Jack of Fables: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham
Title: Jack of Fables Vol 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape
Author: Bill Willingham
Publisher: Vertigo 2007
Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy
Pages: 128
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Reading Challenges: Fables Series
Jack is forced into the Golden Boughs Retirement Community, a jail of sorts where Fables are imprisoned until society-at-large forgets about them, thereby diminishing their magic powers. Enlisting the support of Goldilocks and a cage full of fairies, Jack plans the entire retirement community's escape. Willingham and Sturges give Jack a bad-boy attitude, making him an everyman hero that readers won't always identify with, but will enjoy watching flub and fake his way to freedom, complete with clever riffs on the Turtle and the Hare, the Toothfairy, Mother Goose and Humpty Dumpty.
Not as great as the main Fables series, but definitely a good read. Jack has always been on the periphery of the Fables series. He finally gets his starring role. This volume picks up right where Fables: Homelands leaves off. Jack has been cast out of Fabletown forever, but soon finds himself among other Fables. Some of whom are no longer remembered. But this isn't a nice home. It's a prison run by the horrendous Mr. Revise and his Senior Librarians, the Page sisters. We meet Humpty Dumpty, the Tortoise and the Hare, The Carpenter and the Walrus, Goldilocks (her return!), Paul Bunyan and Babe, and even Alice. All were great side characters. I especially love Goldilocks. She's so psychotic, it's just fun to see her work. A great Jack story. Can't wait to read the rest.
Jack of Fables: