Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall

1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham
Prequel of sorts to the Fables series

Pages: 140 pgs.
First Published: 2006
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Once upon a time, as all stories of this type must begin, a lovely woman traveled to a far-off demon-haunted land of magnificent jeweled cities, cast adrift in a sea of wind-tossed desert.

Reason for Reading: next published book in the Fables series.

Summary: Snow White is sent to the land of the Arabian fables to ask for their help in fighting the Adversary. The time period is shortly after the fables have settled in our world and from information gathered in this book that is probably somewhere in the 1600s. When she arrives the court of the Sultan does not know what to do with such an insult, a woman emissary! They lock her in her rooms for quite some time but after she becomes troublesome they decide to send her to the Sultan as his nightly bride who will be killed the following morning but Snow White decides to tell him a story and so she continues on for 1001 nights. This book contains only a select few of those tales.

Comments: This book is not a part of the Fables series proper. It was not published in comic book format but is an original graphic novel. The book is still written by Bill Willingham but each story has been illustrated by various different artists, creating a visually pleasing book. The book is often listed as a prequel to the series since the events take place some hundreds of years prior to the Fables series, yet it can be read at any time. I chose to read it now, after book 7, because this is when it was chronologically published. In book 7, Arabian Nights (and Days), there is a brief scene where someone asks Snow White hadn't she been to the Arabian fables world before and she replies shortly with oh that was a long time ago, I'm paraphrasing here. Thus Willingham has set up the scene for introducing this book at this time.

A great book! Beautiful art work. It was really enjoyable to see the Fables world come alive through different artists' perspectives, some of the art is especially fantastic. The stories are all great fun. Some short, some long. We meet many familiar faces from the Fables world and learn their past stories. Such as how King Cole came to Fabletown and why he was elected mayor. How many of the animal fables made it to Fabletown. The sad story behind Ambrose, the prince who was turned into a frog and the story of Bigby's birth, along with others. It's a lot of fun getting to know some background on favourite characters.

Personally, I don't think this book should be read as a prequel as you will know information which is supposed to be a secret until it is revealed in the series itself. You can't go wrong if you read it when it was published, after book 7; then you'll know just as much as the author knew. Great book and certainly don't skip it as it's a worthy addition to the Fables series.

Nicola

Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days)

Fables: Book 7

Pages: 143
First Published: 2006
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Well, we're here.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Comments: The main story takes a pivotal turn as the focus shifts to the Fables of the East. Here we meet folklore from the eastern part of the world who are living in Baghdad. Sinbad, is namely the main character introduced and the first 4 issues of this volume contain this story arc. Many of our favourite characters so far make appearances (some very brief) to show what's happening with their respective arcs or to show they haven't been forgotten. Then the final two issues switch to a strange story which has a completely different artist appearance to it and takes place in the Homelands. The story is interesting but appears to have to no real relevance to any story arcs, but hang in there for a surprise ending that will leave you waiting for the characters to turn up again. As a turning point in the series this book takes a bit to get into with all the new happenings, characters and leaving the old plots to fill in the background. But we can see here that while the many story arcs will continue there is now a new direction in the main overall plot. Interesting things are ahead for our friends. And onward I go with the series!!

Nicola

Review: Fables #12: The Dark Ages

Title: Fables #12: The Dark Ages
Author: Bill Willingham
Illustrators: Mark Buckingham, Peter Gross, Andrew Pepoy, Michael Allred, David Hahn
Genre: Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Published: August 2009
Collects Issues: 76 - 82
Pages: 192
Rating: 9 / 10
Challenges: Graphic Novels Challenge, A to Z Reading Challenge
Awards: Fables has won 12 Eisner Awards so far

Synopsis (from the back cover):

The great war between Fabletown and the mighty empire of the Adversary is over, and the victorious free Fables have brought their defeated enemy back from the Homelands to join them in exile. Their celebrations, however, are destined to be short-lived. As it turns out, not even beloved storybook heroes can escape the law of unintended consequences. In the post-war chaos of the Adversary's former realm, a terrible force is about to be unleashed - an evil that threatens not just Fabletown but the entire mundane world.

My review: I was a bit worried about how Willingham et al would keep the Fables story going after ending the big bad war in War and Pieces. My fears turned out to be completely unjustified, as this was an amazing (albeit sad) book and perfectly set up the next great arc in the Fables saga.

Fair warning: SPOILERS to follow. I'll try not to give away the big ones, though.

The book opens with Geppetto being escorted around Fabletown by Pinocchio, who's trying to get him adjusted to life after ruling the Empire. Not everyone is happy with the newest Fabletown resident, but I thought it was interesting to hear Geppetto's side of the story. He believed he was acting for the greater good, so sacrificing a few thousand lives was worth it, because in the long run he saved billions, or so he claims... Now that the Fables have taken him out of power, he believes the other worlds will suffer even more.

Geppetto's warnings seem to have merit, though, as back in a recently-freed-from-the-Emperor-land a pair of marauders unknowingly release a very powerful new enemy. This new adversary wants revenge on the Fables for taking away his magic and using it themselves, and he means business. The Fables are forced to evacuate The Woodland and move upstate to the Farm after the magic spells holding their community together begin to crumble. Baba Yaga comes back, and although she didn't get to do much in this book I'm curious to see what havoc she'll wreck in the next one. Even Frau Totenkinder is scared!

The main purpose of this book seemed to be setting up the new big bad and the next event in the Fables series: The Great Fables Crossover (with Jack of Fables, an offshoot of this series that I also really enjoy). The other big part of the story was the death of a character (one of my personal favorites) that brought up questions of what happens to the Fables when they die. We've seen some come back (there are always three little pigs, for example, and Snow White managed to survive a gunshot to the head), so I'm hoping this character will reappear at some point, too. But it was still an emotional arc and really made me question just how great a surgeon Dr. Swineheart is. He seemed like a bit of a pompous jerk, actually, but that could've just been me projecting because of the way he was treating said beloved character.

There was also a smaller mini-story that dealt with Mowgli returning to a jungle world with Bigby's brothers that was a bit more light-hearted and I nice diversion from the darkness in the rest of the book. Oh, and Flycatcher's back! That was one of my grumbles with volume 11, so it was nice to have him back...even if he is still clueless about his relationship with Red Riding Hood.

Also posted at casual dread.

Fables: Legends in Exile - Willingham

Living amongst the Mundanes of New York City are the fables of Fabletown. Those fables that escaped the Adversary banded together and put aside old grudges to live in a safe place and hope that some day they can return to the old country. Various familiar fables are there - Big Bad Wolf, who is now a detective, Snow White (without Prince Charming) second in command, as well as Jack (the Beanstalk) Bluebeard, Rose Red and others. When it looks like one of them has been brutally murdered, Wolf needs to solve the case and make sure it’s not the Adversary who left the message - “No more happily ever after”.

It was a fun look at the old fables and how they have adapted to living amongst the mundanes. Some have had to use witchcraft to create glamours so they look human, and those that can’t, Three Little Pigs, the Ogres, live Upstate on the Farm. Each character has kept the essential part of themselves but have also adapted to this new life (Beauty of Beauty & the Beast) works in a bookstore, Rose Red parties, Jack is a schemer and Cinderella is taking fencing lessons from Bluebeard.

I think I might have enjoyed the old fables more if I could have read them this way, but then you need to be a little familiar with them to enjoy the interactions and the changes. The good part is that this was the first and there are many more graphic novels in the series, the bad part is that there are many more in the series.

Spider-Man & Fables

With these two GN's, I've earned my Masters and am ready to take the dive into receiving my Doctorate!


The Book of Ezekiel by J. Michael Straczynski.
The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 7

This series is really getting better as it goes along. This is a brilliant volume. We start off with a story arc continued from the last book. Seems that when Spider-Man came back from The Void an evil goddess came back with him. She has now taken over the body of a human and the god Loki comes to help Spidey fight this villainess. Then we move on to the series about Ezekiel. So far he has appeared off and on and we are not sure whether he is a bad or good character. Now we find out his true colours and fights a vicious battle of souls and true character. Very gripping plot and a quick read as it's certainly a page-turner. 4/5



Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
Fables, Volume 3

Wow, in volume three this series really picks up with a bang! First we are presented with a few tales of Jack during the Civil War and how he often beats Death. Thus, giving the reader a bit knowledge of Jack's trickster personality. Then we follow a two issue caper involving a journalist who has been watching the fables for many years and keeping files and pictures. He comes to Bigby with the news that he will be publishing a story shortly and is giving Bigby the opportunity to respond. The journal has figured them all (or so he thinks) out and is going to expose them to the world. Another issue takes us back to the story of Goldilocks and we find out what the fugitive is up to now. The Lilliputians enter the story here as major characters and we learn their story. And finally we get to the series mentioned in the title, Storybook Love. This continues for the rest of the volume and I really don't want to give away any of the plot. It was riveting to say the least.

This is a big scale issue with lots of violence, thus lots of blood, a bit of s*x, and not a few deaths. I was surprised at the blood but must say found the story arcs very compelling reading. If the first two volumes haven't convinced you this is adult reading material this third volume will settle that for you. This is my favourite volume to date. It is amazing how deep the characterization and intricate the plot can be in a graphic novel. Willingham certainly shows the rest of us how this medium can be used to utmost advantage over plain text. If you are one of the few people on earth (ok, in the online book community) who hasn't read this series yet, I'm asking you: "What the heck are you waiting for?" Highly recommended. Can't wait to read the next book!

Fables and Spider-Man

Animal Farm (Fables, Vol.2) by Bill Willingham. Now having read this second book in the series I am officially a fan and can't wait to get my hands on the next volume. This is very different from the first one which had a classic noir feel to it. This time around Animal is indeed an Orwellian reference. The non-human fables and those unable to to take human form live on a large plot of land that has been enchanted with a spell to keep humans away. This is called "The Farm" and a large amount of the population is unhappy with the rather prison like conditions. Though the place is nice enough and not lacking in any way there is still the fact they can't leave. I loved the thematic cross between Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies. Lots of new characters were introduced while Snow White and Rose Red remained main characters as from the first volume. In this book we meet the three little pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, giants, a dragon, several animals from The Jungle Book including Baghera and Shere Khan plus many others. 4/5


Unintended Consequences (The Amazing-Spiderman, Vol. 5) by J. Michael Straczynski. This is a great volume with lots of deep issues for Spider-Man to deal with and contemplate. A nuclear test revives 12 mob bosses from the fifties who were killed and buried out in the desert in an old chemical waste hold. The combination of the chemicals being nuked brings together a creature formed of each of the men with an oozing Hulk type of appearances. It's main goal is to kill the man who put the hit on them but it doesn't care who gets hurt along the way. Spider-Man has to deal with the issue of helping people whether they be good or bad. In the last couple of issues Peter Parker is back to teaching and helping a student who especially needs some help with her life. He eventually meets up with Ezekiel again and finds out a bit more about this mysterious man and is posed with a question for contemplation. Sure, he gets the bad guys but what happens to them after they go to prison and should he just be getting the bad guy or should he be doing something to prevent people from becoming bad in the first place? An interesting proposal that makes me anxious to see where the character goes next. 3.5/5


With these two that gives me my Major and I am now working on my Masters. Having lots of fun. I'm obsessed with these graphic novels now!
Nicola

Catching Up

I'm so behind on posting my reviews here. I've already read 8 books for the challenge, but I only posted about the first. So I thought I'd catch up by telling you about the other 7 briefly and linking to my full reviews.

The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot is a gorgeous book in every sense of the word. It's a story about a girl who survives her father's sexual abuse, and it has the most gorgeous artwork you can imagine. This is my second book by Talbot (the first was Alice in Sunderland, which I also very much recommend), and so far I'm very impressed with his work.

Then I read lots and lots of Fables. Books 7, 8 and 9 and then 10 and 11. Most of you have probably heard of this series, about fairy tale characters living in our world, so I won't go on for long. I'll just say that it keeps getting better and better.

Finally, We Are on Our Own by Miriam Katin is a WW2 memoir. The protagonist survived the Holocaust when she was a very young girl by escaping Budapest in disguise along with her mother. The book is also gorgeously illustrated, using black and white pencil drawings for the war scenes and colour for before and after. It's a survival story, but it's of course still very sad at times. I highly recommend it.

Legends in Exile (Fables Vol. 1)

This is my 7th book for the challenge giving me my Minor in GNs and now headed off to my Major. Nicola

Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
Fables, Volume 1

Pages: 127
Finished: Feb. 8, 2009
First Published: 2002
Genre: fantasy, graphic novel (not suitable for children)
Rating: 4.5/5

Reason for Reading: Everybody has either read this series or is reading this series and I couldn't hold out any longer even though I have to ILL each volume. It was Kailana's reviews that pushed me over the edge.

First sentence:

Once upon a time.

Comments: The people of fairy tales have escaped into the mundane world as their lands were ravaged and taken over by the Adversary. Ole King Cole is the mayor of Fabletown and Snow White is second in charge. This volume reads like a classic noir detective as Snow White's sister's apartment is found to be a bloody carnage with Rose Red herself missing. With no body to know whether he is looking at for a murderer or kidnapper Bigby Wolf (the law of Fabletown) sets off to track down Rose Red and solve the case.

The book is peopled with characters from fairy tales such as the above mentioned plus Prince Charming, Pinocchio, one of the Three Little Pigs, Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast and many more. It is so much fun to see these characters depicted in this way, in a very adult manner. The book also ends with a very good short story which explains how the fairytale lands were attacked and especially focuses on how Snow White and Bigby Wolf found their way to Fabletown.

I loved this book! The story told was gripping and I loved the artwork, which imitates the old comic book style of the 70s and earlier. Now I know why everybody is so addicted to these books as I can't imagine not continuing on with Volume #2. There are even a couple of prequels and a spin-off series called Jack of Fables. Highly recommended to any adult who loves fairy tale retellings.

Fables - Volume 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham

Books Completed: 5
Date Completed: January 4, 2009
Pages: 128
Publication Date: August 1, 2003

Reason for Reading: Graphic Novel Challenge

FABLES: ANIMAL FARM is a highly imaginative political thriller that tells the modern day story of fairy tale characters as they struggle for their freedom. After their homelands were attacked and conquered by the mysterious Adversary, the mythological characters from fables and folklores were captured and the non-human beings were forced to live on a farm in upstate New York. Unhappy with their captive life, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the Three Little Pigs lead a rebellious uprising that quickly turns deadly. Now caught in the middle of an animal revolution, Snow White must find a way to make peace on the farm or become the next victim in a bloody massacre.

The second volume in the Fables series, I had to read it! I looked at my other books and thought I might want to read something different, but no, this was the book that was calling for my attention. Something tells me if I had all of the books in the series available to me, I would probably read them all in the month of January! Considering that I am not very fond of reading books by the same author in a row, that is very high praise from me indeed! I think a lot of it is nostalgia. I read a lot of fairy tales and nursery rhymes as a kid (still do, really) and I enjoy seeing them all together in one story. This novel also draws on Animal Farm by George Orwell and Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which I thought was a nice touch.

Once again, we see Snow White and her sister Red Rose caught up in all the excitement. They have gone out to the farm, the second settlement for the Fables. Snow White is hoping to mend bridges with her sister, but instead they caught up in an uprising that might lead to lots of loss of life. Some other characters are: Goldilocks, The Three Bears, characters from The Jungle Book, The Three Little Pigs, and many more. Little Boy Blue, Bluebeard, The Big Bad Wolf, and Jack (of Beanstalk fame) are just some of the characters that make a return appearance.

The book is really beautiful, though. It is just as much about the written word, as the pictures. There are some fantastic artists involved in this series. I was just book browsing again (I have gift cards left) and my shopping cart now contains the next four volumes in the series... At this rate, I am never going to use the cards, but I am having fun changing my mind every five minutes!

The Series:
Fables: Legends in Exile
Fables: Animal Farm
Fables: Storybook Love
Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers
Fables: The Mean Seasons
Fables: Homelands
Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days)
Fables: Wolves
Fables: Sons of Empire
Fables: The Good Prince
Fables: War and Pieces
Fables: The Dark Ages

Other Reviews:
Heather (A High and Hidden Place)
Rhinoa (Rhinoa's Ramblings)
Chris (Stuff as Dreams are Made on)
Nymeth (Things Mean a Lot)

Anyone else? Let me know!

Fables Volume 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

Books Completed: 4
Date Completed: January 3, 2009
Pages: 128
Publication Date: December 1, 2002

Reason for Reading: Graphic Novel Challenge, New Author Challenge

Who Killed Red Rose?

In Fabletown, where fairy tale legends lives alongside regular New Yorkers, the question is all anyone can talk about. But only the Big Bad Wolf can actually solve the caes - and, along with Rose's sister Snow White, keep the Fabletown community from coming apart at the seams.

Fables: Legends in Exile

collects the first five issues of writer and creator Bill Willingham's acclaimed new Vertigo series (suoerbly illustrated by Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, and Craig Hamilton), and includes a new Fables short story written and illustrated by Willingham.

I heard about this series ages ago, but I still think that I could not easily get it back when I first wanted to. With my gift cards from Christmas, though, I found that it was now available and bought the first two volumes. Yesterday, I sat down, opened up to the very first page, and I knew that I was going to love it. It is everything that I enjoy in a fairy tale retelling. I wish I had started reading this series years ago! I cannot wait to read the next book, and I have a strong desire to spend the rest of my gift card on more books in the series! Yep, I am late to the game, but I think I became a Fables fangirl in the space of one evening!

The series takes fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters and puts them together in a contemporary setting. Their world has been overrun by darkness, so those that have survived have had to move to our world and live alongside human beings. Those that cannot pass as humans, though, live as a group deep in the wilderness. All evil has been forgotten and forgiven, so all of them are starting off a new life with amnesty. In this story we see characters like Snow White, the 'big, bad wolf', Red Rose, Jack (from Beanstalk fame), Prince Charming, Beauty and her husband, and so many more characters! As I was reading and discovering new characters I would get all excited as I remembered where they came from originally.

It was great! This is an awesome idea for a series. I am so excited to read more from it. I can safely say that something from Fables will be on my Best of... list for 2009!

Other Reviews:
Heather (A High and Hidden Place) - I blame Heather. I know for a fact that, wow, 3 years ago it was her that made me want to read them! (I am sorry it took three years...)
Rhinoa (Rhinoa's Ramblings)
Chris (Stuff as Dreams are Made on)

Anyone else? Let me know and I will add you to the list!

Review: Fables #11: War and Pieces

Title: Fables #11: War and Pieces
Author: Bill Willingham
Illustrators: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, Andrew Pepoy
Genre: Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Published: 19 November 2008
Collects Issues: 70 - 75
Pages: 177
Rating: 9 / 10
Challenges: Graphic Novels Challenge, Winter Reading Challenge, Sci-Fi Experience
Awards: Fables has won 14 Eisner Awards so far

Synopsis (from the back cover):

Fables Attack! The final battle between the free Fables of the mundane world and the Empire occupying their former Homelands is about to begin, and the scrappy storybook heroes have already managed to even the odds considerably. With his previously unstoppable wooden soldiers neutralized, the Adversary is about to get his first taste of high technology in the form of steel-jacketed bullets and laser-guided bombs. But the ruler who conquered a hundred different worlds didn't do it by fighting clean - and he's still got a surprise or two left to spring on the residents of Fabletown

My review: This was the first book I read in 2009, and I don't think I could have made a better choice. In War and Pieces, the war against the Adversary reaches it conclusion, and I found it very satisfying. The story starts out with Cinderella's clandestine mission to get the upper hand on the Empire; watching Cindy in super-spy mode made me wish she had her own spin-off. It would be just like Alias! And seeing Beauty's confused/enraged reaction to Cindy getting her own mission ("SHE-ONLY-SELLS-SHOES!") is priceless.

The war itself is told through Blue's perspective, and I really felt sympathy for him in this book. He's melancholy because he's been rejected by Rose Red (he has the worst luck with women!) and because being in the war reminds him of the past. He's a key figure, though, because he's able to use the Witching Cloak to keep the front lines supplied and to keep all the bases up-to-date. There's also a scene towards the end that had echoes of Blue-as-Neville in the final Harry Potter book, which made me love him even more.

There's so much to enjoy in this book. The conclusion of the "War with the Empire" story arc, of course, but also the return of some characters and plot points we hadn't seen in a while (Briar Rose turns out to be pretty important, and the zephyrs and magic beanstalk also have parts to play in the war). Prince Charming actually turns out okay in the end, which was pretty amazing. Flycatcher is mentioned but never seen, but after giving him his own story arc I guess that's forgivable.

I highly recommend this book to everyone - Fables is one of my favorite comic books, and this is a an impressive end to a long-running storyline. I'm glad the creators opted not to finish the Fables series with the end of the war, because I love the world they've created and I'm looking forward to more.

Other reviews:

If you've reviewed this book as well, leave a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

Cross-posted to casual dread.