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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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Fairest Vol 1: Wide Awake Graphic Novel Review

Fairest Vol 1: Wide AwakeErica gives this comic three starsFairest Vol 1: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges
Art: Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning, Steve Sadowski, Mark Farmer, Andrew Pepoy, and Shawn McManus

I was super excited for Fairest. I’d really hoped for some great stories focused on the women of Fables, telling who they are and giving them great agency. However, I found myself somewhat disappointed by this book. Lots of mixed feelings here. As much as I’m happy to have Briar Rose and the Snow Queen back in circulation, it could’ve been better.

My biggest gripe with Briar Rose and the Snow Queen’s literal revival was that they told it through the eyes of Ali Baba. A man became the center of the first volume of Fairest. And to make it worst, the main conflict between the two women becomes Ali Baba’s love. Or at least some competition around it.

Jonah Panghammer wasn’t quite as amusing as Willingham thought he was, despite the funny Firefly moment. Though it was a nice irony for Ali. And for what readers were probably expecting by Jonah’s addition to the tales. Continue reading “Fairest Vol 1: Wide Awake Graphic Novel Review”

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Fables (vol 17): Inherit the Wind Graphic Novel Review

Fables (vol 17): Inherit the WindErica Gives This Comic Four StarsFables (vol 17): Inherit the Wind by Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Shawn McManus, Andrew Pepoy, Dan Green, Rick Leonardi, Ron Randall, P. Craig Russell, Zander Cannon, Jim Fern, Ramon Bachs, and Adam Hughs

Oh, Snow, Bigby, and the Cubs, they continue to have some good adventures. I’ve been curious about what Willingham was going to do with all these characters as certainly showing them running around the farm or doing things like going to school wouldn’t exactly be super interesting. Or really wouldn’t be what the Fables comic books are based on interest-wise.

Not surprising to find the North Wind has pissed off the other winds by dominating them. I love Bigby reminding everyone about tossing down with his father and winning. Zephyrus, Yaponcha, and Fei Lian were probably completely justified in wanting some kind of revenge; they just shouldn’t underestimate the combined fury of Snow and Bigby.

I adore that Winter’s challenge was to find Bellflower and Dunster. I’m glad that they’re not going to be out of this book. Winter’s kind of adorable. Of course, the children also have the horrible prophecy abut them. But it does make them have something epic to do.

The Wizard of Oz and the rest of the books must have just come into public domain. Continue reading “Fables (vol 17): Inherit the Wind Graphic Novel Review”

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Fables Vol 15: Rose Red Graphic Novel Review

Fables Vol 15: Rose RedErica gives this comic two stars

Fables Vol 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Inaki Miranda, Andrew Pepoy, Dan Green, Chrissie Zullo, Dave Johnson, Kate McElroy, J.H. Williams III, Joao Ruas, and Adam Hughes

The Story of Frau Totenkinder

I’ve been reading Fables now for a very long time. Fables is not without it’s problems (see the Arabian Fables, see Willingham’s often too transparent politics, see the time I told Willingham how Snow White’s my favorite and he was genuinely shocked). But Fables is a world that has sucked me in. It’s created characters that I love; women characters who’d I’d toss up on that “strong women” characters list from Snow White, Rose Red, and Cinderella to Ozma, Baba Yaga, and the Snow Queen. I cheered the Blue Fairy on in her vendetta against Geppetto as much as I loved to hate Goldilocks. And a character I loved almost as much as Snow White has been Frau Totenkinder, aka Bellflower.

One of the best things about Frau Totenkinder in the entire Fables series has been that she’s an old witch whom everyone is a little frightened of. Even if she’s on their side. Totenkinder is always hiding some knowledge up her sleeve and leading the magical Fables to pull out tricks just when they need them. In the last trade paperback volume, Frau Totenkinder went from being a crone witch to a young witch again, going by her original name Bellflower. There was a smallish outcry against her reverting from crone to mother/maiden in years. In media in general, there’s a distinct lack of older female characters, and with all her power, Totenkinder was powerhouse against both sexism and ageism. Of course, Totenkinder’s story as told in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall points out that Totenkinder chose to let herself age.

Totenkinder’s de-aging back into Bellflower didn’t bother me until this volume, until Ozma Continue reading “Fables Vol 15: Rose Red Graphic Novel Review”