So, I got really into comics last year, and thus only read ... wait ... that can't be right ... yeah okay, so I only read two books. Yeah, so two books and a whole bunch of comic books. And if this picture doesn't look like a lot, it isn't. I really did try to get ALL of my comics into a picture but that pile was getting too big to get into a single frame. Anyways, let's get this over with. So I didn't realize how long this was going to be when I started so I ended up having to splice out everything not Fables into another post.
1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham
Set before the events of the Fables series, Snow White attempts to meet with the Arabian Fables to form an alliance against The Adversary. Instead, she is locked away as a prisoner. Upon meeting with the Sultan, she learns that she is to be his new bride, ravished, and executed the next morning - as he has done to every woman he has wed prior. Seeking to save her head, Snow White begins a series of tales shared amongst the Fable community, each story ending just as the sun rises, the Sultan too enthralled to have her killed.
The first book I bought of the entire series because of a college reading assignment ... um like a decade ago. I don't think it was for a writing class, probably a fantasy reading class, I'm guessing in the 200 level. It was amazing seeing stories I hadn't thought about since I was a kid being re-imagined into stories for an older audience in a comic book format - complete with scenes of murder, rape, revenge. I especially liked the re-imagining of certain characters such as The Black Forest Witch being almost every single unnamed witch throughout the fairytale canon (or at least the ones common to the Grimm Brother's stories). After reading this one for class, I started down a path of picking up each of the books until its "conclusion" which I guess so far holds up as DC comics started the series again about a year ago which in turn, has led to my new comic book addiction (more on ... some of those new series at the end).
The Main Fables Storyline
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| Fables vol 1-3 |
Set as a murder-mystery, Sheriff Bigby Wolf (The Big Bad Wolf in human form) discovers a gruesome scene at Rose Red's apartment, leading to the conclusion that she had been murdered. Along with Red's sister and deputy mayor of Fabletown, Snow White, the two interrogate suspects and gather clues to Red's disappearance while introducing Fabletown, a hidden community of exiles and refugees seemingly related to the fables and stories told on Earth.
Fables Vol 2: Animal Farm (#6-10)
As punishment for faking her death and scaring the other Fabletown residents, Snow White takes her sister Rose Red to the Upstate Fabletown Community - a.k.a. The Farm - where those Fables unable to pass as human are forced to live. Once there, the two discover an uprising amongst the non-human fables seeking to take over The Farm, then Fabletown, and finally lead a resistance against The Adversary in the homelands.
Fables Vol 3: Storybook Love (#11-18)
Jack serves as a soldier for the Confederate army in one of his get-rich-quick schemes and tricks Death itself. A short story involving a prying journalist and the ways and measures Fabletown has protected its privacy from prying Mundy (regular, non-magical humans) eyes. Bluebeard and Goldilocks (still hiding from the Fabletown authorities for her part in the previous coup) hatch a plan to take over Fabletown, starting with the elimination of Bigby Wolf and Snow White. When their plan is discovered by the secret mouse police, Prince Charming challenges one to a dual while Wolf and White find a way to elude the other.
The first three volumes serve as an introduction to the series: setting up the characters and their backgrounds. The Fables are essentially refugees that just happen to have a connection to stories told in our world fleeing from a war ravaging their own worlds (The Homelands) into our world. The audience is introduced to Fabletown, where the Fables that can pass as human live, and The Farm, where the other Fables that cannot live. Much different than the volumes that follow as the plots are set more as mysteries than as the war story that follows.
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| Fables Vol 4-11 |
Fables Vol 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers (#19-21, 23-27)
Boy Blue recounts the last days of the resistance before the Fables left the Homelands for the Mundy world, sealing the final gate behind them. In the present day, the first refugee in a century arrives in Fabletown after escaping capture by The Adversary's agents. Suspicious of the newfound Red Riding Hood's miraculous arrival, Bigby Wolf goes in search of answers. Wooden soldiers, the shock troopers of The Adversary soon arrive in Fabletown seeking to bring the refugees back under The Empire's control.
Previous stories focused on the internal strife amongst the refugees crammed together, trying to survive, while only alluding to the terror of the Adversary and his forces faced by the Fables. This is the first book where we get to see the might of the Adversary's army, and how they could overcome so many seemingly fantastical and deadly creatures.
Fables Vol 5: The Mean Seasons (#22, 28-33)
Bigby Wolf meets with an old US Army buddy from his time serving in World War II, recounting a deadly mission during which they discovered the Nazi's conducting occult experiments. In the present, Bigby Wolf and Snow White's litter is born, resulting in changes to their living situations. The mayoral election between King Cole and Prince Charming is decided. A mysterious new killer sets itself upon Fabletown, and Bigby's mysterious father visits with his grandchildren.
Fables Vol 6: Homelands (#34-41)
Escaping with a small portion of Blackbeard's treasure, Jack leaves Fabletown with another scheme in mind. Arriving in Hollywood, he quickly makes a name for himself and founds a new studio set on creating a movie trilogy all about himself. Boy Blue, meanwhile, wielding stolen magical items from the Fabletown community business office, sneaks back into the Homelands alone on a mission to rescue Red Riding Hood and to assassinate The Adversary once and for all. Succeeding in his mission, he discovers instead the true power behind the throne, Geppetto the woodcarver.
Fables Vol 7: Arabian Nights (and Days) (#42-47)
Refugees from the Arabian Fablelands arrive at the Fabletown community in search of sanctuary and to build relations between their two communities. Upon their arrival, they discover differences between their two groups as well as some similarities. Their unlikely partnership is threatened when a djinn - a powerful, magical being - is released. A short love story between two wooden dolls, Ronnie and June, brought to life to serve The Empire. Providing a look into the minds of the wooden soldiers and their creation, it also reveals the anomaly of two experiencing feelings as those made of flesh feel.
Fables Vol 8: Wolves (#48-51)
Mowgli continues his search for Bigby Wolf in order to save a friend, traveling the world and speaking with all sorts including, of course, the wolves of the land. Upon Bigby's return to Fabletown, he is immediately sent on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Adversary's realm to deliver a message to Geppetto and, to an extent, get revenge for setting the wooden soldiers upon Fabletown. Returning home, Bigby and Snow White are reunited and married, given a plot of land where they can raise their children together.
Fables Vol 9: Sons of Empire (#52-59)
Geppetto convenes a council of advisors to discuss how to deal with the exiled Fables living in the Mundy realm, especially after the destruction of the magical grove from whose trees all wooden soldiers are formed. Shorter tales introduce other Fables that don't play as big a role in the main storyline, such as Rapunzel and the Three Blind Mice. Bigby, Snow, and their children take a trip to visit Bigby's father, the North Wind, and meet with unexpected kin. Santa Claus pays the Fables a Christmas visit, changing one Fable's life forever.
Fables Vol 10: The Good Prince (#60-69)
Restored of his lost memories, Flycatcher sets out on a quest, guided by none other than the ghost of Lancelot of the Round Table. He'll travel the depths of the underworld, gathering ghostly followers on his quest for redemption, until he ultimately faces off against the hordes of The Adversary. In the mundy world, The Fables prepare for war, training themselves with mundy technology and war tactics.
Fables Vol 11: War and Pieces (#70-75)
The exiled Fables have all their pieces in place and the war against The Adversary is under way. Right before that though, Cinderella is tasked with retrieving an important package that puts all of her operative skills to the test. In the Homelands, the Fables have mixed their own magic with Mundy world guns, bombs, and tactics to eliminate The Adversary's forces and cut off their capital from all other worlds. The plans progress smoothly until the enemy devises their own counter-offensive. *One comment about this book: Nothing cooler than seeing a wooden ship flying through the skies while a sniper on-board shoots down a dragon.
This collection of volumes tells the tale of The Fables' war against The Adversary (spoiler: It's Geppetto having gathered power with pride, self-righteousness, and his living puppets). After an attack on Fable Town by wooden soldiers and Baba Yaga, the Fables will launch an offensive against The Adversary utilizing their magic as well as knowledge gathered from their new home to overcome the Empire's forces. Lives are lost, people are found (in more ways than one), and the war comes to an end in an unexpected way.
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| Fables 12, 14-16 |
Fables Vol 12: The Dark Ages (#76-82)
With the war against The Adversary finally over, the Fables move into the post-war phase. Funerals are held, scouting parties are sent to other worlds, plans are made for the spoils of war. Far, far away though, another evil locked away by the empire is released and sets its sights upon Fabletown.
Fables Vol 14: Witches (#86-93)
Frau Totenkinder, the fabled Black Forest Witch and current leader of the Fables' thirteenth floor magical community, has decided now is the time to act against the Fables' new enemy, Mr. Dark. Having abandoned her post, the others decide a change in leadership is necessary, especially to prevent Geppetto, Fabletown's newest resident, from seizing control in a time of fear and uncertainty. In the now lost business office, Bufkin the flying monkey seeks to stop an assortment of dangerous, destructive creatures from escaping, including the freed djinn brought by Sinbad, as well as the similarly freed Baba Yaga. Back in Haven, it's the baseball championship, but the real trial begins the next day.
Fables Vol 15: Rose Red (#94-100)
As tensions among the Fables grow now that they are all confined to The Farm, Rose Red's depression takes her further and further away from her duties. In her spiral, a vision appears and reinvigorates her, and we see the truth of her past. Meanwhile, Frau Totenkinder, now returned to Bellflower, confronts Mr. Dark in a dual.
Fables Vol 16: Super Team (#101-107)
Having defeated the djinn, Baba Yaga, and the other monsters lurking in the business office, Bufkin sets upon a quest to return home. Having retreated to Haven, Ozma and Pinocchio put together a team to take on Mr. Dark based on Pinocchio's comic book knowledge. We also take a glimpse into the sleeping Imperial City, the center of Geppetto's former empire, and Sleeping Beauty, who put the city to sleep.
The defeat of The Empire led to the release of many powerful entities kept captive, one of them Mr. Dark. An entity embodying darkness and all the things that go bump in the night, Mr. Dark sets his sights upon Fabletown for a perceived slight against him while he was locked away by The Adversary's forces. Against such a terrifying foe and with a lot of their resources depleted during the war, the Fables will need to abandon Fabletown and retreat to their last sanctuary, put together a team of their best, and rely on allies willing to challenge an enemy seemingly unstoppable.
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| Fables 13 |
Fables Vol 13: The Great Fables Crossover (#83-85, Jack of Fables #33-35, The Literals #1-3)
Taking a break from the main storyline, Jack Horner delivers a warning that the end of the universe is coming. Seeking him out, Bigby Wolf and Snow White discover The Literals, personifications of genres, and that one of them is seeking to rewrite the universe, effectively erasing all of them. Bigby and Snow team up with The Pathetic Fallacy and Mr. Revise to save the world.
A crossover event between The Fables comic and its spin-off, Jack of Fables which focused on Jack Horner's adventures after being kicked-out of Fabletown for his antics. It was one of the spin-offs I never got around to reading because, well, money.
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| Fables 17-19 |
Fables Vol 17: Inherit the Wind (#108-113)
After Bigby's father, the North Wind, sacrificed himself to imprison Mr. Dark and save all of the Fables, his mantle must now be passed on to one of his grandchildren. Meanwhile, Bufkin leads a revolution back in his homeworld. A Christmas time story where Rose Red learns her new duties as a paladin of Hope.
Fables Vol 18: Cubs in Toyland (#114-123)
A new toy received by Therese transports her to Toyland to become their new queen. Therese quickly becomes disenchanted with her new role when she finds herself surrounded by discarded toys and no sustenance, quickly spiraling downward into madness. Darian, rising to his role as the pack leader amongst the cubs, sets off to save her. Instead of finding a typical boyhood heroic quest, he's instead confronted with the test of a true hero.
We've had other stories of sacrifice and gone through the deaths of other characters thus far, but this story was the worst of them all (and possibly through the rest of the series). Darian's sacrifice, oh, this one his me hard. Not just his sacrifice but the moments leading up to it as he wanders the desert alone looking for another clever option. "Will it hurt?" and "Will anyone ever know? Will they find out I did the right thing?", oh those moments...
Fables Vol 19: Snow White (#124-129)
The saga of Bufkin continues as he not only completes his overthrow of a tyrant but commits countless heroic deeds across countless worlds until his eventual retirement. Back in Fabletown, the Fables are returning after the defeat of Mr. Dark only to find a new fiend hidden in plain sight - Snow White's first betrothed - Prince Brandish. While Bigby is away searching for their missing cubs, Snow, with the help of the other Fables, will look for a way to stop the evil prince.
After the defeat of Mr. Dark, the cubs are selected as the best candidates to succeed the North Wind. While one of them becomes king and takes on the role of the North Wind, another becomes queen of her own realm. In the end, all of the children learn what it means to be a part of a pack, and about responsibility that comes with it.
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| Fables 20-22 |
Fables Vol 20: Camelot (#130-140)
Embracing her role as an Avatar of Hope, Rose Red decides to bring about a new Camelot complete with knights and a round table. At the same time, Snow White and her cubs mourn the death of Bigby, who finds himself wandering a type of afterlife. Also, a short story describing how Fabletown finally comes to an end.
Fables Vol 21: Happily Every After (#141-149)
The Fabletown community finds itself split as both Snow White and Rose Red gather forces loyal to themselves. At the same time, a hidden enemy has brought Bigby Wolf back from the dead as a vicious killer and set him upon the residents of New York City. Also mixed in are epilogue stories featuring several Fables characters.
Fables Vol 22: Farewell (#150 and extras)
The battle between Snow White and Rose Red comes to a close. Fabletown meets its end. An epilogue in which we get one last glimpse into the lives of the Fables before we leave them forever.
The end of the Fables saga finds two sisters, Snow White and Rose Red pitted against each other due to the curse passed down their bloodline. The Fables are choosing sides between the two, and its conclusion will lead to the destruction of Fabletown. As an ending, I was satisfied as the last volume provided an epilogue for a majority of the Fables as many set out back to the Homelands while others stayed behind in the Mundy world. There was more that could be done with it (obviously as they've recently restarted the series for a short run) as magic was finally exposed to the world, but the story still ended on a good note.
Fairest (Fables Spin-off)
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Fairest Vol 1: Wide Awake (#1-7)
Taking place between the war with The Adversary and after the battle with Mr. Dark, we take a look at what became of Sleeping Beauty, aka Briar Rose, after putting the Imperial City to sleep. Awoken by Ali Baba, the Prince of Thieves with a kiss, they are both captured by the Snow Queen who did not appreciate being put to sleep by Fabletown's secret weapon. Along the way, we learn more about Sleeping Beauty's curse and even have an encounter between her and the evil fairy.
Fairest Vol 2: Hidden Kingdom (#8-14)
Rapunzel receives an ominous message from her past in regards to her children. Sneaking off to Japan with her hair cutter, Joel Crow, and Jack (of all the tales), she'll find herself in a war between two factions of Japanese Fables, all refugees from the Hidden Kingdom. There, she'll confront her past and try to own up to the mistakes she's made.
Fairest Vol 3: Return of the Maharaja (#15-20)
Nalayani is the sole defender of her village after all of its men went to fight The Adversary's army. Though The Empire may be gone, that doesn't mean her village is still safe from other monsters prowling the area, and she sets off to meet with the new Maharaja for aid. Instead she finds a restored Prince Charming, thought dead after sacrificing his life in the war. The two will set out into the land of Indus to battle against monsters, and though Nalayani requires his help, it is Prince Charming who will emerge truly changed.
Fairest Vol 4: Of Mice and Men (#21-26)
Cinderella, Fabletown's greatest spy, is sent on a mission to uncover a mysterious organization threatening Fabletown and its inhabitants. Traveling the globe, she'll uncover connections to her past she believed resolved at midnight that one fateful night.
Fairest Vol 5: The Clamour for the Glamour (#27-33)
After receiving a magical glamour that allows him to pass as a human as well as being welcomed into Rose Red's new Camelot, Raynard the Fox sets to woo a number of Fable women. Instead, he finds himself thrown out on his own where he'll meet a Mundy woman enchanted with fantasies of princes and happy-ever-afters. After a series of hijinks finds the two of them on the run, Raynard will need to put his sly fox nature aside if he wants to be regarded as a man.
Fairest in all the Land
Someone is killing the "Fairest of them all" and it is up to Fabletown's greatest spy, Cinderella, to uncover the killer and stop the murders.
Putting the spotlight on the female Fables, Fairest is a collection of tales centered around strong female protagonists from the pages of Fables, all working against tropes typically placed upon the female characters in fairytales.
Cinderella (Fables Spinoff)
Cinderella Vol 1: From Fabletown with Love
The defeat of The Adversary has led to some unintended consequences, one of them being the unchecked and unmonitored transportation of magical items from the Homelands into the Mundy world. To find out who is behind the distribution and put a stop to it, Fabletown sends their top spy, Cinderella, to track them down. She'll team up with another dashing, rags-to-riches fable and even encounter an enemy from her own storied past.
Cinderella Vol 2: Fables are Forever
Fabletown has long known that they weren't the only Fables from the homelands to retreat to the Mundy world when The Adversary took over. A shadow Fabletown, operating in secretive cells across Earth, with their own elite death-dealer (and Cinderella's arch-nemesis). Thinking she was safe, her opposite has risen out of hiding and it's up to Cinderella to take her out, once and for all.
Told in the genre of your typical spy thrillers, the two stories force Cinderella into missions only she is capable of handling.
Fables #151-156
Fabletown is gone and many of its refugees have scattered. King Cole and Cinderella attempt to speak with the proper authorities as magic spreads throughout the Mundy world. Snow White, Bigby Wolf, and their cubs settle on a new world, and, like all parents just looking to get a job done in silence, send their restless kids off into the wild in search of adventure. A new Jack in the Green is sent upon a quest to bring a villain to justice, this time none other than Peter Pan.
I didn't know the series was being revived through DC Comic's Black Label (supposedly its "mature" line of comics or something). I just happened to be at OtherRealms on RPG Day looking for free stuff and I saw the first issue. Since then, everytime I've gone back to pick-up an issue, I seem to be getting the last copy off the shelves, so either everyone else is getting their early, or they're ordering a single issue for me. It's only supposed to be a 16-issue run (unfortunately not forever). Definitely the reason I had to go back and re-read ALL of the other volumes over several months.
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