I love this book. The wondrous Teeds turned me on to it, and I haven't looked back. Jumped in and bought all four trades and have been buying the monthlies since 27. Wonderful, wonderful title. And 34 is the start of a new storyline... so it's a perfect time to jump on!
And WHEN you fall for this book, you can go back like I did and buy all the trades. The fifth has just been solicited for March, which will catch you up to -this- storyline.
[ August 13, 2007, 05:03 PM: Message edited by: Pov ]
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
Been getting the pamphlets since it started. It's had a down or two, but the quality level on the whole has been pretty high.
It's a cliche, but it's the kind of comic you can give to people who say they don't like comics.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
Have almost all of these, I think I'm missing 1 to 3. Got to say I really like this. some really nice moments, especially the recent revalation about Snows last baby. Really sad in a way.
Artwork is nice, characterization is good and all in all you do find yourself routing for the good guys in this one.
So.
Anyone got any ideas who the Adversary is?
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I’ve been getting this since about issue 8 or so and have been absolutely loving it—one of my top ten the last few years.
Like OM said, it’s the kind of comic you give to people who don’t read comics. I’d rate it Vertigo’s consistent best over the last few years (haven’t kept up with Lucifer though, I have to say).
While Bigby and Snow are the stars (and really likeable), there are so many other great characters that I enjoy seeing, like Briar Rose, the lovable rogue Prince Charming (and Blackbeard too, he was fun!), and Blue Boy is as lovable as they get. Hard to have a favorite out of such a great and perfectly written cast.
We had some really good ideas about who the Adversary was on the Vertigo thread, but nowadays we’re not so sure. I think it was Super Lad Kid who thought it might be Gepetto (back before that became an obvious possibility), but now we were thinking that might be too obvious…maybe Gepetto is only working (as a traitor or slave) for the Adversary?
Great book, and highly recommended!
Oh, and I loved the Bigby in WWII stories—even though they might not be some people’s cup of tea. I love that kind of thing.
Posted by Just Pov on :
Those were my first "off-the-rack" issues, Des. I wasn't thrilled with the art, but really liked Bigby. Then I got all the trades. <hook-in-mouth>
Far... Snow's 7th baby. I darn near cried during that scene. So incredibly sad. I hope the child makes its way to its father's side, and we "see" them soon.
"Then can I stay?" ... "No, they wouldn't understand." I'm feeling a little verklempt... Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
quote:Originally posted by Faraway Lad: Anyone got any ideas who the Adversary is?
Walt Disney.
They would never do it, but hey.....
Posted by Just Pov on :
Posted by Bevis on :
Snow and her baby is one of the few times that I've actually felt like I could cry at a comic. Even though I knew from early on what was going on with that story (and I think it was written in such a way that it wasn't *that* huge of a mystery anyway and wasn't meant to be)that final scene with them was absolutely gut-wrenching.
I also really like the fact that no-one is sacred in this title. You get the feeling that anything could hapen, that pretty much anyone could die and that just adds to it. I was so, so shocked when Bluebeard's story finished, and the same for Pinnocchio. Just completely unexpected. Ok so Willingham has written it so that he can always have a get out clause (much like with Snow getting shot) but that doesn't mean that he'll use it even if he can.
And the art is really some of the best in comics at the moment. I like the fact that Bucky is the 'main' artist but that they use other artists for other stories to go with the feel of it. Not an uncommon practice within Vertigo but Fables does it especially well.
As for the Adevrsary... I dunno. I've seen some really good theories floating around and also some explanations of who it *can't* be (mostly because of copywright reasons) but I'm not sure. I don't think it is Geppeto because of what has been said in a couple of issues (he's a prisoner at least though, but could be a willing traitor) but who it *actually* is I dunno. I hope the expectation meets the pay off though. Willingham is writing it in such a way that it's pretty certain that he will reveal it at some point, but you never know. He could just be stringing us all along.
Posted by RTVU2 on :
quote:Originally posted by Outdoor Miner:
quote:Originally posted by Faraway Lad: Anyone got any ideas who the Adversary is?
Walt Disney.
They would never do it, but hey.....
S P O I L E R
Don't read this if you don't want to know who the Adversary is...
The guy whoused to own the comic book store i went too was friends with the creator of Fables. So i knew like a year in advance that Red riding hood was coming back and that she wasn't who she appeared to be. He did tell me that he knew who orginally was supposed to be the Adversary. They had orginally planned on having Peter Pan being the Adversary. The kid that never grew up and is pisssed off at the world. This would be the connection to Pinnochino sorta being kindred sprits and stuff. But some strange copyright law in England kicked in where in England only to use the likness of Peter Pan you have to get the families approval. Well, they didn't care about the rest of the world but in England they couldn't use Peter as the Adversary.
Posted by Bevis on :
Actually it's everywhere. Peter Pan is governed by a slightly odd copywright law in that when J M Barrie died he left all the rights for Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London, which means that all royalties, and usually some of the profits, go to the hospital. And because the hospital is a charity in some ways and Peter Pan was a bequest rather than just teh bog standard 'writer's copywright' thingy the use of any of the characters has to be approved by a board before it can go ahead. As I understand it they very rarely turn anything down simply because the more they turn down the less money they get (natch) but they probably also have a thing about how the character is used and I think having him as a bad guy might not go down too well with them.
By the way, going off on a tangent, did you know that Barrie made up the name 'Wendy' just for Peter Pan?
Posted by RTVU2 on :
Really? I didn't know that. How did he come up wiht that?
Saw Finding Nervland and loved the movie so I am glad that Peter is not the villian. It would so go aganist the orginal intent.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
Like everyone here I don’t think Geppeto is the adversary, although he may be a more willing supporter than a prisoner.
As for Peter Pan I cant see it. To me the Adversary has to be cunning, bitter and willing to condone slaughter and slavery. I think for story telling he/she has to be evil. As a boy who never grows up, Peter would not really be that calculating, or evil, although I could see him being unconsciously cruel.
I wonder if there are any Fable villains we haven’t seen yet who could take on the traditional bad guy role.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
Mind you as Gigi has just reminded me there is one fable so horrible, so terrible that it could just possibly drive all other fables before it. Its power is immense as millions of Parents are sucked into its ravening maw along with all the children who belive. It is a huge cruel massive devouring monster,
and its purple.
Yes folks the Adversary is Barney!
Fear stalks the land when he is near, no wonder my children taught me this rhyme to ward off his evil,
“I Love you You love me Lets get together to kill Barney.
With a M47 and a Kalishnikov, Take good aim and blow his head off”
Posted by Super Lad Kid on :
Add me to the list of people genuinly touched by the Snow/baby-zephyr scene. I have a really bad feeling that baby Zeph won't quite make it to papa, but will be controlled/manipulated by some evil force. This is not a story that will end hapilly ever after.
The art by Buckingham is among the best on the market these days. Something about it just draws me in and makes me feel like a part of the story. As far as I'm concerned, Buck should be the only artist allowed to draw this series!
I don't really care for the tangents like the WWII story or this month's Jack in Hollywood story. They just bore me for some reason and so far have been the only low points in the series.
As for who the adversary is - I also think Gheppeto is now too obvious of an answer. The possibilites are still wide open, even though Willingham says that all of the clues are there for us. I liked one person's suggestion of Santa Clause, but I don't think that will happen. I agree that Peter Pan would have been a dissapointing choice.
Other things I like about the book -
1. Time is not static - Snow's head-wound recovery or pregnancy weren't dragged out at all. Since he pretty much has his own little universe to deal with, Willingham can slow down or stretch time as his stories dictate. The babies re already one year old! Great, keep it moving!
2. Page numbers! Quite possibly the only DC book left that still hast them! And decorated quite nicely, too!
3. As Bevis mentioned, the sense tht no one is safe. Not even Snow and Bigby. If Pinnoccio's head can go flying, anybody's can. I'm suddenly very fearful for Snow's babies, especially considering Baba Yaga's taste in dining!
4. The supporting cast. Each fable has unique personalities that play off of each other quite well. Just like the Legion, there are certain background characters that appear infrequently, but slowly become favorites that you want to see more of. Personally, I want to see more of the Hansel & Gretel witch (can't think of her name).
5. The possibilities. Willingham hasn't even tapped into Alice's Wonderland, Oz (is that off-limits due to copyrights?) or the Arabian Nights, let alone Chinese or African fables. Just where are Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad hanging out, anyway?
Posted by Bevis on :
I'm pretty sure he's said that Oz is off limits because the rights are owned by someone else, but I'm not sure about Alice. In the garden there is a tree or a statue of Alice (can't recall which) but I've not seen any other characters from the books. Maybe Willingham is just being careful and only really using folk or fairy tales to avoid any possible conflict of rights. That'd certainly make sense.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
I would agree on that, but I'm sure i saw a flashback to the battles in the home lands that was pretty clearly Narnia.
Posted by Just Pov on :
The rabbit from Alice was in the crowd during the investigation scene with Mary's little lamb... Posted by Pov on :
Just in time for this week's new issue, The Pulse has an interview up with the guest artist for the current 2-issue arc, David Hahn. Hahn is the artist on the recent Vampire minseries Bite Club.
Posted by rickshaw1 on :
I hope the adversary is some sickeningly sweet fable that everyone loves. That just appeals to me on so many levels.
My wife is hooked on fables and loves the babies, but now that they are five years old, they may not be as cute to her. Still, she loves the book and i buy it faithfully.
As for the off issues, like Bigby in WWII, i like them. I know it's a matter of personal taste, and don't begrudge anyone that doesn't, but full on straight out fables storylines would eventually require a quick resolution to the adversary storyline, and that is the driving force. Plus i think it fun to see how they have interacted with the mundy world over the years.
But dispite what the last issue says...
SPOILER WARNING****************
i doubt we have seen the last of Jack. He is just too good a rogue to leave off the book permanently.
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
The great thing about Willingham's writing here is that it could be true. There's still an element of surprise in what he does.
For instance, I can't think of another writer who would have packed off a great villain like Bluebeard so relatively quickly.
Posted by Pov on :
Oh. My.
So who's got the latest issue?!
I don't yet, but stupid me, I couldn't resist leafing through a copy at my CBS.
My mid-month shipment's due this Friday, and it can't get here fast enough...!
Posted by Stargazer on :
I started picking up this series at #31. I did so because I was looking for something different. I totally love this series and looking to pick up the beginning in trades. Just a fantastic read.
Posted by Stargazer on :
I started picking up this series at #31. I did so because I was looking for something different. I totally love this series and looking to pick up the beginning in trades. Just a fantastic read.
Posted by Stargazer on :
sorry I somehow posted twice. Must be a really good series. lol
Posted by SLK on :
I stupidly read some preview pages on line and saw who the Adversary was before I bought the issue.
But that amazingly didn't even spoil the story for me. The explanation of how that person became the Adversary was so interesting I wanted more by story's end. I love this book!
Posted by RTVU2 on :
ahh Fareway Lad....
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
So who is the Adversary? I never picked this book up beyond the initial first arc.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
The Adversary is.... sent to you via PM since I don't know how you do the "invisible" text.
This was guessed by a few people here, I believe - I thought it was pretty lame at first but the explanation of how he became the Adversary was very good. And, in true fairy tale tradition, a moral tale.
Where it goes from here.... an eventual truce between Fabletown and the Ancient Lands?
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
I'm not convinced you know. On the Fables boards a long time ago this guy came up as the adversary. I wouldnt put it past TPTB to change things around just to surprise people.
There are some pretty good word games going on between Blue and the Adversary which hint at hiden agenda's behind hiden agenda's.
Plus that final panel? Why did ....... not recognise the Adversary if he truely was who he claimed to be
Posted by Blacula on :
The story of how the Adversary came to power was gripping and very interesting but I was still a little disappointed in who he/she ended up being. The signs had been pointing to this person for so long that I was hoping for a bit more of a surprise.
However, like Faraway Lad, I'm not so sure that Willingham doesn't still have one in store. _________'s words and non-recognition of the Adversary on the last page really threw a spanner into his/her whole story! Can't wait for the next issue to see how this all wraps up.
P.S. Faraway Lad - I agree that that was quite clearly a reference to Narnia in one of the early issues of Fables, but don't try bringing that point up with Bill Willingham. He denied that it was (probably for legal reasons) and it was some fans' urging for him to admit it that drove him away from the DC Boards.
Posted by RTVU2 on :
agree with the both of you above. there is more to what really happened, but it was a truly fanscianting how it all unfolded...
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Such deception would be a very interesting twist in the story! I figured the character in the last panel was just suffering from a knock on the head ...
Where do you suppose the Snow Queen fits in with all this? I originally figured her for the Adversary (when she first appeared), but she's probably too much the classic bad guy.
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
I agree with Faraway that there may well be more going on here than we know.
In other news, I hear Jack is getting a book of his own at some point.
[ August 16, 2005, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: Outdoor Miner ]
Posted by rickshaw1 on :
Someone, please PM me who it is. I may not be able to buy my regular books for a while. And i really wanna know.
Thanks.
Posted by 235 - Andy S on :
collecting this in trade sometimes it takes me a while to actually READ the book after buying because i like to sit and read the whole thing in one sitting
FAVORITE STORY: the big war against the toy soldiers ... kept me engrossed for DAYS
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Blacula: P.S. Faraway Lad - I agree that that was quite clearly a reference to Narnia in one of the early issues of Fables, but don't try bringing that point up with Bill Willingham. He denied that it was (probably for legal reasons) and it was some fans' urging for him to admit it that drove him away from the DC Boards.
I hate when that happens. The internet gives us a great chance to interact with creators but I just wish some fans would realise that creators have certain restrictions (Copywrite and plagerism just being two) on what they can say in a public forum and when someone says I cant or dont want to disccuss "X" let it go and talk about something else.
Posted by legionadventureman on :
So whats next after the Adversary is revealed?
Who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall?
Posted by wamu2 on :
quote:Originally posted by legionadventureman: So whats next after the Adversary is revealed?
Who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall?
my guess is a jealous husband. or his old lady for the insurance.
Posted by Pov on :
Chicken Little.
He was tired of the chicken vs. egg argument. Posted by Pov on :
"I don't -care- which of us came first... because I know who'll be here LAST!!"
Posted by Pov on :
Got issue 41 with my midmonth books today! It was a toss-up whether to read this or JLA 118 first, out of a strong batch that also had the latest JSA and Villains United, but FABLES won out. I took my afternoon break then and there, in spite of just getting back from lunch...
Wow. This issue wraps up the Homelands story arc, and sets the plate for so much more!
S - P - O - I - L - E - R - S - - - -
Best line of the book goes to Pinocchio-- "Did you know that would happen, @$$wipe?"
So we finally find out the truth about RRH... but do we know the truth about The Adversary? The last panel on p. 12 has some significance in all this, I think...
So all the European fables have fallen to the Emperor's armies? And we have a glimpse of the empire's next targets... interesting...
All in all, a great issue, wrapping up a great storyline. And, with as much as we've learned these past few issues, this story doesn't appear to be anywhere near its endpoint.
[ September 19, 2005, 04:20 PM: Message edited by: Pov ]
Posted by Stargazer on :
I agree Pov. There is so much not being told. I am looking forward to see where they take this series. I caught onto the series late but sure am enjoying the heck out of this book.
Posted by Povolero on :
Well, DC's really screwed the pooch with its Vertigo message boards... apparently, they've just thrown all the books together under two forums, one for ongoings and one for limited series.
Fans of FABLES might want to head over to Bill W.s Fabletown forums ( http://www.fabletown.com/forum/index.php ); it's set up like an MB should be, and Bill participates alot. There's discussion boards for his upcoming work, including SHADOWPACT (which he's DRAWING as well as writing! ) and a JACK ongoing series spinning off from FABLES ( ) --good stuff.
Posted by Povolero on :
quote:Originally posted by Outdoor Miner: In other news, I hear Jack is getting a book of his own at some point.
D'oh! I see Miner mentioned the Jack spin-off months ago.
It's confirmed on Willingham's boards, with Tony Akins (he drew Cinderella Libertine and Bigby at War issues) on board as the artist. Sounds good.
Posted by Polar Boy Esq on :
I have always really enjoyed fables but i think the book has lost its way a bit. I think the whole adversary thing was a bit of a botch job because of all the Peter Pan clues early on which dont in anyway relate to who the adversary actually was and also teamed with the fact that the world and his wife picked the adversary ages ago and the only thing going against it was that it seemed too obvious.
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
FABLES 49:
I love Mowgli. And Bigby. And Snow White. And the North Wind. This is a great comic that I don't have much to say about from month to month. If you ever enjoyed fairy tales and like extrapolations about the characters that appear in them, then FABLES is a book you should give a try.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I feel like #49 was a 'I forgot how freaking kick-ass this comic can be' issue. Not that the comic has been bad or anything (quite the opposite), but I feel it switched back into high gear here, although I can't really give direct reasons why.
I'm looking forward to one day reading the whole run in a row (as I did with Swamp Thing, Sandman, Doom Patrol & Preacher) so I can enjoy it in its entirety. But its a great read month in and month out.
Posted by Pov on :
It's the only book I buy both the monthly -and- the trade for. I love reading the stories as collected in the trades, but I'm WAAAAY too impatient to "WAIT for the trade"... gotta have my monthly dose of Fables!
I thought the Arabian Days and Nights arc dragged a bit, though I enjoyed it... It was just a bit of a (probably necessary) drop-off from the awesome Boy Blue/Advesary/Homelands arc preceding it. But the Ballad of Rodney and June was great, and Wolves sets up the reunion we've been waiting for.
Click Here For A SpoilerBut where's Bigby and Snow's windchild??? He/She/It(?) was supposed to seek out Bigby at the end of the Mean Seasons arc... but there's no mention when we find Bigby again. Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Answers next week in the 64-page issue!
I wonder how the spin-off Jack of Fables will be; we get a preview in #50.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
#50: the big issue
This was good, even with the (appropriately) sappy happy-ever-after ending.
Bigby comes back to the Fables farm for a top-secret mission and heads off to the Cloud Kingdom. The physical properties of this place are curiously mind-twisting, and I hope we see more of the Cloud Kingdom in future issues.
You sort of see the next part coming, but not how it turns out. Click Here For A SpoilerBigby then goes to confront Geppetto, delivers a message that Fabletown will be fighting back just like the Mundy Israelis do - tough and merciless. He uses "Mundy magic" to detonate bombs all through the magic grove and destroys it. Back to Fabletown, where he gets his reward: land adjacent to the farm, where he and Snow can live with their children. They get married (no great spoiler, it's on the cover).
There are a lot of details here that could be developed in future issues. We do see evidence of the wind-child but he remains a secret from everyone except his parents and a few Fables elders. This certainly isn't the end of the saga with the Empire, but it's really uncertain how that will play out.
The Jack of Fables preview was fun. Jack was a pretty loathesome character in the issues which covered his story, so I wasn't too keen on this - but it looks interesting - with some humour. One character in the first issue is The Pathetic Fallacy, which is well done - and it doesn't seem that Jack will be treated too kindly. Perhaps it will be a morality fable.
Posted by Pov on :
Man, now I can't -wait- until my comics arrive Monday. Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Another thing to look forward to, longer-range, is the Fables GN coming out this fall.
In this CBR interview from a few months ago, Willingham discusses the story, set in a time before the current series:
We'll find out why Snow doesn't allow any mention of the dwarves. We'll find out what happened to Flycatcher's (the Frog Prince) wife and children in the Homelands. We'll see how the North Wind became the father of a Big Bad Wolf. We'll see what turned Frau Totenkinder (the witch of Hansel and Gretel fame) into a wicked witch. We'll find out why King Cole was elected as Fabletown's first mayor. And we'll see so much more…
AND there will be one story illustrated by James Jean, the first time he's done artwork for a story. He's one of my favourite artists.
Posted by Pov on :
Ooooooooh, yeah. Lotsa FABLEy goodness. I can't WAIT for the 7 Dwarves story... that's been given so much play from the beginning of the series.
It'll be interesting to see what JJ does with a sequential story... I love his covers.
Along with Kaluta, Vess, Bolton, Wheatley, Jill Thompson... <swoon> Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
#50 was great. I never realized how much I like this artist until now. There's a definate Kirby influence there, but far cleaner and attractive, like when Colleta inked Kirby.
Snow and Rose looked beautiful and even Blue Boy looked very handsome. He's really developed over the first 50 issues.
I thought it was very moving (sappy in a good way) and all the characters had some scenes. Bigby, despite being the obvious main character, is my favorite. I'm looking forward to 50 more new stories!
Fables has definately emerged as the next great Vertigo title. I'm dying to learn more about Red Riding Hood and Bigby's first encounter.
Posted by Pov on :
Damn, this was a great issue!
The wind child!
Click Here For A SpoilerGhost? Bigby's not the most imaginative guy, but YAY! Very in character for Bigby to keep him a secret last issue, in retrospect.
And Snow is reunited with her baby! "Ghost, give your mother a kiss."
I wonder if -he- has his own room in Bigby and Snow's new place...
Bigby's mission:
Click Here For A SpoilerI, too, liked the current-events analogy. Can't wait to see how things play out from here.
And Bigby's explanation for Pinocchio's indecision to leave makes perfect sense, especially in light of what Gepetto told Boy Blue back in the Homelands arc about having the Blue Fairy amend her spells to account for P's wanderlust.
This whole bit was pure Bigby.
And finally:
Click Here For A SpoilerAnd I do mean finally!
Snow giving Bigby catch-up work on "his" interaction with the kids was priceless. The one-panel reunion scene said so much with so little... Bigby, hands in coat pockets, apprehensive over how the kids are going to respond, Snow coaxing the kids...
"Okay, you've defeated me. You win." Helluva way to accept a proposal, Snow! But again, absolutely in character.
Frau T is the bomb! "Oh, silly me, WHAT 7th child, I'm a dotty old lady..."
All in all, this might be my favorite issue yet. And for every wrap-up we got, there's a hint of something else to come. The Jack preview looks fun as well!
Reprinting the first issue of Fables PLUS a preview of the 1001 Nights of Winter OGN due out later that month. Thanks to Newsarama for the news item.
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
FABLES #50.
FINALLY got to pick this up and it's every bit as wonderful as people have been saying. My one quibble is that I wish there'd been a shorter Jack preview to allow a smidgeon of room to tease us with what's ahead for the 'stay-at-home' Fables.
Posted by izi on :
I LOVE Fables! I can't wait til the GN comes out in the fall, that's on my must buy list(among other miscellaneous books..)I only buy the trades because I don't have the means to buy BOTH the issues and the trades, so I stopped at Homelands(v.6?)I wonder what happens with Boy Blue, he's my favorite character(so far..)I also wonder if Greek Myths count as folk tales?Probably not but it'd be interesting to see Mr.Wilmingham's take on Artemis, as well as his take on Hansel and Gretal for no reason. I prefer Steve Leialoha's art on the books though,and he's really nice in person.I wish I coulda gotten a page with Boy Blue on it but someone else grabbed allllll the original art, But that has nothing to do with anything, I hope Fables continues for a long time but not so long it gets boring.It's one of the more imaginative comics out there besides manga and Legion of Superheroes
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
The main series continues to entrance but I was really impressed with Jack of Fables (#1). The cover was funny, the premise is great and Jack is just someone you love to see bad things happen to. What a rat! I loved the idea that Click Here For A SpoilerFables are kidnapped and taken to a prison community so that their stories will be forgotten. And what a surprise ending. LOL!
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
I have not seen any one else mention this but apologies if I missed it.
It seems as if Barry Kitson is doing some of the art work for Fables #59. I am quite looking forward to that.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
That should be great!
Just read the latest Fables last night--great, great, great Santa Claus issue! I like seeing ol' St. Nick, even if he wasn't the focus in regards to characterization.
Loved the Jack scene and the end with Bigby, and I like seeing the children (especially as being adventuresome).
I really love Blue Boy and Rose Red and I like that it looks like they're going to be together. This might be my favorite Fables pairing yet if it comes to pass.
Posted by Pov on :
...and their eventual (adopted?) offspring, the Grape Ape! From the Hanna-Barbera family of Fables, of course. Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
I've recenty started on the trades... up to vol. 4 so far. I started reading page one of this thread, but it seems like there are already spoilers to watch out for.
I'm really loving it. Can't wait to be caught up so I have something to add here.
Posted by Pov on :
Hokey smokes! No real discussion since #50? Wassup with THAT?!
S P O I L E R - S P A C E * F o r * K e n t * * *
Number 63 came out Wednesday, but I won't get mine until month's-end. But "The Good Prince" has me anxiously awaiting the current issue! So far we've found the Foresworn Knight's ID and backstory, and that he plays a big part in Flycatcher's destiny. Fly's getting his act together, it seems, and taking the fight back to the Empire. We found out in 1,001 Nights of Snowfall what happened to his wife and children, and Santa's "present" to him was restoring his memory of those events. Bufkin accidentally sets free the spirit trapped in the FK's armor, and that Fable goes about setting Fly on his mission back to the Homelands. Good stuff!
Other developments in the interim since we last discussed-- We got a couple of issues of "He said/She said" on how the Empire and the exiles would handle the war the Empire wants in response to Bigby's strike on the enchanted grove in #50, Hansel's in Fabletown as Gepetto's "Ambassador"(read:SPY) and everyone's planning feverishly for the War the Empire wants started in 3 year's time. I miss anything?
Oh, yeah, and Far: Barry illustrated the short tale of who caught the boquet at Snow's wedding. More good stuff!
Jack's book has been solid... not as good as FABLES, to me at least, but solid. and Click Here For A SpoilerJack's currently The Stone in "The Sword &..." Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Prince Charming has turned out to be a far better mayor than I expected, taking the job very seriously and playing hardball with the Empire. Maybe his strategy will backfire but he's no Neville Chamberlin.
Bigby and Snow's wind child hasn't been around - or am I forgetting something? Wonder what's up with that.
I like Jack's book. It's sort of Fables Lite, but funny. It's surprising to me how many "Jack" stories there are that he can recount or act out. Also, we now know we have him to thank for the Snow Queen being such a b***ch!
Posted by Pov on :
Yeah! Click Here For A SpoilerKnocked her up and deserted her! Whatta cad-- typical Jack! And whatever happened to their son?
It was established that Jack never returns to Fabletown, so I'm interested to see what part he plays in the pending(?) Fabletown/Empire conflict...
[ July 22, 2007, 12:40 AM: Message edited by: Pov ]
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
James Jean's cover for #67, from start to finish here.
Posted by Pov on :
Fan-freakin-TAStic.
I'll have to make sure I order PR2... the first one goes for $100+ on eBay when you can find it... Posted by Chaim Mattis Keller on :
I can't believe I've missed this thread.
Fables ROCKS. I've committed to buying the whole series, plus Jack's, in trade format, and it's great every time I re-read it.
Posted by Pov on :
Jump on in and discuss away, Chaim, old points and new! I pick up the trades as well, but I'm too impatient to wait until the latest arc is collected, so I'm still buying the monthlies as well...
Just be warned, spoilers can abound. I'm going to edit that into the thread title now for the TPB-only crowd like you and Kent. How current are you with the trades?
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: James Jean's cover for #67, from start to finish here.
quote:The Internet site you are attempting to access has been blocked. You attempted to access an Internet site containing Nudity related content...
Guess I'll have to wait until I get home.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Yes, he has some life sketches (very nice) on the site from prior dates. I wonder how that nudity-detecting software works - it can actually read the absence of clothing?
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
No, it is just a site that has been reported to a master blacklist. It may contain references to nudity in the meta information or someone spotted the site, knew there was nudity in some pages, and just added it to the list.
Posted by Pov on :
Kids clockwise from Snow's lap: Winter, Ambrose, Blossom, Therese, Conner and Darien. I think I finally got it!
I *LOVED* this issue! in fact, the only thing missing was Bucky on the artwork. Not to say the fill-in work was bad, it just took some getting used to. But Willingham was spot-on. I laughed out loud when the cubs "ambushed" the War Games participants, and again when Snow scolded them for running around without clothes in human form. The wolfpack tucking tail and running off, all the while complaining about Snow's new ride...
And the kids were FInally Click Here For A Spoilerintroduced to Ghost! Ambrose being sad that Ghost couldn't eat cake... Winter yelling for Snow because the boys --IS Ghost a "boy"? -- were talking bad...
And the ending... I was wondering how Click Here For A SpoilerExcalibur could be in Flycatcher's possession and IN Jack... but now I'm not sure Jack's is the real deal.
Great issue. And the covers for the next two have me looking forward to them, as well... :frustrated: <---still waiting for that graemlin, Gary... Posted by Fat Cramer on :
quote:Originally posted by Pov: Kids clockwise from Snow's lap: Winter, Ambrose, Blossom, Therese, Conner and Darien. I think I finally got it!
And a cake in the center of the table Click Here For A Spoilerfor Ghost.
Amazing how this series is still going strong after five years. All too many start to fumble after this time.
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: And a cake in the center of the table Click Here For A Spoilerfor Ghost.
Yeah. I remember when Snow started that "tradition" at the end of The Mean Seasons arc... nice to see JJ include it on the cover.
quote:Amazing how this series is still going strong after five years. All too many start to fumble after this time.
And if anything, I think Fables is better than ever. The storylines are so strong on so many fronts... Bigby & Rose and the kids, Prince Charming and Fabletown, Rose Red and Blue, Flycatcher's quest, the Empire... and Willingham's juggling all of this better than Claremont in his prime on the X-Men, IMO. This book is my first-read every month. Posted by Pov on :
I added a couple more of the FABLES trades to my collection-- #7, Arabian Nights (and Days), and #9, Sons of Empire. I would've gotten Wolves as well, but I was just rounding out my IST order to qualify for free shipping, and Volume 8 seemed kind of skimpy on actual issues collected-- issues 48-51. I know #50 was oversized, but 4 issues plus Willingham's script for 50 didn't seem worth the same as Sons of Empire, discount or not. I'll get it eventually, just to have them all.
But I'm glad I got the Arabian Nights volume. I remember being underwhelmed reading these in the monthly format, but found it much more enjoyable a read collected.
Posted by Pov on :
Re: FABLES #66, Pt. 6 of The Good Prince--
EEEeeeew.
Shere Khan and Bluebeard....just...
EEEEEEEEEeeeeew.... Posted by Pov on :
Whoa. S - P - O - I - L - E - R - S - P - A - C - E - : The end of #67, with Fly letting loose the rescued spirits as a ghostly army against the hordes of Empire, had me eagerly awaiting #68. It did not disappoint. Fly defeats numerous armies, all without bloodshed. Then Gepetto recalls all his "sons" to form a Golden Horde, which Fly chooses to face on his own...
#69 can't get here fast enough... Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Who knew Fly would be so interesting and inspiring? Haven't seen 68 yet but I've really enjoyed his quest so far. No wonder the other Fables are glued to their viewer to follow his adventures.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I agree. I'm as entertained as ever before by Fly's story. Pure excellence. And its Fly himself that I'm enjoying most.
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Pov: Whoa.
Again. I just got through reading #69, the finale to "The Good Prince" arc... Did Fly or did he not basically castrate Gepetto??? He definitely leveled the field for the exiled fables, singlehandedly. This arc has been as good as the book's ever been. And--
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: It's Fly himself that I'm enjoying most.
QFT!
Can't wait to see where this book goes next.
[ March 03, 2008, 08:02 AM: Message edited by: Pov ]
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Still enjoying Fables, with the war against the Empire underway.
I've lost interest in Jack of Fables, though. It was sort of a funny one-trick pony for a while, but the last two issues I've found to be barely readable. It's on the cutting board to make way for Batman R.I.P. and Guardians of the Galaxy. Cut one, add two - I need some Fables magic for my comics budget.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
FC
I agree, I think Jack of Fables is starting to drift and i am struggling to remember what happened from one issue to the next. And that little blue bull is Really Really starting to get on my nerves.
But Fables itself is consistently one of the best reads I get. In some respects I hope the Empire actually wins a few. It’s nice to have them as a power in the background always ready to start another war or something. If Fabletown wins the war and once and for all defeats the Empire then I think that would unbalance the book.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Yes, that blue bull is extremely tiresome. It worked as an on-going gag for Snoopy as WWI flying ace in the Peanuts strip, but falls flat here.
Posted by Pov on :
"I read Charles Schulz.
I grew up with Charles Schulz.
And you, Mr. Willingham, are no Charles Schulz."
-Sorry, US political-based humor. But at least I resisted going lowbrow about Paul having "blue bulls"
Almost. Posted by Bevis on :
Agreed on Jack Of Fables actually. It started very, very well and has still had some very good stories but the last few issues have just felt like they're treading water. They're neither the standalone fun past-times stories nor apparently part of a larger caper story like the earlier issues. It's like they don't quite know what to do with the characters or the story.
On the other hand Fables is absolutely kick-arse in so many ways. The plotting is so tight that it's a pleasure to read and realise that little bits that happened a few issues ago are actually hugely important. Trying to work out the way the war is going to go is a pleasure, especially since the way the book has been so far there's no guarantee that the good Fables will win and no character is really safe. I loved the issues with Cinderella and her James Bond antics (especially the line at the end of the second issue where she lets Hansel know the war started hours ago) and the war itself is shaping up to be a proper good yarn.
I think Fables actually works better than Jack Of Fables because the cast is much bigger but Willingham gives the characters so much believability (within the context of the story obviously). It doesn't feel like there are supporting characters that are little mroe than cyphers and because of the way characters in the past have developed in importance (Blue and Fly being the best examples) anyone could come to prominence at any time. And yet it doesn't feel like the main characters suffer because of that.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
The Empire is taking quite a beating in the war but I'm expecting them to rally somehow. What would complete victory for the Fables mean? No bad guys would be left for the series except for old Jack - unless the Fables started seriously squabbling among themselves.
Posted by Bevis on :
Yeah, doubt the Empire is going to be taken out as easily as it appears to have been so far. The Fables plan does seem to be working almost perfectly and to have taken out some of the big guns already does make it look like they might have a slightly easy ride. The way Willingham writes though it's almost certainly not going to be all that it appears. No character is really likely to be safe but I can't see where the fight back is going to come from at the moment.
Posted by Asteroid Al on :
For me, one of the joys of FABLES are the characters that sound like we should know them. Trusty John, for example.
Then there are the characters we do know that are used in delightfully strange ways, such as when we were told who Fly really was.
Brilliant writing. Absolutely brilliant. Not quite up to SANDMAN levels, but not too far off.
Posted by Leap Year Lass on :
Ass-kicking Cindy! Yes.
I'm rather fond of Babe, the not-so-big Blue Ox.
Posted by Pov on :
He'll grow on you, apparently...
Posted by Pov on :
I keep rereading #'s 73 and 74, looking for possible hints at how the Empire might get back on the board.
But with Click Here For A SpoilerGeppetto practically fetal in mourning the loss of the "Golden Horde" of his wooden armies and the sacred grove, the Snow Queen asleep and the Emperor trapped alongside her in the vine-overrun capital city thanks to Sleeping Beauty's curse, who's left for the Empire? Baba Yaga in the Mundy? She's been left relatively unsupervised in the Fabletown holding cell. Bluebeard and Shere Khan were with the sorcerers in the capital... would Beauty's spell affect ghosts? Who was the last dragon the Emperor held back from the attack on the Arabian skyship bombing the portals?
The end of 74 promises something bad in 75... I'm on pins and needles... Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I too, have no idea, but you can't help but feel its going to be bad, given how well things are going for the Fables. This series has aged like a fine wine, hasn't it?
I just really hope my favorite, Blue, makes it out unscathed.
Posted by Pov on :
Well, he narrated issue 74, and was speaking in the past tense about the "horrors of the next day" at the end there... I think he's safe? Posted by Bevis on :
I dunno, it's not unlike Willingham to sacrafice a major character for a good story. Plus unlike Snow he's probably not got the same level of healing abalitiy as one of the really major Fables so I wouldn't assume anything. But then I'd say that about pretty much all the characters with the exception of Jack (if he ever crosses back over into the main title) what with him having a solo title and all.
Posted by Pov on :
Good point on Blue's mortality. I was rereading my trades, and I'd forgotten the injury to his hands from Baba Yaga during The March of the Wooden Soldiers arc... he needed several surgeries from Dr. Swineheart to recover full use of them.
Unlike Snow being shot in the head, or Goldilocks taking a hatchet to hers, falling down a cliffside, being hit by a tractor trailer truck AND knocked into a lake. Posted by Chaim Mattis Keller on :
Snow did need major surgery to recover from being shot.
I don't know the details of Goldy's recovery - maybe Revise has a good surgery team? I don't think it was mentioned in JoF, was it?
Posted by Pov on :
I know Revise pulled her out of the water... have to go check the first JoF trade for more.
Posted by Pov on :
She -was- healing on her own, but was stuck in a state of perpetual drowning, too weak to surface as the river eventually fed into the Pacific. The healing was taxed by fish feeding on her, until she was finally rescued by Revise. Yuck. Posted by Bevis on :
So, #75 came out this week. Thoughts?
I actually thought things were going to go down in a much worse way than they did. There's an obvious out with the big death but it still shows that no-one is safe in Fables.
The resolution to it all was a bit of a surprise for me but it was pretty damn satisfying all in. I'd have liked to have seen Cindy this issue, even if only in passing, but there's such a lot going on that you can't have anything. Blue absolutely rocks though.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
So now that the story is over and the Fables are safe and they will all be going back to various worlds for adventures, whats the betting the adversary takes over Fabletown?
Posted by Pov on :
A WEEK AND A HALF!!! :frustrated:
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Bevis: There's an obvious out with the big death
Meaning the classic comic adage "If there's no body"?
Posted by Pov on :
Oh, yeah... so I finally got 75 this week, as well as 76.
I actually liked that it wasn't completely onesided, and that the Empire soldiers showed some battlefield ingenuity. That final dragon the Emperor held back was a wowser, even if he was shot down as he delivered a crippling blow to the Glory. And the one-on-one battle between Bigby and the Emperor was cool. Especially after his earlier wounding that added drama to the proceedings. And yes, Bevis, Blue indeed rocks.
The epilogue was a shock, and lead directly into #76. It'll be interesting, to say the least, to see where this goes. It was nice that they got Allred to spell Bucky after the epic #75. But did anybody think his Pinocchio was a little... off from previous stories he'd drawn using the character?
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
I just read 75 and 76 together, too. I wasn't necessarily happy to see the Glory and Prince Charming go down, but it made for a better story than an all-out victory for the Fables. Prince Charming actually got to be a hero in the end, so not a bad finish.
Gepetto in Fabletown, arguing for his despotic approach - interesting. His comment about enjoying an annual conversation with talking bears was pretty good. You've got to figure he's not just going to sit peacefully in retirement.
I didn't particularly like Pinocchio looking like a real little boy (was he turned into a real boy at some point? Did I miss something?), but that's a really minor detail.
We've got some foreshadowing that all will not be well in the post-war world, which should make for more good stories.
Posted by Bevis on :
quote:Originally posted by Pov:
quote:Originally posted by Bevis: There's an obvious out with the big death
Meaning the classic comic adage "If there's no body"?
Exactly. We've already seen that the major Fables can survive pretty horrendous damage (Snow and Goldilocks being the most obvious two, but Jack as well in his own series) so the fact that we don;t see a body and he's one of the most recognisable Fables in the Mundy world means that there's an easy way to bring him back if Willingham so chooses.
Posted by Chaim Mattis Keller on :
quote:I didn't particularly like Pinocchio looking like a real little boy (was he turned into a real boy at some point? Did I miss something?), but that's a really minor detail.
He was originally turned into a real boy by the Blue Fairy in his actual story, turned back into wood during the March of the Wooden Soldiers, and turned back to flesh when Blue brought him back to Gepetto in the Homelands story.
Posted by Pov on :
He was drawn as a little boy in the first arc of FABLES, by Lan Medina. Buckingham stylized his appearance to reflect his origins, but he was always meant to be a "real boy" until he had his head cut off in MotWS and reverted to a wooden (beheaded ) puppet. Bucky drew all of the invading soldiers with the same expression as Pinocchio; It was later revealed their hands and heads had been treated with the Blue Fairy elixir.
My complaint had more to do with Allred's change in depicting him between FABLES #57 and #76. I hate the "Little Orphan Annie" eyes 'Red gave him in #76.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Agreed. I had to dig out my past issues to check - the blank eyes are actually sort of creepy. I wonder why Allred would have made him look so different from Buckingham's version - the other characters don't differ much.
There have been so many stories in this series, it's a good candidate for rereading from the start.
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
I used the first trade to win over another non-comic reader. He works for Disney, so it really was a hit for him.
And I just finished reading the trade "War and Pieces." The war was messy, the resolution sweet, and now I'm excited to see life post Adversary.
Posted by Pov on :
Just read my latest, #77 I believe... Are Fred and Mouse supposed to be Sword and Sorcery heroes Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser? Posted by Fat Cramer on :
That's what I figured, since the names are close and they look the same as they were drawn by Mike Mignola.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
I thought that as well. I like the way a lot of these sort of characters turn up.
Posted by Pov on :
#78...
I guess we know why BillW went with Fred and Mouse. I don't think the creater of Fafhrd & GM would appreciate their fates...
So much going on in this issue. Loved how all of it's tied together, multiple threads in a greater tapestry. I see now how JJ's cover relates to the story, but don't know the significance of spiders to that character. Need to research the original Fables.
And ... Poor Blue...
But an awesome issue... jam-packed without being too much. Can't wait for 79!
Posted by Reboot on :
As long as it's not a CW teenfest, I'm interested.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Not really interested in a TV show unless I hear from several sources--including both other posters and critical reviews--that its the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Posted by rickshaw1 on :
I think it has potential, but someone else said they didn't think Disney would want to seem to mess with their own versions.
Makes me think they are doing the pilot and buying up the rights in order to stifle it to protect theirs, much like folks said Microsoft would do to young startup companies.
Posted by Pov on :
#81...
Dammit.
Two deaths, and I think they're both directly linked to Mister Dark. One is obvious, but the second, bigger one has been festering for awhile now. Click Here For A SpoilerI don't think Blue's infection from the Witching Cloak and his wasting resemblance to Fred, Grey and now Kay is a coincidence. I'm just glad he's buried in Haven and not one of Dark's potential "tooth zombies" Posted by stephbarton on :
The death of
Click Here For A Spoiler Kay really took me off guard. Poor Kay (kinda pissed that everyone forgot about him) and the death of Blue, although expected, made me sad, very very sad. I loved Blue, he was one of my favorites. Sigh, now I'm sad again Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Read #81 and #82 yesterday. Blue's speech to Red Rose was *harsh*, although on the mark. Even if Rose has been behaving quite responsibly for a while, running the Farm, her romantic entanglements were still selfish. Can a Fable character truly change its nature? When Rose vows to become "worthy" of Blue, is she just throwing a tantrum or will she change?
A nice discussion of characters dying and coming back to life because Mundies want them to - which came first, the story or the character - magic and chronology don't always mix... plus lots of impending doom for future issues.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
I went for the full crossover, even though I'd dropped Jack of Fables a few months ago, and read #1-5 yesterday.
Some catching up from the missing Jack issues: it turns out a lot of the main characters are related to one another and there's some guy named Kevin who writes the Fables and can change their destiny, or very existence.
Now the search is on to get Kevin before he writes a new universe.
Rose Red is in an appalling state and I wonder why nobody at the Farm is intervening to help her. Jack is funny and roguish; he's okay in limited doses. The involvement of the Literals adds a new level to the reality of this fantasy. You figure the Fables have to win out in the end and banish Jack once more from their community, or we're back to one book.
It reminds me of that theory that we are somebody's computer simulation, and they might be somebody else's computer simulation. There are the Literals, the Fables, the Mundy world of the Fables universe and us, the readers, involved in the story to some degree.
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: I went for the full crossover, even though I'd dropped Jack of Fables a few months ago, and read #1-5 yesterday
Same here, though I only have parts 1-3. 4 and 5 are on their way.
quote: there's some guy named Kevin
Isn't this Kevin Thorn, the newswriter from The March of the Wooden Soldiers ? The Mundy who saw through the spells used to cover up the trouble caused by the Empire in Fabletown? And also he was Hansel's landlord... He's been a peripheral character for so long, I was wondering what Willingham was ever going to do with him.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
You're right, it is Kevin Thorn. I was going to check if it was that nosy writer guy, whose name I'd forgotten.
Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
Tommy Sharp, I believe.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Finished the The Great Fables Crossover. Everything was tied up nicely, except for Rose Red, whose decline I find troubling. I wondered if she was the one person Jack really cared about, but he couldn't admit it so he moved on - but maybe that's just romanticizing Jack.
The Literals played an interesting role. I thought they were going to get their own book after this (and wondered how much story one can get out of genre jokes) but it looks like they're just going to exist in their own universe.
Posted by Reboot on :
I wonder if the wolf kids are going to be adults by issue #200 - and if we'll see these prophecies developing while they're still young kids.
Did anyone else read the excerpt from the Peter and Max novel? It was an interesting set-up, although the style seemed aimed at a younger reading level. Maybe they're trying to bring in the Harry Potter set.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I think I'm about a month behind by now, but I just read the Dark Man / Boogeyman story, and I thought it was pretty damn kewl. I'm looking forward to the Baba Yaga one, though I must then add, that I thought it was great to get some history on her relationship with the Empire in tihs story as well, including what happened to her legendary house.
The idea of the Boxers is yet another awesome Willingham idea that reminds me yet again why Fables rocks my face off on a monthly basis. I really hope we see more of this, and suspect we will. I also like when the Empire is shown in different lights; it wasn't exactly 'heroic' here, but the various soldiers and boxers seen truly believed in what they were doing as something noble and I'm glad to see continued layers of depth added.
As for the "Dark Man" aka "the Boggleman", etc, I'm glad Willingham was able to flesh him out a little more and explain a bit better who he is. I immediately thought of Stephen King, since I was on a King kick in 2007 - 2008, and these are the kind of things King would deal with: something really is in the kid's closet or under his bed; the noises at night really are something dark and terrible. Its a really frightening concept but has to be managed carefully.
After the big Literals crossover, its also a welcome transition to some other settings / people.
Great stuff, as always. Still in my top 5 best comics out there, as it has been for years and years.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Fables is still one of my top comics, but I'm finding theWitches arc dragging a bit, possibly because it's mostly building up to a confrontation with The Dark Man.
Posted by Pov on :
See FC, I was less than enamoured with the Literals arc... though I was happy to see those plotlines wrapped up. I've been loving WITCHES... Bufkin(!) , Ozma, and especially Frau Totenkinder's spotlight in #88, touching on so many points of her story thus far... I think Bill W.'s going for a Dark Man climax with #100.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Is anyone reading Cinderella? I keep forgetting it, for some reason.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I bought it but haven't read it yet. Will review once I do. My CBS guy threw it in my pile, or I might have forgotten too. I'm glad he did though, she's one of those Fables I love to see but appreciate that she's not in every issue.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
I read Cinderella #1 & 2. Well done; it was sufficiently stand alone, explaining who different characters are, what is going on in a broad sense with the rest of the Fables universe and how Cinderella fits in. So you wouldn't have to be a Fables reader to pick up this series, but I don't know why you would read it unless you were a Fables fan.
Cinderella has been a deep cover spy for Fabletown, for centuries. She's a cross between a female James Bond and Paris Hilton, with a cover as owner of a shoe store, but mostly devoted to jet set amusements. In this mini-series, she is tasked with finding out who is selling magical artifacts from the fallen Empire to the Mundies, and stopping this trade.
The comparison with the collapse of the Soviet Union is what easily springs to mind - the stories we heard about all sorts of nasty weaponry going onto the black market.
Appropriate to our current time, Cinderella travels to Dubai, the great money laundering site and a fantasy in its own right, to attend the auction of a magical artifact. She meets up with Alladin, who is on a similar mission and issue 2 ends with a great cliffhanger, or skyscraper-hanger.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Just caught up on #91 in which Gepetto makes a play for supreme power of Fabletown leading Ozma to do as well. Like just about every issue, its jam-packed with noticable events and characterization and is just a pure pleasure to read. When "Comic Book Review Month" is complete I'll likely post my top five best comics currently in the industry and like in all other years, Fables will be #1 on that list. Its hands-down the best comic out there.
Willingham writes Gepetto in a really incredible way. You could almost replace Gepetto with Hitler in scenes. He's just so incredibly wicked and awful, yet he's cunning and he's subtle in his every move. The set-up for a potential power-grab was well-done; Willingham is obviously well versed with how recent dictators and ancient ones rose to power.
I'm interested in the future adventure of Reynard the Fox. I've always liked the character and the latest developments seem to be leading to more story.
Another highlight was Bufkin's heroic takedown of Baba Yaga, which kind of surprised me in a way that left me feeling delighted. This little subplot seemed to be dragging on over a long series of issues and yet whenever we returned to it, I continued to be really interested in it. Willingham knows how to make readers care and root for the underdog in a big way (Blue, Flycatcher, now Bufkin). I thought the whole sequence was cheer-worthy.
BTW, does anyone find Pinnochio extremely annoying? Of all the Fables I probably find he and Beast to be the most annoying. On the other hand, one annoying character I find to be quite fun to read is the Badger rabble rouser.
I also read Cinderella #1 and #2 and agree with Nancy: a well-done, solid read and totally worth the purchase. Cinderella is incredibly likeable, the adventure is already a lot of fun with enough suspense and action to keep a strong dynamic going. Of call the Fables to have a spin-off mini right now, using Cindi is the one I'm glad they did.
I hadn't realized the obvious Soviet Union comparison and that makes it work even better. Really great stuff.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
PS - my favorite Fable right now, since Blue is dead, is probably Frau Totenkinder. She might just be my current favorite character in comics.
Posted by Pov on :
Having nothing to do with the fact that she's now young and hot, eh? But yeah, agreed... on all points. I've especially been loving the Bufkin storyline... From flinging poop (and WORSE!) to slinging a blade, who knew! I loves me some monkey action
One point-- I think the Fables *are* going to need Geppetto's intel on Mr. Dark; whether he helps them willingly or not, wellll...
P.S. ...non-sequitur of the day: Who thinks "Full-Frontal Dryads" would make a cool band name?? Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Well, I've enjoyed the latest two-parter quite a bit!
Fly has become a favorite, as I suspect many readers would feel about him, and I love seeing his kingdom every so often. It's also great to see it growing and evolving, even knowing that won't be easy and some hard decisions had to be made. I especially like seeing Fly act very kingly--he seems to naturally fit the role. And Willingham did such a good job using baseball to showcase the internal tensions among the populice.
Fly visiting Blue's grave was a nice, quiet moment that actually evoked some emotion in me.
As for the guest artist David Lapham, I've come to really enjoy his artwork in recent years (see my David Lapham is a genius post here). I liked that they didn't do the borders without Bucky; that's kind of his schtikt and it wouldn't feel right for the borders to be there without him.
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
Hey! I recently completed reading Vols. 2 & 3 of the Fables TPBs and wanted to thank all those who recommended the series to me about a year and a half ago when I created a poll to help me decide which TPBs I should but next. At that point I took the voters' advice and bought Vol. 1.
I held onto it for awhile and eventually read it. I definitely enjoyed that Volume. However, the "wow" factor wasn't really in play for me. It was entertaining, though, and I resolved to buy more trades when I got around to it. Eventually, I got Vol. 2 "Animal Farm" on eBay and held onto it and held onto it and held onto it. I think maybe it was a low priority because the first wasn't a complete slamdunk.
However, for some reason I bought Vol. 3 "Storybook Love" while in Orlando on vacation last week. I'd brought "Animal Farm" along with me as one of a few trades I might get around to reading. I brought lots, so I'd have a lot to choose from knowing I'd never read more than a couple. For some reason I was leaning toward Fables...maybe because of my proximity to the Magic Kingdom? So I bought Vol. 3 and that helped to solidify that I'd be reading Fables trades next.
Wow! Fables really gets a lot better after the opening story arc, doesn't it? I mean Vol. 1 is a charming (pun! ) introduction to the characters and situation with a little bit of a subversive mystery framing as a plot. But 2 & 3 really get into the characters and set the story into a real forward motion. Now, I'm all about the Snow White and Bigby Wolf after three volumes!
It was also kind of shocking how short-lived certain antagonists turned out to be. I really expected that to go on a lot longer, but they got really terrific send-offs in a great story.
I don't know if Mark Bucking ham's still around, but his work on Fables is some of the best I've ever seen him do. And Bill Willingham? I swear it's hard to believe he's the same writer who's helping to drive JSA into the ground! Stick to creator-owned stuff, Bill!
Anyhow, I can't wait to start experiencing the rest of the series through trades as I go along. I've a feeling I won't be taking to terribly long to get caught up!
Beware spoilers, though, they pop up everywhere! I think, for example, that I may have spoiled the mystery of the Adversary's identity simply by reading the solicitation info that refers to the Adversary as ________'s father. Anyone who knows ________, knows who the father is! I also made the mistake of browsing Cobalt's post previous to this one which spoils an upcoming death. Oh well, my fault for ignoring the thread's spoiler warning!
Anyhow, thanks again, LW Fables fans!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Jeepers, sorry for the spoiler, Lardy! Definitely beware of them.
Bucky is still around and absolutely better than EVER. His art and Bill's stories have continued to just get better over time.
I agree that volumes 2 and 3 really take things up a notch. The next few will keep that progression going.
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
How far does it go until the war against the Adversary is over? I'm pretty sure I read it has occurred, but I'm not entirely clear about when. I ask because that may influence exactly how far I want to go as far as buying trades before pausing for whatever happens afterward and proceeding further.
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Jeepers, sorry for the spoiler, Lardy! Definitely beware of them.
No worries--my own damn fault! And at least I don't know the whys, whens, etc. of it.
(Garsh! I feel kinda like STU and his Lost experience! )
Posted by Reboot on :
quote:Originally posted by Officer Taylor: I don't know if Mark Buckingham's still around, but his work on Fables is some of the best I've ever seen him do. And Bill Willingham? I swear it's hard to believe he's the same writer who's helping to drive JSA into the ground! Stick to creator-owned stuff, Bill!
Buckingham's still around every other arc, although his style's noticably mutated over the years.
[And I'm not sure Fables is creator-owned. Does anyone know for sure?]
quote:Originally posted by Officer Taylor: How far does it go until the war against the Adversary is over? I'm pretty sure I read it has occurred, but I'm not entirely clear about when. I ask because that may influence exactly how far I want to go as far as buying trades before pausing for whatever happens afterward and proceeding further.
#75.
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
quote:Originally posted by Reboot:
[And I'm not sure Fables is creator-owned. Does anyone know for sure?]
Yeah, I may have misspoken. I assumed he did because of the "created by" blurb that appears in the credits box. I think Gaiman has, like, a limited ownership of Morpheus with DC, but it's incomplete because of DC's Sandman character and such. I don't see any reason why Bill wouldn't own Fables, but who knows? Maybe because the characters they're based on are public domain?
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
Hm. The indica in the trades gives the copyright to both Bill and DC. I'm not sure if that implies co-ownership or just that DC has the rights to publish. In any case it appears Bill isn't just doing work-for-hire.
Posted by Reboot on :
Probably co-ownership in that case - which is kind of what I thought (similar to Gaiman & the Endless), but wasn't sure.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Just had to comment on what an incredibly awesome storyline "March of the Wooden Soldiers" was! I won't go into any spoilers, but it's hard to believe Fables could ever get any better than this! (but I feel confident it will!)
The next TPB "The Mean Seasons" was solid as well. Relatively quiet, but full of lots of fun developments, including a number of new, incredibly cute arrivals. I predicted the twist that came in the last chapter a few pages before the reveal. Heartbreaking! And can't wait to see what happens down the road.
I have two more to read "Homelands" and "Arabian Nights (and Days)" before I continue the collection.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
One note about "March": The death of Click Here For A SpoilerWeyland particularly saddened me. I liked him a lot in "Animal Farm" and thought he had a lot of potential. Not even sure what story he was from, actually. Posted by stuorstew on :
I believe Weyland came from Norse mythology
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Yeah, stew, you're right...curiosity overwhelmed me, and I looked him up on Wikipedia. Lots of characters I don't recognize but cool to discover more about them as the series goes on!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So the latest story with Snow and Rose Red's origin has been very good. I knew where Willigham was going with the Dwarves part, but even though it was all implied...ugh...that was awful to read. I'm thankful it was only implied.
I love me some Snow and feel the urge to protect her.
The idea of anthropomorphic princes wandering through the forest constantly and Rose Red missing out on them was brillaint.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
That issue went a long way to deprogram me from Disney's Snow White tale.
Posted by Pov on :
Yeah, Uncle Walt and co. certainly glossed over Snow's story... Posted by Dev Em on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: So the latest story with Snow and Rose Red's origin has been very good. I knew where Willigham was going with the Dwarves part, but even though it was all implied...ugh...that was awful to read. I'm thankful it was only implied.
I love me some Snow and feel the urge to protect her.
The idea of anthropomorphic princes wandering through the forest constantly and Rose Red missing out on them was brillaint.
That was in the OGN that they did as well...or at least implied.
Posted by Blacula on :
The dwarves as Snow White's protectors/guardians weren't a Walt Disney invention - that's been their role since the story of Snow White began!
I found Willingham's corruption of them in that very pretty to look at but otherwise very badly written 1001 Nights of Snowfall book disgusting... and the final nail in the coffin of my enjoyment of this Fables franchise.
It was such a cheap and unnecessary development IMO and almost seemed like Willingham's desperate way of injecting more bathos and adult themes into Fables. Like, "we've got everything else going on in this book - time for some rape and sexual torture?" Ugh.
Ever since Identity Crisis I am so over rape used as any sort of story-telling device in my comics, even so-called adult Vertigo ones.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
It's great to see Rose Red back on her feet and ready to restore order.
She really was a bit of a stinker in her younger days... but she's redeemed herself - and about to reprove herself now, I wager.
Posted by Karie on :
I've slowly been working my way through the TPB's, our local library has them. Only problem is, they don't have all of them, and I'm not really getting them in the correct order. But I'm enjoying them so much. The storylines and artwork are great!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I really enjoyed Rose Red stepping up and taking charge of the farm. She's become such a well-developed, strong character. It just feels good to see her being so strong.
I'm eagerly awaiting the duel to come with Frau and Mister Dark!
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Read the big issue #100. Although I didn't like the Mister Dark storyline at the beginning, I warmed up to it and this final battle between Totenkinder/Bellflower and Dark was good. The battle of wits and skill, with the Fables just waiting for the outcome ... pretty hard to depend on just one Fable for defense, even if they did have back-up plans. One story ends and several others begin, with Click Here For A Spoilerthe Fables retreating to Haven, Mister Dark still out there, a treacherous nurse and Beauty and Beast's baby.
The text story signaled more trouble to come as well. And I always thought that Pinnocchio was a little perv!
There were some supplemental short stories, answers to "celebrity" questions, which were amusing.
Something different in the addition of the puppet theatre and the board game, but they didn't do anything for me. I would have preferred more story or guest artwork.
Posted by Pov on :
Agreed on all points, Ms. Cramer... the extras, while unique, really weren't worth the bump up to TPB territory pricewise; I don't know whether to store #100 with the rest of my Fables run or just throw it on my trades shelf with the rest of them! Novel ideas, yes, but ultimately wasted on me. Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The latest 'superhero' storyline isn't really interesting me all that much, but I'm totally enjoying all the other moments each issue presents (Snow & Bigby falling asleep post coitus in the enchanted forest was hilarious and cute). I'm disliking Ozma a bit, as I'm sure I'm intended to, but at least I enjoyed her meanness to Pinnochio, who deserves it.
Super-Goat was awesome, of course.
I'm also enjoying the heck out of the latest Cinderella miniseries, in which we meet her arch-nemesis, Silver-Slipper (I won't reveal who it is, which kind of puts the whole mini into focus). Cindi's stories are always really good and this one continues to show why she's such a cool character to have stand-alone stories like this.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
There were some nice twists and turns in the Cinderella mini. What a great choice for a villain! Now any Cinderella tales will be part of the Fairest spin-off, so we probably won't see her for a while.
Has anyone seen the Fables One-Page that was handed out at San Diego? I looked around on-line but didn't come up with anything.
However, this one from 2009 has me guessing which one of the cubs will eventually become the North Wind.
Posted by Pov on :
The Mr. Dark story didn't go anywhere I was expecting... almost anticlimactic. The covers and solicits were misleading, probably deliberately so... I remember someone, maybe the embodiment of Hope? telling Bellflower/Totenkinder that the great powers like Dark and the North Wind would always, MUST always have a representative... getting rid of Mr. Dark would just cause another to pop up in his place. We know one of the next story arcs is to be about one of the kids inheriting the role of North Wind from their grandfather... my suspicion is Click Here For A SpoilerNurse Spratt will assume Mr. Dark's role... Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I loved the Cinderella miniseries which had a nice strong finish. She may just be the best written spy in comics these days (step up your game Black Widow).
As FC mentions, the upcoming 'Fairest' series appears to be including her; I hope she keeps having her own minis anyway. Of all the Fables she stands apart as a solo lead the best (better than Jack even).
I definitely want some more Cold War era Cindy stories.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: I definitely want some more Cold War era Cindy stories.
Absolutely! Who else could run through the Russian snows in a bikini?
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: Who else could run through the Russian snows in a bikini?
...Besides Lardie. Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
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!
Posted by Chemical King on :
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...
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
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.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
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.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
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.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
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 by Cobalt Kid on :
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).
Posted by Pov on :
GAAAAAAAAH!
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. Posted by Chemical King on :
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...
Posted by Lard Lad on :
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.
Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
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.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
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.
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) and a JACK ongoing series spinning off from FABLES ( ![[Bouncing Boy]](graemlins/BouncingBoy.gif)
) --good stuff.
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We found out in 1,001 Nights of Snowfall what happened to his wife and children, and Santa's "present" to him was restoring his memory of those events. ![[I Dunno]](graemlins/urk.gif)
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