversary was the power that kept the book going, then for about 30 issues it was the Dark Man. Now there is nobody...
... which does not mean that the book neccessarily needs a new major bad guy. That's not what I want. But it needs a new major arc which keeps us on the edges of our seats for some further years. I'm excited to see what Bill Willingham will come up with...
From: Bamberg, Germany | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Very good point Chem. I'm also curious to see what the next bigger story arc will be; you have a good point too that it doesn't necessarily need to be a big bad either.
But yea, the best part here is letting the characters breath and addressing some danglers out there. There definitely feels like the book is open to all kinds of possibilities now.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think Geppetto's got another big arc in him, personally. I can see how that could be seen as a retread, but I can see an intriguing storyline being 'carved' out of him working out of his current situation. We've seen plenty of seeds for this being planted.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Fables #108 was a good start to the new "Inherit the Wind" arc. Like Cobie, I'd be surprised if the one to succeed Mr. North isn't actually Ghost. But Ghost isn't even mentioned in this issue. Add the conflict that would cause because of his nature and what his grandfather couldn't bring himself to do, you could see that maybe Ghost isn't as obvious a choice as he'd seem.
Favorite parts were the scenes showing Bufkin's continued oddysey in the land of his origin. Who doesn't love Bufkin, anyway? Gotta love how he's become pretty bad-ass over the years and can't WAIT to see where his story goes next!
Life after Mr. Dark is lookin' purty good, dude! That saga was pretty decent but well below the Adversary phase, IMO.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Fairest #1: the art seemed to have more detail than in the regular Fables book, that was my impression (without doing a side by side comparison). Good story, but, as some have noted, hardly what we expected given the title and the promos; Ali Baba's story, really. So far. Regardless, it's an extra Fables story and that's fine with me.
In the regular book, I'm enjoying the cubs' stories. I don't usually go for stories focusing on children in comics (too precious! or annoying!), but this arc is pretty interesting.
posted
So Fairest #7 has a MAJOR game-changing twist to a major Fable that I did not see coming. Wow, I had considered dropping the title but am glad I caught this...I feel like it'll have long term effects.
Meanwhile, the current Fables arc is my least favorite so far. It's dragged on too long and the direction the cubs are heading towards is unnerving without any real 'power' to it. I hope there is a redeeming aspect to it (narrative wise).
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
FABLES #121, the final chapter to the Cubs in Toyland arc, was so unsatisfying on so many levels! Artwise, Bucky and Leialoha haven't been doing it for me for awhile now... but I've had the story to keep coming back to. I really don't see any "redeeming aspect", as Cobie put it.
Just... ugh.
-------------------- "Anytime a good book like this is cancelled, I hope another Teen Titan is murdered." --Cobalt
"Anytime an awesome book like S6 is cancelled, I hope EVERY Titan is murdered." --Me
From: Up a Gumtree | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well I read it yesterday and I thought the ending was in some way pretty romantic, with all those "killer toys" getting a chance to redeem themselves by saving children. As a father hat part really kind of got to me.
What I did not like so much was the issues before which seemed to drag a little and doing an 8-parter about (mainly) the cubs after doing another storyline about the cubs right before was a little top much focus on those children for my taste. Glad that this is over.
The Bufkin backup feature was even more obsolete in my eyes. That story totally failed to pick my interest, which is kind of a first in 120 issues of Fables.
So I kind of liked the ending of "Cubs in Toyland" (while I failed to totally understand the ending of "Inherit the wind"), but I totally believe that what the book needs now is wome fresh air by either adding new characters or finally focussing back on characters which we have hardly seen for over a year (Beauty and Beast come to mind, Rose Red...). This book needs a new mission - just reconstructing Fabletown can't be enough...
From: Bamberg, Germany | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'd say Fables has been in a bit of a slump ever since issue 100 when we got what first seemed a rousing end to the Mister Dark saga. When that was revealed to be false, we instead got the ending a few issues later, and it really let us down, imo. "Inherit the Wind" was decent but still lacked a certain something. "Cubs in Toyland" has draaaaaaaagged.
I'd say the brightest spot since 100 was the spotlight on Bufkin. The recent backups have been too short and inconsequential by themselves and haven't delivered on the promise the storyline showed.
I'd say we need more Rose Red. And this series has definitely missed Boy Blue and Prince charming since they exited the stage. And, yeah, we need some new characters to spice things up.
I started getting individual issues (instead of trades) around issue 100. Fables has definitely disappointed since I made the switch.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I got to meet Bill Willingham at NYCC this weekend and I suggested Lucy Clifford's "Anyhow Stories" as something that could be featured in Fables.
-------------------- I want to be hated by lies - Bring Back Lian Harper
posted
A not-too-bad ending for Cubs in Toyland. It wasn't my favourite arc; there's been a lot of focus on Snow and Bigby's kids. Time for some adult Fables.
I've enjoyed Fairest, though, more than I expected. Some good twists on Beauty's backstory and the current Rapunzel arc had a few eye-openers for her history. I enjoy seeing Jack of Fables in a supporting role, as a main character he's just too much the one-trick pony - but great as a sidekick.
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic | Subscribe To Topic
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Good]](graemlins/angel.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[AHHHH!!!!]](graemlins/scream.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[sigh]](graemlins/sigh.gif)
Artwise, Bucky and Leialoha haven't been doing it for me for awhile now... but I've had the story to keep coming back to. I really don't see any "redeeming aspect", as Cobie put it.
