Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Vertigo (2009), Edition: Deluxe, Hardcover, 264 pages
Description
"Imagine that all the characters from the world's most beloved storybooks were real -- real, and living among us, with all their powers intact. How would they cope with life in our mundane, un-magical reality?"--Cover, p. [4].
User reviews
LibraryThing member AgneJakubauskaite
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
“FABLES: The Deluxe Edition, Book One” by Bill Willingham is a collection of ten first issues of “Fables” comic book series. In this award-winning series, famous and infamous characters from numerous fairy tales are banished to the modern day world. The humanlike Fables
The first five chapters comprise “Legends in Exile,” a typical whodunit in which detective Bigby Wolf, aka Big Bad Wolf, is investigating the apparent murder of Snow White’s sister Rose Red. The latter five chapters belong to “Animal Farm,” a story starring nonhuman Fables which start a revolution to throw off the exclusively human government of Fabletown and to organize an invasion of The Homelands occupied by The Adversary.
MY THOUGHTS:
Before reading “Fables,” I knew nothing about this comic book series except that it features fairy tale characters living in the modern day world. Naively, I hoped that “Fables” would resemble my beloved TV show “Once Upon A Time,” which is based on the same concept. Needless to say, I was highly disappointed. Although both series twist traditional tales in unique and ridiculously creative ways, the similarities end right here. While the characters in “Once Upon A Time” still posses the qualities - kindness, honor, and unconditional love - for which we love them so dearly, personages in “Fables” are adulterated with earthly vice. I might be among the minority, but I hate to think about Snow White as a mean, bossy, foul-mouthed bitch, and Prince Charming as a manipulative and narcissistic man-whore. Oh, and forget about their everlasting love: they got DIVORCED! I guess I am not a fan of the overhumanized fairy tale characters, the key selling point of “Fables,” which boldly suggests that HAPPILY EVER AFTER DOES NOT EXIST.
The main concept aside, I still wasn’t impressed by “Fables.” The first story is whodunit, but not the best of a kind. Although it is entertaining, well-thought-out and full of hilarious lines and smart references, I found it a little bit too obvious and just not captivating enough. The second story was quite different, but the style didn’t change: still not gripping enough, still lacking a bigger message…
The only thing I genuinely liked about this book was the illustrations. They are so detailed that it blows my mind just imagining how much time and effort (and talent!) each panel took.
VERDICT:
The main concept of the overhumanized fairy tale characters did not sit well with me, the storyline did not impress me… Apparently, “Fables” wasn’t my cup of tea. Well, at least I enjoyed the artwork :)
“FABLES: The Deluxe Edition, Book One” by Bill Willingham is a collection of ten first issues of “Fables” comic book series. In this award-winning series, famous and infamous characters from numerous fairy tales are banished to the modern day world. The humanlike Fables
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live in the NYC-based secret community called Fabletown, while the nonhuman characters are hiding in the private upstate New York Farm.The first five chapters comprise “Legends in Exile,” a typical whodunit in which detective Bigby Wolf, aka Big Bad Wolf, is investigating the apparent murder of Snow White’s sister Rose Red. The latter five chapters belong to “Animal Farm,” a story starring nonhuman Fables which start a revolution to throw off the exclusively human government of Fabletown and to organize an invasion of The Homelands occupied by The Adversary.
MY THOUGHTS:
Before reading “Fables,” I knew nothing about this comic book series except that it features fairy tale characters living in the modern day world. Naively, I hoped that “Fables” would resemble my beloved TV show “Once Upon A Time,” which is based on the same concept. Needless to say, I was highly disappointed. Although both series twist traditional tales in unique and ridiculously creative ways, the similarities end right here. While the characters in “Once Upon A Time” still posses the qualities - kindness, honor, and unconditional love - for which we love them so dearly, personages in “Fables” are adulterated with earthly vice. I might be among the minority, but I hate to think about Snow White as a mean, bossy, foul-mouthed bitch, and Prince Charming as a manipulative and narcissistic man-whore. Oh, and forget about their everlasting love: they got DIVORCED! I guess I am not a fan of the overhumanized fairy tale characters, the key selling point of “Fables,” which boldly suggests that HAPPILY EVER AFTER DOES NOT EXIST.
The main concept aside, I still wasn’t impressed by “Fables.” The first story is whodunit, but not the best of a kind. Although it is entertaining, well-thought-out and full of hilarious lines and smart references, I found it a little bit too obvious and just not captivating enough. The second story was quite different, but the style didn’t change: still not gripping enough, still lacking a bigger message…
The only thing I genuinely liked about this book was the illustrations. They are so detailed that it blows my mind just imagining how much time and effort (and talent!) each panel took.
VERDICT:
The main concept of the overhumanized fairy tale characters did not sit well with me, the storyline did not impress me… Apparently, “Fables” wasn’t my cup of tea. Well, at least I enjoyed the artwork :)
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LibraryThing member jmc_cndk8
I really am starting to love comic books especially this one. 'Fables' juxposes our beloved children's stories into the mature and adult world of non-magical New York City. The mystical characters like Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf, and Blue Beard are refugees escaping the land of Fables after it
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has been conquered by the "the Adversary." Book One Deluxe Edition features the first two story arcs of the series: the first one dealing with the murder of Rose Red Snow's sister and the second is about the rebellion led by Goldilocks at the upstate 'Farm' for non-humanoid Fables. 4/5 stars Show Less
LibraryThing member AHS-Wolfy
This hardback edition gathers the first two books of the Fables series, Legends in Exile and Animal Farm. Each of those is split into five comics so it mad sense to me to pick up this edition as I was pretty sure it was going to be something I'd enjoy. I've only previously read a couple of graphic
As Bill Willingham tells us in the introduction, Fables are taken from the myths, legends and fairy stories we all heard when we were kids or have told to our own children. But here they've been given an adult twist. Forced to flee their homelands they now live in New York and have to make ends meet just like the rest of us.
The first story, Legends in Exile, has Bigby Wolf, the sheriff of the Fables living in the New York community, investigating the disappearance and possible death of Rose Red. Snow White invites herself along on the investigation as she wants to know what's happened to her sister. Throw in Bluebeard, Prince Charming and Jack as the major suspects, not to mention Snow herself, and you have an almost classic noir tale. Can Bigby follow the evidence trail and get the right answer at the parlour scene?
As you may expect from the title of the second story we have a pastiche of George Orwell's Animal Farm. The none human types have been closeted away at the farm and some of them are beginning to get a bit restless. Can a revolution succeed when it's led by the three pigs and Goldilocks?
A beautifully glossy hardbound book with glorious illustrations and sensible panels and the occasional full page and two page drawings are a real treat to the eyes. These editions are being released once each year, the second volume due in November and I can't wait. I may have to beg, borrow or steal the rest of the series while the deluxe editions are being released.
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novels but it seems I'm destined for a few more in the future.As Bill Willingham tells us in the introduction, Fables are taken from the myths, legends and fairy stories we all heard when we were kids or have told to our own children. But here they've been given an adult twist. Forced to flee their homelands they now live in New York and have to make ends meet just like the rest of us.
The first story, Legends in Exile, has Bigby Wolf, the sheriff of the Fables living in the New York community, investigating the disappearance and possible death of Rose Red. Snow White invites herself along on the investigation as she wants to know what's happened to her sister. Throw in Bluebeard, Prince Charming and Jack as the major suspects, not to mention Snow herself, and you have an almost classic noir tale. Can Bigby follow the evidence trail and get the right answer at the parlour scene?
As you may expect from the title of the second story we have a pastiche of George Orwell's Animal Farm. The none human types have been closeted away at the farm and some of them are beginning to get a bit restless. Can a revolution succeed when it's led by the three pigs and Goldilocks?
A beautifully glossy hardbound book with glorious illustrations and sensible panels and the occasional full page and two page drawings are a real treat to the eyes. These editions are being released once each year, the second volume due in November and I can't wait. I may have to beg, borrow or steal the rest of the series while the deluxe editions are being released.
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LibraryThing member mamzel
Most of the characters from our favorite fairy tales and nursery rhymes come together with more characters from familiar stories like the Jungle Book and Animal Farm. The more human characters live under cover in New York City as a community they call Fabletown. The other characters live in an
This volume of stories includes five chapters in each of two stories, 10 editions in one. The art is outstanding as the scenes are layered and detailed. A stellar example of the genre.
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upstate farm called The Farm. Snow White is the mayor of Fabletown and asks help from chain-smoking PI, Bibby Wolf, when it appears her sister, Rose Red, was killed. This volume of stories includes five chapters in each of two stories, 10 editions in one. The art is outstanding as the scenes are layered and detailed. A stellar example of the genre.
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LibraryThing member ninjoblio
Uh, pretty good. I enjoyed this a bit and though it creative. I don't know that it floored me though. After having recently read Blankets by Craig Thompson (or even Bone by Jeff Smith) the bar may have been set unreasonably high for me for graphic novels/comics.
The setting is pretty interesting
The setting is pretty interesting
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but I can see it wearing thin over time. We'll see. Still, I'll more likely than not continue to read these through to their end. Show Less
LibraryThing member literaryvalerie
This book has a lot of hype and gets rave reviews. Since I love fairy tales and fables I thought I would check it out.
I like the idea of the story but was completely turned off by the sexuality. It's just not my cup of tea (especially Goldilocks and her relationship with Baby bear). It made me
The artwork is incredible and the idea is creative. It was just too "adult" for my tastes. However, despite that I can see what the fuss was about.
I like the idea of the story but was completely turned off by the sexuality. It's just not my cup of tea (especially Goldilocks and her relationship with Baby bear). It made me
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quit reading it halfway through. The artwork is incredible and the idea is creative. It was just too "adult" for my tastes. However, despite that I can see what the fuss was about.
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LibraryThing member krizia_lazaro
Review of Animal Farm: It was really exciting and interesting. The book was hard to put down. It was much better than the first volume. The illustrations was still great. However, it really kept me hanging. I just want to read the next one as soon as possible!
LibraryThing member devilwrites
The premise: ganked from BN.com: When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile.
Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created
This Deluxe Edition collects the first two trade paperbacks of the series, issues 1-10, and Bill Willingham's prose story from Vol. 1, as well as character sketches.
My Rating: Good Read
The first deluxe edition grabbed my squirming attention and held it firmly. I can see how easy it is going to be for me to tear through these graphic novels, and unfortunately, book five doesn't come out until the middle of the year (which technically isn't THAT far away, but still)! I loved the noir and gritty feel of the stories, and how Willingham isn't afraid to introduce dark, disturbing story elements. And isn't that what fairy tales are supposed to be about? Not the shiny, happy Disney-fied versions (as much as I loved those), but the ones told to scare the living shit out of kids in order to make them behave? Willingham is modernizing those tales for the modern reader, and it works rather well. Oh, we aren't getting any moralizing really, and there are definitely some fun, humorous moments. But there are surprising, unexpected, and dark moments as well, and I'm definitely invested in the series and can't wait to start reading book two. Fans of fairytales, especially modern retellings, should definitely get their hands on this, but fair warning: if you think it's all a little too familiar, ask yourself if you're watching Once Upon a Time or Grimm, and if so, then check your scorn at the door: Willingham has been writing Fables since 2002, and while I can't say whether or not either show is a knock-off of Willingham's work (I don't watch either), I can say that regardless, Willingham's work is more than worth checking out.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. I want to talk more about the world-building, the characters, and the comparisons that've inevitably been made to the freshman television shows Once Upon a Time and Grimm. The full review can be found at my blog, which is linked below, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.
REVIEW: Bill Willingham's FABLES: DELUXE COLLECTION: BOOK ONE
Happy Reading!
Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created
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their own secret society-within an exclusive luxury apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side-called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Bigby, Fabletown's sheriff, and a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the culprit is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.This Deluxe Edition collects the first two trade paperbacks of the series, issues 1-10, and Bill Willingham's prose story from Vol. 1, as well as character sketches.
My Rating: Good Read
The first deluxe edition grabbed my squirming attention and held it firmly. I can see how easy it is going to be for me to tear through these graphic novels, and unfortunately, book five doesn't come out until the middle of the year (which technically isn't THAT far away, but still)! I loved the noir and gritty feel of the stories, and how Willingham isn't afraid to introduce dark, disturbing story elements. And isn't that what fairy tales are supposed to be about? Not the shiny, happy Disney-fied versions (as much as I loved those), but the ones told to scare the living shit out of kids in order to make them behave? Willingham is modernizing those tales for the modern reader, and it works rather well. Oh, we aren't getting any moralizing really, and there are definitely some fun, humorous moments. But there are surprising, unexpected, and dark moments as well, and I'm definitely invested in the series and can't wait to start reading book two. Fans of fairytales, especially modern retellings, should definitely get their hands on this, but fair warning: if you think it's all a little too familiar, ask yourself if you're watching Once Upon a Time or Grimm, and if so, then check your scorn at the door: Willingham has been writing Fables since 2002, and while I can't say whether or not either show is a knock-off of Willingham's work (I don't watch either), I can say that regardless, Willingham's work is more than worth checking out.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. I want to talk more about the world-building, the characters, and the comparisons that've inevitably been made to the freshman television shows Once Upon a Time and Grimm. The full review can be found at my blog, which is linked below, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.
REVIEW: Bill Willingham's FABLES: DELUXE COLLECTION: BOOK ONE
Happy Reading!
Show Less
LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
Fables, The Deluxe Edition Book 1 (2009) by Bill Willingham, etc. This is a collection of the first series of tales from this Eisner Award winning series. The first is a murder mystery concerning who killed Rose Red and where is her body. The second is a take on Orwell’s Animal Farm. An uprising
If you didn’t know, the characters are the population of fairy tales. Their homelands were invaded by The Adversary a long time ago and many, but not all, of the fairy tale characters made it to refuge in our world. Now those who can pass as human live in New York, while the others at the farm.
That is the general idea of the series. Wllingham and company have come up with some cute, modern ideas for these characters, but they have also gave them human vices. If you like your heroes tarnished, well here they are. Of course it would be boring if Goldilocks was nothing but a sweet babe in the woods, Snow White didn’t know any curse words and the Prince stayed charming. Here they have been allowed to age in an ageless fashion as they lived through the centuries with us. These are not the same beings that lived “once up a time, they have become something more and for better or worse, here they are.
The dialog can be a bit clunky but the illustrations more than make up for it. This collection is a very nice introduction to the long running series and is well worth a look.
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on the upstate New York farm for non-human characters is happened upon by Snow White,If you didn’t know, the characters are the population of fairy tales. Their homelands were invaded by The Adversary a long time ago and many, but not all, of the fairy tale characters made it to refuge in our world. Now those who can pass as human live in New York, while the others at the farm.
That is the general idea of the series. Wllingham and company have come up with some cute, modern ideas for these characters, but they have also gave them human vices. If you like your heroes tarnished, well here they are. Of course it would be boring if Goldilocks was nothing but a sweet babe in the woods, Snow White didn’t know any curse words and the Prince stayed charming. Here they have been allowed to age in an ageless fashion as they lived through the centuries with us. These are not the same beings that lived “once up a time, they have become something more and for better or worse, here they are.
The dialog can be a bit clunky but the illustrations more than make up for it. This collection is a very nice introduction to the long running series and is well worth a look.
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LibraryThing member fionaanne
What a delightful romp! The artwork is lovely and the concept charming; solid plot and pacing with enough self-referential humour to satisfy my current fickle mood.
LibraryThing member lexilewords
Prelim Review: I remember how excited I was for this series back when it first premiered. It was during the waning time of my comic book obsession, when I was trying NOT to spend $70 a week, but I knew I had to read this. And I was rewarded with a series that to this day (117 issues and counting)
This Deluxe volume covers the First Arc (Rose Red's 'Murder') and the Second Arc (The Farm's revolution). I don't remember the Revolution so much--I may have skipped it actually since I don't like Rose Red that much, but in hindsight...it was disturbing, but rather revealing about later events.
This came out long before the fairy tale shows--Once Upon a Time and Grimm--and I think sets a good standard of what to look for. Willingham doesn't just give us the notables, he gives us all the fairy tale folks who people forgot. Gave them real world concerns (if somewhat skewed) and gave us a taste of what happens 'Ever After'.
Full review to be posted at Poisoned Rationality
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that I enjoy, love and very rarely dislike.This Deluxe volume covers the First Arc (Rose Red's 'Murder') and the Second Arc (The Farm's revolution). I don't remember the Revolution so much--I may have skipped it actually since I don't like Rose Red that much, but in hindsight...it was disturbing, but rather revealing about later events.
This came out long before the fairy tale shows--Once Upon a Time and Grimm--and I think sets a good standard of what to look for. Willingham doesn't just give us the notables, he gives us all the fairy tale folks who people forgot. Gave them real world concerns (if somewhat skewed) and gave us a taste of what happens 'Ever After'.
Full review to be posted at Poisoned Rationality
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Language
Original publication date
2009-10-06
Physical description
264 p.; 7.37 inches
ISBN
0044