Willingham, Bill: Fables: Deluxe Edition: Book Two
Fables: Deluxe Collection: Book 2 (2010)
Written by: Bill Willingham
Illustrated by: Various
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 264 pages
Why I Read It: After reading Book One, I was delighted to get my hands on book two to start devouring it. The goal is to get through the currently published hardcovers so that I can justify starting the spin-off series Fairest and maybe even read Bill Willingham's novel Peter & Max. There's four deluxe hardcovers currently available, and at this rate, I'll probably be done with them no later than mid-may.
Please note: there are spoilers in the premise for book one.
The premise: ganked from BN.com: As Snow White slowly recovers from a bullet to the brain, she and Bigby spend a lot of time in each other's company. But when they announce that they'll be vacationing together, all of Fabletown is shocked...and not just because Snow White has never taken a holiday before. The twosome's sudden departure from New York City -- and the deadly peril they're about to fall into -- is surely no match for the ruthless enemy who's still lurking in the back woods. This volume also includes the special FABLES: THE LAST CASTLE, we learn of the great war that forced Bigby Wolf, Prince Charming and Bluebeard to leave their homeland in search of a safe haven. As the battle rages, we meet a mysterious woman in red, and learn why Snow White's deputy, Little Boy Blue, only plays the blues on his trumpet.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Actually, yay. There's a few plot points I want to review, and it'd be a real shame if you spoiled them for yourself. If you aren't caught up (this edition collects Fables #11-18, "The Last Castle," and includes a prose story entitled "A Wolf in the Fold"), I'd suggest skipping to "My Rating." Everyone else, feel free to read onward!
The Story: So volume jarred me just a bit, because in book one, we had two distinct story arcs. Here, we get some stand-alone issues and one major story arc, so that was a bit of an adjustment for me. Not a bad adjustment, just an adjustment. I think I prefer the longer arcs to the stand-alone issues, but I'm so early in the series it's hard to stick with that as a verdict. At any rate, I did appreciate how those stand-alone issues fleshed out the Fables' world and characters, and that's always a good thing.
So let's break it down:
Bag O'Bones: A fascinating tale, with some familiar elements to me (the bag in question and the way of cheating death). What's really funny is Willingham's note to the readers:
This story was freely adapted from a couple of the Mountain Jack Tales of American folklore. In true oral tradition, it's been much altered under my care, which is a polite way of saying that I stole everything I thought I could use, changed a bunch of stuff to suit my whims, and made up the rest.
When I reviewed book one, I talked a bit about the likelihood that ABC and NBC used their former rights to Fables to craft "original" shows without having to give credit where credit is due. So let's pause here and give respect where respect is due: irony, I salute you.
In all seriousness, I suspect this is why Willingham hasn't made a major, court-centric stink about Once Upon a Time and Grimm, and that's because these stories are as old as time, and everyone has a right to these characters. Sure, some things appeared to be borrowed more heavily than others, but when it comes down to it, you can't copyright ideas, and Willingham knows this as well as anyone.
So moving back to the story at hand: once I realized it was a stand-alone piece, I enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'm overly in love with Jack as a character, but it was nice to seem him fleshed out from the dumb boyfriend we saw back in "Legends in Exile." I've also learned that Jack has his own stand-alone series, which I suspect my husband will be getting should it's ever released in hardcover. So yes, if that happens, I'll be reading them. As for now, the end of this tale indicated more tales to come, a kind of continuation of what happened here, and I hope that's the case.
A Sharp Operation/Dirty Business: This two-issue story was actually kind of funny. A reporter has been investigating the Fables and has figured out their secret! They're all vampires! I nearly died laughing when I read it, and I loved the way Bigby resolved the issue and got Sharp to shut up about his story. Great work, though somewhat undone by the rather despicable Bluebeard. The tension between Bluebeard and Bigby was excellent, and I really liked the way it built and paved the way for events in the next arc.
Storybook Love: this four-issue arc was pretty epic. Here, Wellington resolved quite a few stories (Bluebeard, dead! Goldilocks, quite possibly and please, pretty please BE dead!) and introduced new ones (Charming vying to rule Fabletown! Snow is pregnant! Bigby is screwed!). I was quite enamored for Bigby's history as it was revealed, and I feel really, really bad for him. He didn't do anything wrong, though I wish he could've warned her sooner, because Snow was right: he would've smelled it when he woke from enchantment. I can't wait to see what's in store for these two characters. I feel for them, and hope things work out.
Barleycorn Brides: Another stand-alone story that was a little odd for me, simply because I kept wondering why the Lilliputians couldn't just bring their people into the Farm. And then I wondered why their people didn't find their way out like the soldiers did. Cute story, but kind of forgettable for me.
The Last Castle: This seemed to be a double-issue, and it was pretty epic. We get Blue's backstory, and it's a tragic one at that. Not only did he meet the love of his life (hello, Red Riding Hood!), but he lost her. Is it bad that I'm hoping she somehow survived and came over? At any rate, it was awesome to see all kinds of cameos in this piece, to witness the final battle and great escape. The last panel was rather touching, and that's where the book ended.
A Wolf in the Fold: Well, not quite. "A Wolf in the Fold" was a prose piece which detailed how Bigby, before he became Bigby, came to learn about the Adversary and how he rattled its troops. It's a tale of how he met Snow, how he got out of the fairylands, and how he became human. A cool story, one that makes me ship Snow and Bigby even harder, and also has me wondering who that particular stranger was who accompanied Snow. I'm sure it's not the last we'll see of him.
The Art: I've complained before that I don't care for Buckingham's art, and I dislike it more after this "Storybook Love" than I did before, with one exception: his rendering of Bigby as a wolf was epic, amazing, and breathtaking and I loved it. However, Bigby as a person? Featureless and all angles. Snow White? Kind of bland and dumpy. That reaction of mine also begs the question: she looks pretty darn normal, with rounded curves that aren't dressed to be flattering or sexy, but just a woman wearing normal clothes. So am I falling prey to judging the art for superficial reasons? I'm not sure, but I really don't like how Buckingham renders Snow's facial features, though one could make an argument that by making her look tired and washed out all the time, she looks more human. I don't know. I prefer Medina rendition of Snow White and Bigby.
As for the rest, there were quite a few different artists who contributed. The art in "Barleycorn Brides" was rather cutesy cartoony, but it worked for the tale being told. I'm still a fan of Medina's art for this series. We'll see if that changes much as the series progresses.
One note about the hardcover: as in book one, it features a "Treasures from the Woodlands" section, which provides readers with sketches relating to the issues at hand. One sketch that really grabbed me was Mark Buckingham's conceptual designs for an unproduced "Storybook Love" statue of Snow White and Bigby. Even though I don't really care for Buckingham's art, I loved the sketch and the look of the statue, and it pains me that it was never produced, because if had been, I would've jumped on eBay immediately to get one of my very own. How sad…. especially since the existing statues for Fables (that I can currently find on eBay, anyway), do absolutely nothing for me.
My Rating: Couldn't Put It Down
Again, I tried to read just one issue at a time, but I had a stretch where I didn't get to read it at all, so when I picked it up again, I tore through the issues, which was easy to do, because the stories were so captivating. I'm definitely invested in this series, and I look forward to reading book three, which is waiting for me on my nightstand. The main characters of Bigby and Snow I'm really pulling for, but Willingham is developing the world and characters in such a way that I don't mind if I'm reading about someone else. Everything fits together so well, and it's a lot of fun to read.
Cover Commentary: Another win for the cover art, and I love that they're keeping the same design continuity from hardcover to hardcover. A picky complaint is what I assume is the rendition of Snow on the cover. If that's her next to Bigby on the cover, she looks too young and too little-girly. I guess I'm just not going to be happy with the renditions of her, because it seems I'm uber picky in that regard. No matter: still loving the cover!
Next Up: This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel