Fables

• Title: Fairest #14
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bill Willingham
• Artist: Barry Kitson

Love’s the thing in this standalone tale as the newest available woman in Fabletown looks for love in all the wrong places. Told through the perspective of Reynard T. Fox, we see the trouble (the literally wooden) Princess Alder gets into when she tries to find a mate.

As a standalone issue Fairest #14 is fun, if mostly fluff. Over the course of the issue writer Bill Willingham illustrates why a relationship between a living tree (not matter her outward shape) and a human being (or even a fox) is doomed to failure. It also offers an important moral to be careful when trying to turn a friend into a lover for, as the issue points out, you may end up losing both.

I’ll admit, I didn’t find Alder, other than her outward appearance, all that interesting. Thankfully the issue itself has enough humor to get by (even if some of it is pretty lowbrow). I did, however, really like Reyanrd and hope we see more of him here, as well as the regular Fables title, in the near future. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

• Title: Fairest #13
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Lauren Beukes
• Artist: Inaki Miranda

“The Hidden Kingdom” concludes with Rapunzel in full control of her bezoars and a war brewing on the streets of Tokyo between two sets of Fables. Not only does Fairest #13 resolve the dispute between the two groups, it also allows Rapunzel to keep a promise to her old lover Tomoko and return her Foxfire (despite Tomko’s attempts to control and kill Rapunzel in this very arc).

We still don’t know what happened to Rapunzel’s actual children, although we do learn that Frau Totenkinder does indeed know their fate (but, despite what her daughter believes, may not actually be responsible for their kidnapping). And I’ll admit I would have liked to see Rapunzel stay with Tomoko rather than return to Fabletown with Joel Crow, but as the saying goes you can’t go home again.

I enjoyed Rapunzel’s story, and hope to see more of her in the future, but I’m glad to see this story arc wrapped up here and move on to something new. The tone of the last couple issues took a darker turn than I was expecting, and, although it works, I’m hoping for a little more wacky fun with Bill Willingham‘s return next issue. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

• Title: Fables #126
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bill Willingham
• Artist: Mark Buckingham

Although Bigby and Stinky‘s road trip to find the missing cubs continues, the majority of the latest issue of Fables centers on Snow White dealing with the completely unexpected return of Prince Brandish who takes over the castle and plans to kill Bigby, murder Bigby and Snow White’s children, and then finally make Snow his wife (as he believes is his right under the law).

This isn’t a great issue for the women of Fables. Although she finally shows a single moment of spunk, Snow White is basically nothing more here than your basic damsel in distress for the entire issue. And Brandish makes short work of Briar Rose whose attempts to stick up for her friend gets her bitch-slapped into unconsciousness by the chauvinist pig.

Fables #126 also includes a story centering around Beast, the Blue Fairy, and Geppeto that I found a little hard to follow. It obviously involves a contract between the Blue Fairy and Geppetto, but what the Beast’s role is (not to mention the complete absence of Beauty) was a little hard to follow. Hit-and-Miss.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

• Title: Fairest #12
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Lauren Beukes
• Artist: Inaki Miranda

As Rapunzel faces of against the army of bezoars she created years ago to survive at the bottom of the well and use to escape and kill Ryogan, as well as Mayumi who wants her head, Bigby and Frau Totenkinder make their way to Tokyo only to get caught in the middle of Tomoko’s yakuza gangsters and Katagiri’s sumo school.

Things are certainly moving forward here as Rapunzel not only survives her reunion with her bozoars of hate and her run-in with Mayumi, but she’s made stronger by facing the past.

With one issue left to the arc and Tokyo about to erupt in a gang war started by Rapunzel’s old lover Tomoko you have to expect Rapunzel isn’t about to simply take he bozoars and go home. As to what final actions Bigby and that Chesire Cat may have to play, I guess we’ll have to wait one more month to find out. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]