Fantasy, humor, politics and crime drama collide in this mature but quirky title every month, and it's helped other readers discover what some Vertigo fans have known for a few years: that Bill Willingham is an inventive, entertaining writer with a penchant for unusual but accessible storytelling. The writer's distortion of innocent stories from our youth -- stemming perhaps from an acknowledgement of fables' and fairy tales' earlier, bloodier incarnations -- has justifiably made for one of the most lauded new books of 2002.
Over Goldilocks's objections, the rebelling fables imprison Snow White and instruct her to assist Weyland Smith in his forced fabrication of weapons that the animal fables can use against their city-dwelling brethren and against those who have occupied their mystical homeland. Snow comes up with a plan to put an end to the revolt, but the tricky part is the first step: she and Smith must get free of their shackles. Meanwhile, Little Boy Blue, Prince Charming, Bluebeard and a flying monkey make their way to the Farm to rescue Snow and Red.
On the surface, Buckingham and Leialoha's art on this issue is rather ordinary, even though it tells the story clearly. But upon closer examination, it's remarkable to see the wide variety of weirdness that they bring to life. Pigs moving like people, a flying monkey eating fries, armed roosters and bunnies... they make it all work, weaving it all seamlessly into the visuals as though these were run-of-the-mill sights. They don't spotlight the oddities to the point that they eclipse the key characters and action.
I loved the opening story arc of this title, but at its conclusion, there was an all-is-forgiven-back-to-the-status-quo quality to the plot's resolution. In "Animal Farm," we've seen some real change, and never moreso than in this issue. There are real consequences to the animal fables' uprising, and it permanently affects treasured characters from favorite childhood storybooks.
That unpredictability makes for some great reading, but what really draws me to Fables is an odd sense of fun. Despite the adult language and more gruesome story developments, there's still an odd but enticing innocence to the book. By combining that with politics, humor and pettiness, Willingham has struck upon a premise that will be of interest to even those who don't normally read comics.
