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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

On the Coffee Table: Fables

Title: Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artist: Lan Medina
via Amazon
Fables is another popular comic book series which I tried a while back and it didn't take.  It is one of Mock's favorites and my college friend Zander Cannon has contributed artwork to the series so it was with a touch of regret that I didn't pursue the franchise further.  Goodreads recommended it, though, and I have to say that Goodreads has done pretty well by me recently so I decided to try again from the beginning.  Just as with Chew, I'm glad that I did.

For those unfamiliar with the story, fairy tale characters, led by Bigby (The Big Bad) Wolf and Snow White, inhabit a New York City subculture known as Fabletown.  They were driven out of their Homelands by The Adversary and are now doing their best to make a go of it in the mundane world.  Legends in Exile (issues #1-5) is a murder mystery.  Jack of beanstalk fame runs into Bigby's police detective office to report that his girlfriend, Red Rose, has gone missing, her apartment drenched in blood.

At first, I was resistant once again.  The setup felt a lot like Watchmen - a member of the team is killed, apparently by one of their own.  One sees this plot structure over and over again in comic books, everyone imitating the Alan Moore masterpiece.  But the story plays out differently, more along the lines of a classic mystery tale.  I guess I prefer my cliches on the older side.

I can't deny that I'm a sucker for the trappings.  Just as with The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I'm inspired to go back to the source material in order to better appreciate the characters.  Just as the narrative keeps me interested, I'm ever eager to see who from folklore will pop up next.  The comic book series is coming to an end soon.  #150 will be the final issue, set to publish in 2015.
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12 comments:

  1. Maurice MitchellJuly 16, 2014 at 10:18 AM

    A fun series I've never read. A few years ago they tried to make a series out of it, but it didn't take. Considering the popularity of "Grimm" and "Once Upon a Time" it could work.

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    1. The Armchair SquidJuly 16, 2014 at 10:38 AM

      Apparently ABC was keen on the idea before someone hatched Once Upon a Time. Worked out well for the network - similar idea using public domain characters, no need to pay anyone royalties.

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  2. Stephanie FarisJuly 16, 2014 at 10:19 AM

    Sounds pretty interesting! There's certainly a lot going on with that cover...

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    1. The Armchair SquidJuly 16, 2014 at 10:39 AM

      The artwork is a little on the busy side but not enough to detract from the story.

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  3. UnknownJuly 16, 2014 at 11:04 AM

    Sounds pretty interesting.
    The cover has a great design as well.

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    1. The Armchair SquidJuly 16, 2014 at 12:46 PM

      The cover of my edition is different: http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_large/0/9116/2347555-fable_new_edition_cover.jpg

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  4. Andrew LeonJuly 16, 2014 at 2:10 PM

    I have the first few issue of it, but it didn't grab me. Still, I'm glad I have them as they've gone up in value quite a bit.

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    1. The Armchair SquidJuly 16, 2014 at 4:17 PM

      Part of Mock's affection has to do with the fact that he has every issue - a series he's stuck with from Day One.

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  5. DMSJuly 16, 2014 at 2:54 PM

    I am a fan of comics and graphic novels. I also love fairy tales- so this set of comic books is something I will check out. Thanks for sharing! I love when I go back to something and like it better the second time- though that doesn't always happen. :)
    ~Jess

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    1. The Armchair SquidJuly 16, 2014 at 4:26 PM

      A fan of comics and graphic novels? We're gonna be good friends, Jess.

      There aren't a whole lot of stand-alone comics these days. Grab a single issue at random off the shelf and you're probably starting mid-story. With both Chew and Fables, I think I caught them mid-narrative the first time. Following from the beginning helps.

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  6. Tony LaplumeJuly 17, 2014 at 5:54 AM

    The first trade is terrible (or very close to it). I assume that like The Walking Dead it got better the more Willingham figured out how to approach it.

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    1. The Armchair SquidJuly 17, 2014 at 6:50 AM

      I'd say it's a lot better than terrible. I like it better than quite a lot of what I've seen from comics. But I'm encouraged to know it gets better.

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