Fables #99 – Review

by Bill Willingham (writer), Inaki Miranda (art), Eva De La Cruz (colors), and Todd Klein (letters)

The Story: Mr. North confronts Mr. Dark and tells him of Totenkinder’s challenge to single combat as the Dark Man continues to build his domain.

What’s Good: I wasn’t particularly impressed by the Rose Red arc.  Overall, it meandered a bit and the result was that I wasn’t anywhere near as excited for Fables #100 as I should be.  All of that changed with this issue, which had me salivating for #100.  This comic should serve as a template for how to construct an effective build-up issue.

Much of this is because Willingham spends much of this issue showing, and not just telling, what is at stake.  We get a disturbing peek into Mister Dark’s transformed New York City, one that’s rife with irrational violence, cruelty, apathy, and, well, zombies.  It’s a dark and diseased place and instantly, next month’s climactic issue feels all the more important.  More than that though, Willingham hypes #100 by basically telling us exactly what that book is going to be about: an epic duel between Mister Dark and the suped-up Totenkinder.

Willingham relays this purely through a tense dialogue between North and Dark.  I love it when writers have immensely powerful entities just… talk.  It’s great to have scenes where characters who are essentially gods only imply their powers and merely converse, while showing a certain respect for one another.  It’s always an awesome dynamic and Willingham does it well.  More importantly, by merely talking about what will, or might, happen next month without actually giving us any action this month, Willingham ratchets up the tension and makes us want #100 all the more.

Fables #98 – Review

by Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (pencils), Steve Leialoha & Dan Green (inks), Lee Loughridge (colors), and Todd Klein (letters)

The Story: Rose Red takes control of the farm and does some restructuring while Bellflower/Totenkinder learns a secret about Mister Dark.

What’s Good: After months of lying bed, this is the first issue where Rose Red finally returns to her old self.  I hardly think that I’m the only person to have Rose Red as one of my favourite characters, so this issue should make the fans happy in that respect.  It genuinely feels good to see Rose Red back in action and even better see her, and the book, moving about again after having meandered with flashbacks for several issues.  There’s a sense of forward movement with this issue, both for the series and Rose herself, and it’s definitely welcome.

Rose’s return works well because of how quickly Willingham goes about it.  There are no moments of self-doubt and there’s no navel-gazing.  She grabs the reigns of the farm and slaps it back into order, with dissenters, the dryads in particular, being dealt with in short order.  I’m really happy that this consolidation wasn’t prolonged and it made the Farm, and Fables in general, feel suddenly more dynamic.

Better still are Rose’s changes to the power structure.  Her adopting the blue neckerchief and forming a privy council are both interesting, yet natural, developments that just feel right.  Furthermore, Rose ends up in a more politically powerful position than she’s ever been in.  After months of hiding, she’s now the most central of Fables characters.  All of this leads to promise for the future, as does the new information about Mister Dark.

Mark Buckingham’s art remains consistent, with Fables readers knowing exactly what to expect.  That said, his work on Rose’s facial expressions is particularly good, working to make her all the more lovable.

Fables #90 – Review

by Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (pencils), Steve Leialoha & Andrew Pepoy (inks), Lee Loughridge (colors), and Todd Klein (letters

The Story: Bufkin continues to wage his guerrilla war against Baba Yaga while back home, Ozma makes her move.

What’s Good: As has been the case with this entire arc, Bufkin’s portions are undoubtedly the strongest and most enjoyable of this issue.  The little guy versus big guy dynamic that has fuelled much of Fables’ appeal since its inception continues to be an infectious one.  What we get this month borders on slapstick, with Bufkin springing or working on a couple of traps.  This gives his scenes a really fun, “Home Alone” feel, as the unwitting Baba Yaga falls prey to Bufkin’s cunning.  Indeed, the spirit of last month’s awesome last scene is sustained and amplified as the flying monkey becomes an increasingly legitimate force while the innocence that has made him a fan favourite far is still maintained.

Bufkin is not the only source of comedy however, as King Cole also shows his lovable side.  His happy avarice and general love is all good fun and a self-aware bright spot in a storyline and status quo that has at times been pretty damned dark.  It’s nice to see something go right for the Fables for once.

Speaking of dark, it’s great to see that not only has Willingham not forgotten about Gepetto, but that the writer also seemingly has big plans in store for the character.  Though it’s only a page, this may be the most intriguing moment of the book.   It’s testament to Willingham’s abilities that a character who’s been all but forgotten for so many issues can still carry such magnetism and importance when he does show up.

Finally, while it was inevitable, the ending of this month’s issue is all kinds of awesome, featuring a familiar addition to the cast who is a certifiable badass.

Meanwhile, Mark Buckingham once again brings the artwork you’ve come to expect of him, both distinct and detailed.  Outside of one admittedly off headshot of Bigby, Buckingham remains incredibly consistent.  His Baba Yaga remains awesome as ever.

What’s Not So Good: The scenes involving Ozma’s attempts to wrest control of the 13^th floor felt overly long and somewhat overwritten.  It simply felt as though there were too many words spent on reaching a fairly basic and logical endpoint, with none of it feeling particularly interesting or shocking.  It’s a shame, as the rest of the book is really quite a lot of fun save for this extended dry spot.  While it’s good to see the other magicians get a few lines for once, it doesn’t change the fact that things were a bit drawn out.

Conclusion: A really solid issue of Fables that does little wrong, as it sticks to the formula that’s made the series a success.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

Fables #89 – Review

by Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (pencils), Steve Leialoha and Andrew Pepoy (inks), Lee Loughridge (colors), and Todd Klein (letters)

The Story: Bufkin the monkey starts on the path to becoming a hero.  Meanwhile, Totenkinder follows Mister Dark’s trail.

What’s Good: This is quite possibly the best issue of Fables that 2009 has seen thus far.  Regular readers of WCBR know that I’ve often been critical of Bill Willingham’s recent work, especially as it relates to the Great Fables Crossover.  The reason why I loved this issue so much is that it’s simply a case of Willingham going back to basics and returning Fables to its roots, as, well, a fable.

Fables has always been such a lovable series due to its narrative often focusing on the little guy taking on the big guy, becoming a hero, and realizing he’s not really so little after all.  Willingham has done it successfully with Boy Blue, Flycatcher, and perhaps the entire Fables community itself in its war with the Empire.  Now, in this issue, Willingham begins grinding the old gears once more, carving out perhaps his most unlikely hero yet in Bufkin the monkey.

It shows what a master Willingham is that even the most tertiary characters of the Fables world (Bufkin,  the head of Frankenstein’s creature, the mirror) are so fully developed.  On paper, the idea of Bufkin the monkey leading the entire Fables comic sounds ludicrous, and yet it works.  Bufkin is so engaging due to his being a bizarre mixture of innocence and seeming stupidity with cunning and intelligence.  He’s always been naturally likable and humourous, and so Willingham has crafted his greatest underdog yet.

Of course, the last page of the comic cannot go unmentioned.  Pitting a lovable underdog against massive opposition is one thing, but such power is evoked when little hints are made about that underdog’s true potential.  I challenge any Fables reader not to get goosebumps over the last line of this book, relating to Bufkin’s true power, which incidentally touches upon Willingham’s own belief in the power of reading and literature.

Though nothing hugely remarkable happened, I have to add that Totenkinder, now in her true form, has an indescribable magnetism and mystique about her.  Even with little going on, she eats up the pages she appears on.

Lastly, Buckingham is up to his usual standard here on art.  Having Baba Yaga and the giant blue Djinn running about truly allows Buckingham to let loose, resulting in some awesome images that only Buckingham, and Fables, can deliver.

What’s Not So Good: Very little, really.  I suppose the short scene with Mister Dark, Bigby, and Beast wasn’t particularly necessary.  All it does is remind us that Mister Dark is evil and powerful while providing an opportunity for Beast to shill the new Peter & Max novel.

Also, though it did allow him to display his cunning as well as the advantages inherent in his unassuming form, Bufkin’s confrontation with the djinn was really very abrupt.  I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t enjoyable, but the overall ease and brevity were a little disappointing.

Conclusion: This is Fables doing what it does best and doing what it’s supposed to do, and that’s a very, very good thing.

Grade: A –

-Alex Evans