Fairy Tale characters in the real world...

books:


	• Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile Bill Willingham Vertigo, 2002 - 128 pages average customer review:based on 48 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Very Good But Not Spectacular Start

At first glance one might get the impression that `Fables' was a straight rip-off of the film `Enchanted' except for the fact that the series started about five years before `Enchanted' was released in theaters. The characters in the series, taken from classic fantasy stories include Snow White, Prince Charming, Old King Cole, the Big Bad Wolf, Bluebeard and so on. They have been forced from their homelands by `The Adversary' and now live in the real world among us `Mundys' (Mundanes). Despite being characters from legendary fiction most come off as generally ordinary people. The Big Bad Wolf (or Bigby) briefly changes into his natural wolf form and Prince Charming is a rather vapid, narcissist as in `Enchanted' but I never would have thought of Snow White as Snow White if it weren't for the fact that she's referred to as Snow White. The first five issues revolve around a murder mystery with a classic `parlor room' finale whereby the lead detective reveals all the sorted details.

I really need to learn to keep my expectations in check. `Fables' has won eleven Eisner Awards (for comic excellence) and was complimented by IGN as "the best comic book currently being produced". That's some pretty high praise. D.C. comics Vertigo line has produced a slew of critically acclaimed series including Sandman, Hellblazer and Y: The Last Man and without exception I have found them less enthralling than hoped for. Sandman was a very good series, I have the first half dozen books but it never reached the level of other legendary comic series. When I think of superstar comics I think of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing or Miracleman. I think of Frank Miller's Dark Knight or The Ultimates by Mark Miller. I just haven't been `blown away' by any of the Vertigo comics I've read.

I guess the litmus test for me is would I buy another book in the series. Getting into a new series requires time and money. In the case of `Y: The Last Man' I bought the first compilation book and made a decision not to continue. `Fables' was touch and go to the end but I think I'll pick up another one, I'm just not in a huge hurry to do it. Don't get me wrong. It's a very good book but it's more of a fine, well crafted book rather than a powerful, emotional one.

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Decent and Clever

Fairy Tale characters are thrust into the real world due to demonic invaders destroying thier homelands and the cabal are forced to co-exist in modern day New York. Initially, I thought this would be more tongue in cheek and along the lines of Shrek, Hoodwinked and Enchanted. This is more sophisticated and adult oriented. It's smart and it's clever and just when you think that you have found a loophole Willingham has a logical explanation. For example non-human legends live in a place called "The Farm" and former crimes from Bluebeard and the Big Bad Wolf (now human) are protected under a general amnesty. But there is no emotional hook and I found myself pre-occupieid trying to figure out who everybody was. However that tends to be a typical shortcoming when introducing a new series, particulalry in a comic. I'm curious to see what the next volume has to offer and judging by the length of the series and the strength of the writing, this doesn't seem to be a one trick pony. But I don't see myself dusting this one off and re-reading this from time to time like I would Gaiman or Moore.

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Fairy Tale characters in the real world...

Ever wonder what would happen if fairy tale and fabled characters were forced to live us in the modern world? This is it. Big Bad Wolf is a detective, Snow White runs the show and Red Rose is missing! Excellent read!

Off to a Great Start

Sometimes, even the best comic series take a while to get into. Y: The Last Man didn't hit it stride until the fourth volume. IDW's Angel line didn't get good until Brian Lynch and Joss Whedon took the reigns three years after the series started, and now it's my favorite comic being published. My point is that these classic series took a while to get good... but "Fables" doesn't. By the second issue, I was hooked and devoured the rest of this volume (titled "Legends in Exile") in no time at all. As the back of the book says, it's "instantly compelling."

The story takes characters from various fables and throws them into modern day New York, which has made them more like us (potty mouthed, romantically troubled, and complex) than anything else. The backstory, which deals with an unknown figure named the Adversary taking over the fable worlds while lead to the exile to the mundane world, is dealt with masterfully. What happened in the past is hinted at and fleshed out through dialogue, avoiding that expositiony feel. It isn't a perfect book, and it reads better as a single story than reading the book issue by issue. However, pages that seemed strangely wasteful of panel space during some points, but in the final issue, all of that seemingly wasted page space was paid off.

Part fable itself, part detective novel, all strong story-telling, if "Fables" keeps going at this rate, it looks as if this comic is going to be a must-read title.

PS: This volume also features a bonus prose story written by Bill Willingham (with illustrations by him as well).

8/10

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Decent detective story

This collection is an intro into the Fables-world. Simple detective story is used as a plot to introduce major characters & places.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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