Fables Vol 22 Farewell Graphic Novel Review

Fables Vol 22 Farewell
Erica gives this comic one star.Fables Vol 22 Farewell by Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham, David Petersen, Russ Braun, Mark Schultz, Lee Garbett, Joelle Jones, Gene Ha, Peter Gross, Neal Adams, Andrew Pepoy, Steve Leialoha, Teddy Kristiansen, Michael Allred, Aaron Alexovich, David Hahn, Lan Medina, Niko Henrichon, Terry Dodson, Andrew Dalhouse, Megan Levens, and Bryan Talbot

There were a ton of complaints about this issue being anti-climactic. For one, I’m very happy that Rose Red and Snow White didn’t go into battle with one another. But don’t worry, there was a ton of other problematic happenings than a lack of sororicide.

First, there’s the battle to both their deaths of Cinderella and Frau Totenkinder. Which also managed to destroy the last of Fabletown’s magic wards against Mundy detection and half the castle. This seemed frivolous and too much of an unmoving cat fight. Especially with Cinderella stabbing Frau Totenkinder through the skull with her glass slipper.

I don’t believe that Cinderella could’ve taken on Frau Totenkinder successfully, to their deaths. Even using Frau Totenkinder’s magical trinkets against her. Not without Frau Totenkinder actually being depowered somewhat as rumored.

Additionally, neither character was one that Willingham spent anytime trying to endear to us. I liked Frau Totenkinder despite this. She would’ve been a way more interesting character to explore than some of Willingham’s choices throughout the years. And it was other writers who took Cinderella on to mixed results.

The part I found the most anticlimactic was no resolution between Snow and Bigby. Continue reading “Fables Vol 22 Farewell Graphic Novel Review”

Fairest Vol 5: The Clamour for Glamour Graphic Novel Review

Fairest Vol 5: The Clamour for GlamourErica gives this comic one star.Fairest Vol 5: The Clamour for Glamour by Mark Buckingham and Bill Willingham
Art: Russ Braun, Meghan Hetrick, and Andrew Pepoy

Ugh. These book continue to be utter rubbish. If it wasn’t almost over, I’d have canceled it a while ago. The Fairest title was supposed to be about the women in the Fables verse, but instead, once again, this supports and shows off a male character Reynard. Because dudes >>>>>> women.

The story of Reynard and Meghan gets creepy fast. First, there’s a need to set up her relatives from Reynard’s point-of-view as rednecks who use her to cook and clean for them. Something like a modern day Cinderella. Of course, they turn out not be such bad guys, which feels like a force “wait, you thought they were rednecks? Psych! They kind of are, but rednecks aren’t really the bigots you thought they were. Surprise, we’re right about our worldviews, not you!”

On top of this, there’s the entire creepy pregnancy. Continue reading “Fairest Vol 5: The Clamour for Glamour Graphic Novel Review”

Fables Vol 21: Happily Ever After Graphic Novel Review

Fables Vol 21: Happily Ever AfterErica gives this comic one star.Fables Vol 21: Happily Ever After by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges
Art: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy, Dan Green, Eric Shanower, Tony Akins, Shawn McManus, Nimit Malavia, Jae Lee, Terry Moore, Russ Braun, and Chrissie Zullo

I thought this was going to be the final chapter of Fables. Nope, they are dragging it out. Issue #150, the final one, will be supersized and all its own trade. It’s great to already feel ripped off before I even buy it. Woohoo!

Currently, the biggest Fables mystery is how Brandish is still alive. I know there’s a magical spell and all that jazz. However, seems like he would be a prime target for everyone wanting to murder him. I know I do.

It’s hard for me not to cheer for Snow White and actually see a way that Rose Red will win this. I very much hate sexist plots that pit women against each other. I do not care if this legend around their mother Lauda has any credit in historical fables. It plays out as a bunch of sexist bullshit pitting women against each other and only having one women “win” in the end. And here we have Bigby being the prize.

Yep, the two sisters are fighting over a man.

(A man who Snow White married and had seven children with. But we can ignore the proceeding 100+ comic books.) Two women fighting over a man, it’s a misogynist dream come true! Continue reading “Fables Vol 21: Happily Ever After Graphic Novel Review”

Fairest: Of Men and Mice Vol 4 Graphic Novel Review

Fairest: Of Men and Mice Vol 4Erica Gives This Comic Four StarsFairest: Of Men and Mice Vol 4 by Marc Andreyko
Art: Shawn McManus

This book kind of passed the Fairest test, which is the requirement that the tales be about women. Cinderella and Snow White were at the heart of the tale, though Marcel, Ramayan, Crispin, and three blind mice, along with Fairy Godmother and Leigh factor largely into the story. This book also hinges a bit on the other Fables tales, particularly the one where they discover that Fairy Godmother has gone bad/has alzheimer’s and the last Fables trade where one of the young girls discovers a bunch of evil rats.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention how excited I got that Cinderella was going to India, and there wasn’t any culture appropriation and we even had Indian Fables, including the fabulous Ramayan, join in. However, there was a cover where Cinderella was portrayed as a Hindu goddess with multiple arms and holding her shoes. Fail.

There was, however, a big win for diversity. Continue reading “Fairest: Of Men and Mice Vol 4 Graphic Novel Review”

Fables: Camelot Vol 20 Graphic Novel Review

Fables: Camelot Vol 20 Erica gives this comic two starsFables: Camelot Vol 20 by Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Russ Braun, Barry Kitson, Andrew Pepoy, and Gary Erskine

So Rose Red finally gets her hero’s story. Or her shabby phoned-in one. Instead of getting to learn more about herself and unite the people, Rose gets pushed around by Hope and given Arthur’s Camelot storyline. Where apparently, nothing can change, and Rose is destined to be pitted against Snow, her sister.

Of course, Brandish is still alive, and for some reason, this man is going to drive the sisters apart again. Seriously, fill that stupid hole up with concrete and leave him be.

Oh boring.

Also, we finally kill Bigby, but we still need to have a large story about him. Continue reading “Fables: Camelot Vol 20 Graphic Novel Review”

Fairest Vol 3: The Return of the Maharaja Graphic Novel Review

Fairest Vol 3: The Return of the MaharajaErica gives this comic two starsFairest Vol 3: The Return of the Maharaja by Sean E. Williams
Art: Stephen Sadowski, Phil Jimenez, Andrew Pepoy, Dan Green, Russ Braun, Meghan Hetrick, Christian Alamy, and Jose Marzan

Ugh. Okay, here’s the premise of the Fairest books: they are supposed to be stories about the various princesses in the greater Fables universe. Here’s been the problem: with the exception of the second volume, they have all actually been stories about the men in the lives of the princesses. And this volume was worst offender.

The princess in this story is Nalayani, who is not yet a princess. She’s a fable living in the Homelands in the India-region of it. Nalayani is the protectorate of her village after all the able-bodied men have gone on to fight against the Emperor and they don’t come back. When she hears there’s a new Maharaja in the area, she goes to seek his help in protection from the Dhole, wolf-like creatures, that have been killing and burning her village.

Nalayani is a great character. She loves her people, and she’s clearly the leader. The story about her travels and her friendship with the jackal Tabaqui was touching. Continue reading “Fairest Vol 3: The Return of the Maharaja Graphic Novel Review”

Fairest: In All the Land Graphic Novel Review

Fairest: In All the LandErica Gives This Comic Four StarsFairest: In All the Land by Bill Willingham
Art: Chrissie Zullo, Karl Kerschl, Renae de Liz, Fiona Meng, Mark Buckingham, Phil Noto, Meghan Hetrick, Russ Braun, Tony Akins, Gene Ha, Tula Lotay, Marley Zarcone, Ming Doyle, Chris Sprouse, Nimit Malavia, Dean Ormston, Kurt Huggins, Adam Hughes, Al Davison, Shawn McManus, Inaki Miranda, and Kevin Maguire

This was perhaps one of the best Fables stories that I’ve read in a long time. It wasn’t interrupted by one of Willingham’s favorite characters that didn’t make sense. Cinderella had the whole narrative from beginning to end, and while she certainly had the help of others, she was the one who figured out the mystery and came up with a solution to the problem.

As much as I was excited to see that many of my favorite artists were working on this book, having the tale jump from artist to artist was a bit distracting. I really loved de Liz’s Cinderella and Hetrick’s Snow White. I was also surprised just how much I enjoyed Doyle’s art, which particularly worked with the ’60s flashback to Briar Rose’s all-girl band.

All that said, I did have a hard time getting into this book. Continue reading “Fairest: In All the Land Graphic Novel Review”

Fables (Vol 19): Snow White Graphic Novel Review

Fables Vol 19: Snow WhiteErica gives this comic two starsFables (Vol 19): Snow White by Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Shawn McManus, and Andrew Pepoy

Let’s start with half this trade being taken up by the tale of Bufkin and the overthrow of the Gnome King that ruled Oz. Boring. There were no emotional connections. It felt like reading some kind of dry history textbook, not enjoying the story. And Lily felt like a fetishized woman who did everything for love. Her obsession with Bufkin started out as gross, and then the end where it shows the “three times they fell in love and she pumped out a bunch of babies” made Bufkin also gross. He could only love her if they were the same species. And all Lily wanted was love, babies, and to play house. They only did things when they were different species. Don’t even get me started on the weird note that when they were both Barelycorn, they had a boatload of children, but the children all died.

Then we meet Prince Brandish. Or more that we discover Werian Holt is actually Prince Brandish, who back-in-the-day was betrothed to Snow White after she and Rose Red broke a curse where he was turned into a bear. Frankly, after seeing more of him in action, he was much better off as a bear. Continue reading “Fables (Vol 19): Snow White Graphic Novel Review”

Fairest (Vol 2): The Hidden Kingdom Graphic Novel Review

Fairest (Vol 2): The Hidden Kingdom GraphicErica gives this comic three starsFairest (Vol 2): The Hidden Kingdom by Lauren Beukes and Bill Willingham
Art: Inaki Miranda and Barry Kitson

So I actually enjoyed the book more than the three stars. I thought Miranda’s art was beautiful and served great for both the futile Japan world and modern day Tokyo. He drew a large variety of characters and body types. Never once did I pause and shake my head. (This is kind of rare for me, and how I wish it was the other way around.) I enjoyed Beukes’ writing of Rapunzel. I was thrilled to have a woman writing Fables and the women characters. Especially considering Fairest Vol 1 turned into a kind of love triangle and then evil PMS story. (Oddly enough, I’d been wanting to read a book by Beukes and had her Zoo City on my wish list.) I liked how flawed, vulnerable, but also determined Rapunzel is. Also really excited for Tomoko and Rapunzel’s relationship because I don’t think we’ve had any gay Fables before, which is CRAZYPANTS.

(SEE WHAT I DO? I TYPE IN ALL CAPS SOMETIMES!)

Okay, but why the three stars? Why again must these books have so much promise and so much joy to only be ripped away? Continue reading “Fairest (Vol 2): The Hidden Kingdom Graphic Novel Review”

Fables Vol 18 Cubs in Toyland Graphic Novel Review

Fables Vol 18 Cubs in ToylandErica gives this comic three starsFables Vol 18 Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Gene Ha, Andrew Pepoy, and Dan Green

I have big mixed feelings about this volume. Willingham seems to be greatly enjoying having his own characters — the seven cubs of Bigby and Snow — to do as he wishes with them. I wonder if he’s felt that the rule he created early on, about characters being given immortality and inability to be killed based on fairy tale popularity, has greatly limited what he can do when it comes to audience pain. You know, he’s no Joss Whedon.

Leigh and her sidestory just seemed to be an overall distraction. I’m not sure where Willingham is going with it, and I’m not entirely sure he currently knows. As much as I’m sure whatever revenge Leigh has planned will be insidious, she’s just not as scary as Dark Man.

I must admit that until this story, the Cubs had largely run together for me. I mean, sure Ghost stands out. But the rest of them were kind of blur as Snow and Bigby’s children.

In a way, both Therese and Darien are punished for their pretty typical childish ways. Continue reading “Fables Vol 18 Cubs in Toyland Graphic Novel Review”