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Fables #7 Review

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Jan 072013

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Fables

Issue #7

Written by Bill Willingham, Art by Mark Buckingham

Published: January 2003

It’s been a while since I last took a look at the Fables series, but every time I come back to it, it seems to slip right back on like an old glove. The farmlands plotline wasn’t originally grabbing me like the murder plot was, but as things continue to ramp up and the political undercurrent of the animals’ dissatisfaction begins to become clearer, I’m finding myself more and more drawn in. This issue hints at the further split between Rose Red and Snow White as they both favour different sides in the growing conflict. In addition, a plot to retake the homeland is revealed, headed by the animals who have been storing up ammunition.

This issue introduces some intriguing new characters. Aside from a few more cameos and a knight predicting ambiguous futures, I particularly love the ruthless, fundamentally political Goldilocks, who has not only an intriguing personality and political stance, but also a cool design, with glasses and an oversized coat. Her relationship to the bears is also immediately interesting–is she sleeping with Boo Bear to make a statement, or does she just have a kink? Either answer adds an interesting element to her character. She seems to be made to represent extremes; as such, whether or not you find her rhetoric compelling in any capacity, her methods are pretty callous, and she’s poised to become a formidable antagonist.

The artwork is lovely as always, with soft colours and wonderfully detailed animals that never fall too far to the side of caricature or cartoonishness. There’s a creepy feel to the farmland, very George Orwell or William Golding, that lends itself well to the dangerous tone of it all.

Fables continues to be a rewarding read on almost every level, and I’m sure I won’t wait so long to pick up issue #8 as I did issue #7.

Fables #6 Review

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Jun 212012

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Fables

Issue #6

Written by Bill Willingham, Art by Mark Buckingham

Published: December 2002

A new story arc begins in Fables’ sixth issue, and if the series keeps up this kind of episodic pace, I’m pretty sure it’s going to have my attention for a long time. This new story arc involves Snow White and Red Rose heading off to the farm community of Fables who aren’t able to ‘pass’ as human in the city, where they stumble upon the beginnings of a plot born from simmering discontent amongst those who view the farm community as a ‘prison.’

It’s already a fascinating conflict, because while the farm animals’ methods are violent and brutish (funny enough), there is legitimacy to their cause. No matter how wonderful the farm community is, if they’re not allowed to leave, it’s a prison.

The plot also gets the whole backstory of The Adversary back into play, which I’m sure is going to come into play more later on. Fables in general is very clever about its narrative, and everything seems to have a purpose, either plot-wise or in terms of world-building. The world constantly expands and becomes more complex with each issue, and I love it.

This new plotline has tons of in-references already, full of literary references and easter eggs. The very teenage-feeling Rose Red makes an interesting counterpart to Snow White’s business-like attitude, and there’s a sense of the history between them that begs to be explored. They have a compelling relationship, and it’s threaded in with the new plotline fairly seamlessly.

Art-wise, Fables is fetching as ever. Pastel colours and just the right amount of detail, and all of the animals in this issue have a slightly eerie feel to them that gets across a sense of them not being normal animals.

This issue is probably my favourite so far, if only because it shows how well-suited Fables is to this kind of episodic format, and how much potential it has to tell endless stories.

Fables #5 Review

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May 272012

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Fables

Issue #5

Written by Bill Willingham, Art by Lan Medina

Published: November 2011

Last time on Fables we were promised a big reveal, and the mystery of Rose Red’s disappearance has finally come to a close. Issue 5 doesn’t disappoint. The attention to detail is a classic mystery move, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes himself, and it’s deeply satisfying to watch Bigby lay it on the line for us. Not only does he solve the case, his parlour-style delivery of the events also gives us some greater insight into the characters involved.

Fables is good at this kind of multi-tasking. Within five issues, I feel like I’ve gotten a tremendous amount of information about the universe that’s being set up, the people who live within it and the tensions and egos that strain to be contained by it. The world-building in Fables is a great mix of fairy tale references, adapted to new, interesting perspectives, and it’s compelling as ever.

Fables has always mixed genres, too, in really fluid, engaging ways. The CSI-style detective flashbacks are framed in fairy-tale borders, creating a blend of cop drama and folk lore. By linking the stories of the past to those of the present, it makes a nice little parallel. All stories are connected somehow, and the act of storytelling is always reinventing itself. More than anything, I like that Fables seems to have a great love and appreciation for stories.

In this issue, things are wrapped up neatly, but not quite happily. It’s a satisfying conclusion to the current arc–not too much fairy tale, and not too much grim crime drama. Bigby and Snow White’s relationship continues to charm, and they make a good, no-nonsense team more than ever in this issue. While the current case has wound to a close, I’m more eager than ever for more adventures in this universe.

Fables #4 Review

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Apr 282012

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Fables

Issue #4

Written by Bill Willingham, Art by Lan Medina

Published: October 2002

Every time I get back to Fable, I wonder why I’m not flying through it faster. It really is a compelling series, with very little to complain about. This time around, the big event has finally arrived, and all the Fables are gathering for Remembrance Day. This harkens to the typical fairy tale ‘ball’ scenario, but with the visual style of a high society gala. It’s this neat mix of the fable and the modern day that really makes Fables appealing on multiple levels.

This week goes into the backstory of the Fables, the invasion that brought them all together and forced them to flee to “our” world. It’s a lovely little storybook-type flashback, and it plays neatly into the Remembrance Day action. It comments on the inter-connectedness of stories and the dangers of silence in times of crisis. It’s moving and effective.

On a related note, I really enjoy Fables’ take on the Prince Charming character. It’s the sort of thing that could come off as farcical and simplistic, but his privileged, faux-charming persona is a little more subtle. Snow White and Bigby’s relationship–two tough cookies forced to work together and reluctantly enjoying each other’s company–is similarly compelling.

Visually, too, the series is as appealing as ever. Pastel colours combined with a storybook-inspired layout and tons of background references and easter eggs to be found, which is half the joy of this series.

It ends on a pretty fantastic cliffhanger, although it does pose a pretty silly plot hole–could no on recognize the woman in the wig before it was removed? Perhaps it’s a comment on the cliché itself, but I doubt it. Still, I can forgive the silliness for a pretty decent plot twist, and I’m sure I won’t be able to put off issue five as long as I did four.

Fables #3 Review

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Feb 182012

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Fables

Issue #3

Written by Bill Willingham, Art by Lan Medina

Published: September 2002

I’ve been making my way through Fables slowly, but each time I come back to it, I instantly remember the characters and the plotline. That’s testament to how memorable and unique it is, I think, and this time around is no different. The murder mystery plot continues, with Bigby playing the grizzled detective (the best kind!) working through the case of what happened to Rose Red.

The series is still rich with fairy tale and folk lore references, used effectively to create memorable and distinctive characters, both visually and through their speech patterns. What strikes me in particular about issue #3 is just how dark these characters have the potential to be. The grim (no pun intended) nature of the original tales, which were often intended to be didactic stories to impart harsh morals on children, really begins to leak through here in the most subtle ways. Several characters are said to have “reformed,” but as Bigby shuffles through suspects, their past crimes are brought up again and again as possible motivation for murdering Rose Red.

Each character struggles to contain their nature, and this becomes a major turning point of the plot near the end of the issue, where certain characters “regress” to their fairy tale origins. It’s a compelling look at the politics of nature, and it gives the series a certain tension it had only previously hinted at. This fabletown world expands and deepens with each issue, and it continues to be a rich one to explore.

Snow White and Bigby’s partnership is a fun one, too–they’re both interesting on their own, but together they make a tough, no-nonsense team, and I’m eager to follow their adventures into issue 4. This issue ends on a cliffhanger of sorts–more a revelation than anything, but it promises to lead into some interesting twists and turns for next time.

Fables #2 Review

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Jan 242012

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Fables

Issue #2

Written by Bill Willingham, Art by Lan Medina

Published: August 2002

It’s been a while since I read the first issue of Fables, but it’s still fresh in my mind as I finally get around to reading the second issue, and I suppose that speaks well for the memorability of the title.

The blend of fairy tales and crime drama procedural continues to work wonders, and issue 2 continues the momentum and preserves the memorability of the first.

The art, for one, is fantastic – unique angles and imagery, with memorable character designs and a classic feel to the layout of the page. It’s not only beautiful to look at, but interesting. Panels peek through the contours of fountains and frame themselves in golden vines. The fairy tale theme is visualized wonderfully, mostly in flashbacks, without losing the gritty feel of the crime drama that comes through in the storyline.

There’s a lot of detail paid to the characters, and their personalities shine through in their manner of dress, their tailored dialogue, and even their handwriting. They feel like -oddly enough- real people, with their speech flowing naturally, and personalities clashing in interesting ways. The characters alone would be enough to make me continue reading, but thankfully, the plot is just as intriguing as the characters driving it along.

The mystery of Rose Red’s disappearance deepens, and we get some cool word-building about the culture of Fabletown and its inhabitants. A lot of information comes through, but the issue avoids being too heavy on the exposition. This time we’re introduced to two new characters – Blackbeard and Cinderella – in greater detail, and they leap off the page, rich in character and detail. I’m already intrigued by them, and their relationships to other members of the cast.

Fables continues to be an absolute pleasure to read, and the greatest compliment I can think to give is that I can think of very little wrong with it.