Fables Vol. 22

Title: Fables Vol. 22 Farewell

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2015

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Graphic Novel

Doubling as the final volume of the series, creator Bill Willingham, artist Mark Buckingham and a host of the industry’s finest artists deliver the end to this legendary Vertigo series that sees the final fates of beloved characters Bigby Wolf, Snow White, Rose Red, Boy Blue, Pinocchio and countless others. Ready or not, ever after is here.

A fitting end to the Fables series. I was so excited to open this volume and see how some of the storylines were wrapped up. I loved how they answered some of the big lingering questions. I loved following Snow and Bigby's children's throughout the volume. I got a little choked up with the last Boy Blue story. Sad to see my favorite comics series end, but such a great end it was.

Fairest: The Clamour for Glamour

Title: Fairest 5: The Clamour for Glamour

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2015

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 168

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel Challenge; Fairytale Retellings; 52 Books in 52 Weeks -- W1

A nice ending to the Fairest series. We get conclusions for a few characters. We get more of what was going on at the farm during the events of Fables Vol. 21. We meet a few new characters that contribute to the story. I'm sad that the Fables world is ending, but have really enjoyed the main series and all of it's spinoffs.

Fairest:

Fables: Happily Ever After

Title: Fables 21: Happily Ever After

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2015

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 197

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Books - W52

Holy cow! I am floored by this volume. I know there's only one last volume in this series, but wow! There were so many ends and revelations in this volume, I have no idea how this one ends. But I can't wait to read it! Now to see if the local library has it on the shelves...

Fables

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Fables: Camelot

Title: Fables 20: Camelot

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2014

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 256

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Fairy Tales

Rose Red finally and formally takes on the mantle of Paladin of Hope to heroically rally the Fables in the tragic aftermath of "Snow White." A new dark age calls for a new Round Table, with modern knights willing to take on a sacred quest to reassemble the shattered pieces of Fabletown.

While I really enjoyed this volume, it definitely felt like a set-up for storylines to come. We get to see Rose Red assembling her knights. We learn that there's secret about Rose and Snow's lineage. We get a brewing conflict between Rose and Snow. And we have a missing wolf. I was very interested to see how they were going to reconcile all the shit that hit the fan in the last volume. This one really pulled some of those storylines together. I can't wait to read the next volume...

Fables

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Fables: Wolves of the Heartland

Title: Fables: Wolves of the Heartland

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 152

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Fairy Tales

Bigby Wolf embarks on a quest through the American Heartland to find a new location for Fabletown, a secret society of exiled fairy tale characters living among the "mundys." In his wanderings, Bigby stumbles across Story City, a small town that seems to be occupied solely by werewolves. Oddly enough, they seem to already know and revere Bigby, but at the same time they've captured and caged him.

Been meaning to pick up this volume for awhile now and thankfully I did this week. I loved the side story of Bigby and his former comrade in arms. Bigby has been one of my favorite characters from the main Fables series since the beginning. It was nice to once again learn more about his past while tying everything back to the main storyline. The fabled Story City is a fantastic setting for this story of the perfect little town gone bad. A treat for fans of the Fables series.

Fairest: Of Mice and Men

Title: Fairest 4: Cinderella -- Of Mice and Men

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2014

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 144

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Fairy Tales

Cinderella returns in an all-new epic! After an assassination attempt on Snow White, Cind is called back into service to unravel an age-old conspiracy that dates back to that fateful midnight ball! Can Cind uncover the plot and prevent a massacre in Fabletown? By critically acclaimed writer Marc Andreyko (MANHUNTER, Torso, The Lost) and legendary artist Shawn McManus (CINDERELLA, SWAMP THING), FAIREST VOL. 4: CINDERELLA - OF MEN AND MICE ties directly into FABLES!

Okay... so the absolute best of the Fairest series so far. But I do love Cinderella and her spy antics. Plus it was nice to see Snow White and Beast. I also liked how they tied in the Fables version of Cinderella to the traditional story with stepsisters and a fairy godmother.

Fairest:

Fairest: The Return of the Maharaja

Title: Fairest 3: The Return of the Maharaja

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2014

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; 52 Books - W38; Read Your Freebies; Seriously Series

When Nalayani seeks the help of the Maharaja to save her village from the Dhole, she uncovers a secret that could change the Fables Universe forever: the still alive and long-thought dead Prince Charming!

Oh yes! I love this series almost as much as I love the original series: Fables. We get some of the characters from the original series (hello Prince Charming!), but expanded storylines. We also get to explore some of the other worlds alluded to in Fables. In this volume, we get to travel to Indu where Mowgli was from. I loved Nalayani's character. She's a strong, nonsense woman. The perfect foil to Prince Charming. And the ending was fantastic. I hope we get to see these two again in the series.

Fairest:

#1 Wide Awake
#2 Hidden Kingdom
In All the Land
#3 The Return of the Maharaja
#4 Cinderella - Of Mice and Men

Fairest: In All the Land

Title: Fairest: In All the Land

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2013

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seriously Series

FAIREST has explored the secret histories of the most stunning beauties in Fabletown: Cinderella, Snow White, Briar Rose, Rapunzel, and the list goes on and on. In FAIREST IN ALL THE LAND, the best names in comics take their turns fleshing out the pasts of the loveliest Fables in existence. For all those wanting to dive into FAIREST or FABLES, this original graphic novel is a fantastic entry point, as well as a great new chapter for those that have been following Bill Willingham's fairy tale epic for years.

Oh I liked this one a lot. Cinderella gets a starring role in a murder mystery starring all our Fairest ladies. We even get to see what's been going on in the Business Office since it was cut off from Fabletown. A very interesting little tale. Even I didn't foresee the entirety of the ending. Nicely constructed storyline giving the readers just enough clues to figure it out with Cindy.

Fairest:

#1 Wide Awake
#2 Hidden Kingdom
In All the Land
#3 The Return of the Maharaja
#4 Cinderella - Of Mice and Men

Fairest: Hidden Kingdom

Title: Fairest 2: Hidden Kingdom

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2013

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W29

And then, in a 6-part epic, Rapunzel lives one of the most regimented lives in Fabletown, forced to maintain her rapidly growing hair lest her storybook origins be revealed. But when word of her long-lost children surface, she races across the sea to find them--and a former lover.

Oh! I really really enjoyed this volume. Rapunzel was always a small side character in the original series; it was nice for her to get her own story. And what a story it is! This volume got dark and then just when you thought it couldn't, it got even darker. A very interesting storyline about Rapunzel's past colliding with her present featuring some well-known characters (Bigby, Tottenkinder) and some new ones (Tomoko, Mayumi {so creepy!}). A great addition to the Fables universe!

Fairest:

#1 Wide Awake
#2 Hidden Kingdom
In All the Land
#3 The Return of the Maharaja
#4 Cinderella - Of Mice and Men

Fairest: Wide Awake

Title: Fairest 1: Wide Awake

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seriously Series

New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator Bill Willingham presents a new series starring the female Fables. Balancing horror, humor and adventure in the Fables tradition, Fairest explores the secret histories of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red and others.
The first 6-issue tale follows the misadventures of Briar Rose immediately after the events of Fables #107 (collected in Fables Volume 16: Super Team), in which she was stolen away by the goblin army. Following this first collection, Willingham will serve as a consultant on all story arcs and introduce new writers from other mediums to the Fables mythos.

A very delightful spinoff series from the Fables series. I loved hearing more about Briar Rose after she fell asleep to defeat the emperor. And we get Lumi and Ali Baba as great side characters. I had to remind myself of what happened in Fables 16, but once I jogged my memory, it was a great ride. And we even get a bonus story starring a film noir Beast. This volume really peaked my desire to read the rest of this series. Off I go!

Fairest:

#1 Wide Awake
#2 Hidden Kingdom
In All the Land
#3 The Return of the Maharaja
#4 Cinderella - Of Mice and Men

Fables: Snow White

Title: Fables 19: Snow White

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2013

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 168

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Books -- W28; Mount TBR; Monthly Motif -- July

With Castle Dark now back in the hands of the Fables, mysteries both young and old begin to challenge the residents of Fabletown. Bigsby and Stinky set off from Fabletown in Rose Red's blood-fueled sports car to track down the two abducted cubs. Unfortunately for Snow White, besides suffering the trauma of having two of her cubs go missing, a long forgotten secret uncovered in Castle Dark threatens to sabatoge her and Bigsby's marriage.

While I loved the second half of this volume, I just wasn't as excited at the first part concerning Bufkin's adventures. I skimmed through the all of Bufkin's stories to get to Snow White. I needed to see how the search for the kids was progressing. I wanted to see if they had made any progress on turning Castle Dark into Fabletown. And I wanted to see how much the new residences had revealed about themselves. I was not disappointed in those respects. I loved and was heartbroken by Snow and Bigby's story. Ugh! Now I have to wait until Vol. 20 is released to see if there is any happy resolution. We also get a bombshell dropped on the last page. Can't wait to find out more. Overall, I still really enjoy this series, I just want to stick to the main storyline. One final thought: I want to know more about the relationship between the Blue Fairy and the Lady of the Lake...

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Fables: Cubs in Toyland

Title: Fables 18: Cubs in Toyland

Author: Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2013

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: T4MC - Read in one weekend; Graphic Novel; Library; 52 Books - W26; Bingo - 1 from 2013

How I Got It: Library Loan

For years, Snow White and Bigby Wolf's cubs have grown up knowing that one of them was destined for a much greater, more grave role amongst the Fables community. But no one knew how soon it would come.
When Snow and Bigby's cub Therese receives a Christmas gift from an unknown admirer, this red plastic boat magically takes her on a journey to a desolate place known as Toyland. Will Therese be their savior? Or their destroyer? FABLES VOL. 18: CUBS IN TOYLAND is the latest epic from New York Times best-selling author Bill Willingham's hit series FABLES, as the Bigby Wolf cubs learn that adventures in the land of misfit toys is much less fun than it sounds.

It's been awhile since i picked up a Fables volume. I love this series. I love seeing the fairy tale characters grow and change. I love seeing them interact with each other. I love the enemies and the dangers. I love seeing the various worlds. This volume had a great storyline focused on Snow White and Bigby's cubs. Although, I must say that I was very surprised by the dark turn about halfway through the volume. I was not expecting that at all. At any rate, I'm excited to read more in the next volume, but I have to wait until December.

Fables: Inherit the Wind

Title: Fables Vol 17: Inherit the Wind

Author: Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; TBR Pile; Book Bingo -- 1 from series

The tights and capes have been stored away forever, but it remains to be seen if Haven and its refugee inhabitants have survived the onslaught of. Where do the Fables go from here? Bigby and Snow White's cubs try to move forward after learning a hard lesson about life and death. And the loveable, fan-favorite hero Bufkin the Flying Monkey gets into more trouble when he finally reaches his homeland of Oz.
This Fables volume includes issues 108-113 of the original series.

I do so love the Fables series. Somehow I completely forgot to pick up this volume when it was released last year. Thankfully I rectified that mistake. The best part of this volume was the storyline concerning the cubs and the choosing of the new North Wind. I love the idea of one of the cubs becoming a new god. The story focusing on Buffkin was interesting, but didn't captivate me. I did love the implications in the Christmas story towards the end. The overall story progresses well, but ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. We are left with some major unanswered questions. I hope they are resolved in the next volume. I must put it on my library list for later this year.

Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love

Title: Cinderella Vol. 1: From Fabletown with Love

Author: Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus

Publisher: Vertigo 2010

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 144

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; Mount TBR

When supernatural artifacts from the Homelands begin surfacing in the modern world, it falls to Cinderella, Fabletown's best kept (and best dressed) secret agent to stop the illegal trafficking. But can Cindy foil the dark plot before Fabletown and its hidden, exiled inhabitants are exposed once and for all? Whether she's soaring through clouds, deep-sea diving, or cracking jaws, Cindy travels from Manhattan to Dubai and hooks up with a handsome, familiar accomplice who may be harboring secret motives of his own. Meanwhile, trouble brews back home in Fabletown when Cindy's overworked, under appreciated assistant decides to seize control of The Glass Slipper, Cindy's exclusive shoe boutique.

A spin-off from the regular series, we get to know Cindy the spy just a bit better. I loved the spy novel/Bond movie feel to the entire series. Cindy is sarcastic, smart, funny, and down right dangerous. I love her. As much as I like Snow White in the regular series, Cindy is a whole new breed of Fable. And I love how her cover in Fabletown is an affair with Beast and the vapid owner of a shoe store. Nice cover Cindy! It makes her real personality so much more fun. I will definitely be adding the other Cinderella series, Fables are Forever, to my TBR list for next year.

Cinderella:

#1 From Fabletown with Love
#2 Fables are Forever

Bad Doings and Big Ideas by Bill Willingham

Title: Bad Doings and Big Ideas

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 512

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mixing It Up - Graphic Novel and Comic; Support Your Local Library; A to Z - B

How I Got It: Library Loan

Collecting dark tales of the fantastic by FABLES creator Bill Willingham! She’s one of the Sandman’s former lovers and a woman feared by gods. She is Thessaly, the fan-favorite character from THE SANDMAN: A GAME OF YOU, and the last of the deadly Thessalian witches. Now, Thessaly is on the run from a creature called Fetch, who might be composed of different beings killed across the eons by Thessaly herself.Then, in PROPOSITION PLAYER, a professional Vegas poker player collects vouchers for the souls of a roomful of people as a bar prank, not realizing that he’s just anted up for a game he never imagined. Joey is suddenly caught in the middle of a battle between heaven and hell. Can he bluff his way out of it?
This title also features numerous short stories starring members of The Sandman’s cast, as well as dark fantasy tales from HOUSE OF MYSTERY and more.

I fell into this volume with wild abandon today. I absolutely adore Willingham's Fables series, but confess that I never read any of his other work. This volume offered me a great opportunity to expand my Willingham. I loved that he does a short introduction to each piece. These gave me an idea of his professional growth and how see save each work.

I think my favorite story was Thessaly. At initial glance, she's just an ancient witch living her quiet life. But the series delves into the much darker workings of the universe and other worlds. We get to see the big bads and bigger bads out there. Thessaly's quiet, but she makes up for talking with her actions. I especially loved the inclusion of various gods of the dead. Nice touch!

My second favorite had to be the short House of Mystery tales thrown in the back. Willingham goes from the funny horror story to the truly bizarre and disconcerting. Hats off to you! Now I really need to read The Sandman series.

Fables: Super Team

Title: Fables Vol. 16: Super Team

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; A to Z -- S; Support Your Local Library

Now why oh why in this mixed-up world would we saddle an important series that has never had anything to do with Super Heroes with a title like “Super Team”? And why has that snotty little Pinocchio suddenly got it into his head that he needs to design tight-fitting costumes for a carefully selected team of Fables? In fact, why was the little brat caught looking over his own comic-book collection, mumbling things like, “We can call him Werewolf Man, and he can be The Golden Knight, and she can be called The Green Witch?”

Another great, although somewhat anticlimactic, volume. Bigby continues to be one of my favorite characters in the entire series. Ozma is growing on me. I really enjoyed Mister Dark and suspect Nurse Spratt will become a major player soon. The North Wind is the constant blowhard. Blufkin's adventures were fantastical enough. I think that's what keeps me reading: The character. I love all the different and interesting characters Willingham has created. They liven up the somewhat tired fairy tale stories. I can't wait to see what happens to the scattered Fables next. And there was quite a few cliffhangers at the conclusion of Volume 16! So exciting...

Fables:

Fables: Rose Red

Title: Fables Vol. 15: Rose Red

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 256

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; Support Your Local Library; RYN - R; Color Coded - R

Rose Red, sister of Snow White, has finally hit rock bottom. Does she stay there, or is it time to start the long, tortuous climb back up? The Farm is in chaos, as many factions compete to fill the void of her missing leadership. And there’s a big magical fight brewing down in the town square, right under her window.

Another great addition to the Fables series. This one had so many storylines, and I loved every single one. That's not always the case. Of course we get the main storyline of Rose Red's triumphant return. But we also get Beauty and Beast's baby, Bellflower's (Frau Totenkinder) battle with Mr. Dark, an interesting meeting with the North Wind, and a few shorts after the move to Haven. I loved it! The best part... the beautiful illustrations. This volume included the series' 100th issue. The artwork for that issue was too beautiful not to share. So, I made it my button for this year's challenge. Enjoy!

Fables:

The Boys: The Big Ride

Title: The Boys Vol 9: The Big Ride

Author: Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, and John McCrea

Publisher: Dynamite 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 276

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; Mount TBR; RYN - B

How I Got It: J owns it

The Boys Volume 9 collects three separate story arcs, including the momentous issue #50, with bonus pin-ups and interviews! In issues #48-51: "Proper Preparation and Planning" - With Hughie absent, Butcher re-examines the Boys'' first encounter with the Seven, trying to figure out what went wrong. But first there's some disquiet in the ranks to be dealt with, not to mention the return of an old and unexpected enemy who finally, incredibly, has come into his own. Meanwhile, on the Seven's floating headquarters, a flying lesson goes badly awry... In issues #52-55: "Barbary Coast" - Hughie travels out west to finally meet Lieutenant-Colonel Greg Mallory, the man who started The Boys. All kinds of secrets await our hero, beginning with the terrible story of the first supes to see action in World War Two. When the revelations cease, will Hughie return, or walk away from the team forever? In issues #56-59: "The Big Ride" - The countdown to the end begins, as Jack from Jupiter takes one step beyond... or does he? Hughie's triumphant return is not all he'd hoped for, but Butcher has bigger fish to fry. And The Boys meet the mysterious Doctor Peculiar...

I don't know if I have anything to add... The summary is great. I love this series. And the war is coming... It's the calm before the storm. The tension is mounting. When I finished this volume, I think my mouth was hanging open for at least a minute before I recovered. I am at the edge of my seat just waiting for the next volume to be published.

The Boys:

Jack of Fables: The End

Title: Jack of Fables Vol. 9: The End

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 144

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; Name - E; My Years - 2011; Support Your Local Library

Jack Frost seeks to kill a dragon, unaware that it’s his own father. Jack Frost has just set upon the greatest quest in a long and distinguished career of great quests: To kill a dragon. Of course, he is not aware that the dragon in question is in fact his own father. Meanwhile, the Page Sisters find a new purpose in life: restoring the Great Library. This volume includes JACK OF FABLES #50, a special issue that includes appearances by everyone who’s ever shown up in the series.

As much as I loved the Jack of Fables series, towards the end I was just kinda done with it. It was good, don't get my wrong, I just wasn't on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened. I didn't get sucked into the world within the pages. Something just wasn't magical enough for me. I continue to read the main Fables series and love all the volumes. Jack just became a tiresome character and I never really got into his son, Jack Frost. I was ready to find out the ending. And boy was it an ending. As the volume notes, they went Shakespearean with the ending. Crazy stuff! Overall, a good read, just not great.

Jack of Fables:

Fables: Witches

Title: Fables Vol. 14: Witches

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2010

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 192

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; A to Z - W; My Years - 2011; Support Your Local Library

While the meek and mild flying monkey Bufkin is trapped in Fabletown's collapsed business office with the evil witch Baba Yaga, Frau Totenkinder and the witches at the Farm upstate prepare to deal with Mister Dark down in what's left of Fabletown.

Loving this turn of events... We see more of Mr. Dark, his building empire, and the plans being made to stop him. I love the changes to Frau Totenkinder. She's always been one of my favorite characters. And now we get an introduction to Ozma. Very interesting turn, indeed! Plus we finally see more interactions in Haven. I'm loving Ambrose, but he really needs to wake up and notice Ride. I feel the big showdown approaching, but it will probably be drawn out for at least two more volumes. I'm okay with that. I love this series so much.

As a side note, I caught a wonderful little comment alluding to the novel Peter and Max. Nicely done!

Fables: