Fairest #1 – Review

By: Bill Willingham (writer), Phil Jiminez (penciller), Andy Lanning (inker), Andrew Dalhouse (colorist)

The Story: Hustlin’ ain’t an easy biz, even for the Prince of Thieves.

The Review: I’ve said this at least once, that Fables just has so much going on at any one time, with so many different characters in all manner of places, that it just doesn’t seem like one title can contain them all.  This series is no stranger to spin-offs, what with Jack of Fables being a successful ongoing in its own right, as well as the highly popular Cinderella minis.  A showcase title of all the non-principal Fables, however, has been long past due.

Now, taking Fairest on its face—judging by its cover, if you will—it’d be a stretch to predict whether this series will serve as that showcase.  Not that there’s anything wrong with a title of featuring all the lovely ladies (and gentlemen) from the Fables canon; as a lover of the original Kingdom Hearts, I can’t help feeling fascinated with the idea of seeing all these good-looking people, stars in their original incarnations, learn to live in peace and humility with each other.

Over time, it seems most of the Fable princesses and princes have grown enough to shrug off the cloak of their nobility.  A good thing, too; if Ali Baba, who bears only an ironic form of princeship, is any indication, the pride and self-concern of these people in their raw personalities would have been unbearable as a group.  Actually, even one on his own might not be the most tolerable person to hang around with, either.  Ali may redeem himself in part by his chops for swordsmanship and sneaking around, but such outright greed isn’t exactly a compelling quality for a protagonist—especially nowadays, when money is such a touchy issue in real life.

Another reason why this issue doesn’t quite capture your heart is the storytelling here is more straightforward than nearly everything Willingham’s ever done on Fables.  In fact, you can’t help noticing it evokes an almost Shrekish tone, mixed with a bit of Princess Bride, from its emphasis on pure action-adventure with plenty of hit-or-miss comedy thrown in.  By now, the fantasy spoof is a genre all its own, so you won’t be blown away seeing yet another series with fairy tale characters anachronistically making smart remarks using modern-day American lingo (Jonah the bottle imp: “If magic were moolah, a genie would be Bill Gates, or George Soros, where I’d be just some poor wage-slave two months behind on the car payment.”).

WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Orc Stain #7 – It’s been a long time coming, but Orc Stain is such a special comic due to the art and design capabilities of James Stokoe.  It’s hard to even describe the detail that the guy puts into his art.  Just go Google Image search “stokoe orc stain“.  I know that we all want comics to “come out on time” but with art like Stokoe produces, it’s easy to understand why it might take awhile.  And the story is so simple, that you won’t get lost waiting for the next issue.

Most Anticipated:  Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #9 – This is the finale of a series that has taken almost 2 years to come out.  Remember, it began just after Siege!  But, all along it has featured glorious art from Jim Cheung and a catchy story as the Young Avengers go in search of the Scarlet Witch.  Then all of a sudden, shit got real around issue #6 as Scarlet Witch was located and she started giving mutants their powers back.  Who knows, this issue could be a big wet fart.  Or it could feature something that plays heavily into Marvel continuity, like reversing M-Day. Even if you haven’t read the series so far, you should check this one out just to see if something cool happens.

Other Picks: Fairest #1, Sweet Tooth #31, Manhattan Projects #1, Amazing Spider-Man #681, Rachel Rising #6

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Spaceman #4 – Honestly, not a lot happened plot-wise in this book….and yet I didn’t really care.  Azzarello and Risso have created a fully realized world that is a joy to inhabit for 20 pages.  Really, it’s a rare case where the trip, the world, comes first to the plot, leading itself to a unique vision and experience.  This is a really fantastic book that science fiction fans should be sure to pick up in some format.

Most Anticipated: The Manhattan Projects #1 – Jonathan Hickman – creator-owned.  There’s not much more that you need to know.  It’s another big concept with lots of revisionist history, a bizarre melding of Hickman’s brand of science fiction with WWII historical fiction.  If Hickman’s creator-owned work is known for something, it’s blowing your mind.  I’m looking forward to an engrossing, challenging read.

Other Picks: Action Comics #7, Swamp Thing #7, Animal Man #7, Fatale #3, Venom #14, Winter Soldier #3, Wolverine #302