Fables, Vol. 10, “The Good Prince” (Vertigo) [collects #60-69]
Fables, Vol. 11, “War and Pieces” (Vertigo) [collects #70-75]
w. Bill Willingham; a. Mark Buckinghan, Steve Leialoha, et al.
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Willingham’s epic of Fairy Tales forced to our “Mundy” world in front of the conquering hordes of the Adversary, continues to a tremendous climax here.
In Vol. 10, “Flycatcher,” the erstwhile Frog Prince, and now a lowly janitor, is forced from his amnesiac shell to a quest worthy of Galahad — securing a stronghold against the Adversary from which a final attack can be made.
In Vol. 11, that war comes to a grand and bloody conclusion, as first the Adversary’s greatest secret weapon is neutralized, and then the technology of the Mundy World is applied against his empire. But will heroism and cleverness straight out of fairy tales prevail against dark sorcery, magic, and gritty determination? And if it does, what will the consequences be?
I’ve enjoyed this series from the get-go, and these two books continue its greatness. If Willingham does nothing else (and he’s doing plenty else), Fables will be what he is remember for — taking characters from myth and legend and turning them into believable characters on a wide-ranging tapestry, leavened with humor, personal touches, plot twists, and a hell of a lot of imagination. Highly recommended.
The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Vol. 1, “The Selfish Giant” and “The Star Child” (NBM)
w. Oscar Wilde; a. P. Craig Russell
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Not many folks know that Wilde wrote fairy tales. Russell does a fabulous job of adapting two of them here. In the first tale, a giant with a lovely garden has to learn a lesson about generosity vs. a cold heart. In the second, we get a bit different riff on Beauty and the Beast. These are nicely done tales in the Grimm tradition (if not quite as bloody as some of theirs), and this book could easily be given to a child or adult for their enjoyment.
Listening to: McCreary, Bear, “The Shape of Things to Come” (Battlestar Galactica: Season 1))
Bill Willingham has won this year’s Eisner for Best Writer. (Thanks, Mary.)
And James Jean, who does the covers for Fables, won best cover artist.