Fables

• Title: Fairest #4
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bill Willingham
• Artist: Phil Jimenez

Fairest‘s opening tale of Ali Baba, Briar Rose, and the Snow Queen continues with Jonah Panghammer continuing his tale of Briar Rose’s birth and cluing the Snow Queen in on a couple of facts she may have overlooked.

There’s an interesting moment, as the imp is regaling the Snow Queen with the tale of Ali Baba, where writer Bill Willingham suggests why Ali Baba is the world’s greatest thief when he could have simply stayed a hero. Inserting an idea, like the Laws of Consensus Reality, seamlessly into the main story is what Fables is known for, as well as throwing you a curve just when you think you’ve got the story figured out. And we get both here.

Although we’ll have to wait a month until next month’s conclusion, all the groundwork has been laid, including the suggestion of with whom our hero will find true happiness. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

• Title: Fairest #3
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bill Willingham
• Artist: Phil Jimenez

Finding themselves captured by the Snow Queen, Jonah Panghammer regales the the unlikely group with the story of Briar Rose‘s birth and magical blessings bestowed upon the princess. Slighted, and at the most opportune hour, the Snow Queen also bestows her own curse on the newborn child.

This series is becoming an awful lot of fun and the third issue shows us the complexity and deviousness of Panghammer who has used the situation involving the Snow Queen to his own advantage. We’re going to have to wait until the next issue to find out what the imp really has in mind, but writer Bill Willingham has certainly crafted and intriguing new character in the Fables universe.

There are a couple of small, but fun, touches as we learn magical blessings can have quite literal translations in the real world (and the reason why Briar Rose never sang for her 60’s girl band). With strong art by Phil Jimenez and another cool cover by Adam Hughes, this tale of Sleeping Beauty is definitely worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

• Title: Fairest #2
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bill Willingham
• Artist: Phil Jimenez

After awaking Sleeping Beauty with true love’s kiss (without the love part) the thief and princess (along with their impish friend Jonah Panghammer) find themselves on the run from the reawakened Snow Queen. As Briar Rose and Ali Baba find themselves fleeing into the cold wilderness before the Snow Queen tires of torturing the goblins who held her sleeping body captive and turns her righteous anger their way.

After being captured by Ice Giants and thrown into a sack to be taken back to the Snow Queen the unlikely threesome pass the time as Panghammer tells them the story of the Snow Queen. Well, that is until they find themselves dumped unceremoniously at her feet wanting to hear the end of the tale.

Issue #2 continues to impress, and start to give us a little more insight into Briar and the Snow Queen, but it looks like we’ll have to wait at least one more issue of this opening six-issue arc before we get any real answers. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

• Title: Fairest #1
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bill Willingham
• Artist: Phil Jimenez

The new series from writer Bill Willingham, artist Phil Jimenez, and with covers by Adam Hughes, explores the secret histories of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, the Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red and others. The first issue centers around Ali Baba and a bottle imp named Jonah Panghammer (think genie, without the wishes).

We see the meeting of Ali Baba and his over-talkative imaginary friend and then quite a bit of running as the thief tries not to be mauled to death by a monster while his new friend prattles on about himself. Once safe, the imp tells him of a way for the thief to find the riches he so deserves. His new master jumps at the chance, even if that means sneaking through a goblin camp to kiss a sleeping princess and win himself a kingdom.

Fans of the Fables series should enjoy themselves here. The writing is quick-witted and Jimenez’s art looks terrific. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]