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The
Pull-Box:
ShotgunReviews.com's Ongoing Comics Column
012.20.02
by Troy Brownfield and Jamie Tarquini
It's
That Time of Year . . .
Greetings,
readers! Troy here with a brief intro and a couple of last-minute
gift-giving recommendations. As we all know, this is the time
of year for heartwarming stories and legends. Instead of those,
we've got a review of the superlative Fables by Jamie
Tarquini. Fables, a truly remarkable work, is just
one of several items that I would immediately urge any comic
fan, or family of a comic fan, to buy. Last time in the column,
I also spoke highly of the two Animal Man trades. As
a sideline, you should also check out the Best of 2002 list
posted by Time magazine. Located here,
it's a really thought-provoking list. I highly agree with
the placement of Eightball; that one was just astounding.
And now, here's Jamie . . .
"No More Happily Ever After"
Fables: Legends in Exile
Vertigo/DC
Comics trade paperback review by Jamie Tarquini
Writer: Bill Willingham
Penciller: Lan Medina
Inkers: Steve Leialoha and Craig Hamilton
Colors: Sherilyn van Valkenburgh Letters: Todd Klein
Covers: James Jean & Alex Maleev (alternate cover to issue
one)
Rating:
More info: www.dcomics.com
More info on Bill Willingham: http://www.clockworkstorybook.com/current.asp
(Bill's current site) and soon http://www.billwillingham.com
(his future site).
Review by: Jamie Tarquini
Every
once in a while an idea comes along that is so refreshing
and unique that you wonder how it is that nobody has thought
of it before. Then, take a completely unconventional look
at the concept and you have what Bill Willingham has created:
Fables.
In Fables,
the story is centered around characters that are taken directly
from fairy tales, stories, and (of course) fables from our
past. For example, a few of the main characters are Snow White,
the Big Bad Wolf, Old King Cole, and Jack from "Jack and the
Beanstalk." What makes this comic different is that all of
our characters live in our world and time. They have been
driven out of their homeland and have set up a new home in
an area of New York City they have dubbed Fabletown.
Sounds
simple enough, right? I mean, if you were Prince Charming
wouldn't you think you'd have a good enough life in our world?
Well, this comic starts to differ from a happily ever after
kind of tale right from the start when Snow White's sister,
Rose Red, is missing and presumed dead after her boyfriend
finds her apartment covered in blood. And so the mystery begins.
From there
Willingham introduces us to a huge cast of characters, any
one of which could be the killer, each with their own quirks
and personalities that make immortals seem all too human.
We follow Bigby Wolf and Snow White through their investigation
of this 5-issue trade, and are invited to try and figure it
out by ourselves. Since I've read the book I can vouch that
all of the elements, clues, and hints that are necessary to
solve the case are given quite clearly. Before it's all over
we get the who, what, where, why and how of the crime spelled
out in an entertaining fashion.
As fun
as it is trying to solve a mystery and as talented an artist
that Lan Medina is, the pull of this book is the dialogue
of the characters. Willingham is an excellent writer with
a handful of comics under his belt to go along with the novels
he's written. A taste of his prose work (at the end of the
trade) is a bonus to this collection, which is a 4-page story
that adds depth to history of the Fables. Willingham is an
adult writer and doesn't pull any punches when trying to make
this a mature readers book. Fables is certainly not at a Preacher
level of violence, but is more comparable to a Marvel MAX
title for the adult situations and language that occurs. These
situations help to cement the fables as real people in our
world, and not fantasy creatures in some far-away land or
alternate Earth. And it is the realism of their actions and
words that make them so enjoyable and entertaining.
Helping
anchor these characters in a realistic world is the art, which
is wonderfully rendered by Medina, Leiahola, and Hamilton.
The ornate borders on flashback panels certainly break the
monotony of square panels, and not a detail was left out.
You get a healthy dose on this art teams ability by pages
six and seven in issue one where we get to see Snow White's
office. The covers by James Jean (that are reprinted at full
size) didn't do much for me, but I did like the wraparound
cover to the trade he did (pictured above) which was created
using different techniques.
By the
time you are done devouring this book you'll be begging for
more. Fables is currently up to issue #8 on the stands, so
you can hunt down the last few issues if you can't wait for
the next compilation. I strongly recommend this book to any
adult for either a new reading experience or as a gift. The
$9.95 price tag makes this book a steal, so you can't get
hurt trying it out. Give this book a shot, I guarantee you'll
thank me later.
Jamie Tarquini still believes in fairy tales. Visit his website
at http://www.pmpknface.com
or drop him an email at: pmpknface@hotmail.com
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