Compared to other recent issues of the series, this episode doesn't seem nearly as focused, and it certainly lacks the same level of intrigue or action as we've come to expect as of late. But despite the shift in tone, Willingham's efforts this month remain as strong as ever. He addresses a couple of outstanding plot threads, and it not only advances the main plot of the Adversary/Fabletown conflict but offers the writer opportunities to explore a couple of the characters. The main focus here is on Gepetto, AKA the Adversary, but what I find interesting is that he really doesn't seem all that villainous. He is, after all, the hero of his own story, and I found the balanced approach to the characterization to be engaging and refreshing.
Gepetto calls for a meeting of the leaders of the Homelands so he can get their views and advice on how to deal with the rebellious and dangerous denizens of Fabletown in the mundy world once and for all. Pinocchio, who lived in Fabletown for so long, feels torn between his connection with his father and his friendship with those he left behind in the "real" world. Speaking of which, Red Riding Hood ventures out into Manhattan for the first time in search of a haircut and finds so much more instead. Meanwhile, we meet Rapunzel for the first time and learn how her fabled curse limits his life in the mundy world.
Despite the cartoony, exaggerated appearance of Buckingham and Leialoha's collaboration on the main story, they still manage to convey the dire, dark and dangerous tone of the meetings in the Homelands. The designs for the new Homelands leaders -- such as the Snow Queen and the Nome King -- are simple but striking, and they bring an air of menace that is appropriately lacking in the understated Gepetto portrayal. The tone of the art in the main story also makes for a sharp and interesting contrast with the more realistic, highly detailed work Gene Ha offers up in the Rapunzel backup tale. Ha's work is impressive, mainly due to how subtly (yet clearly) he conveys Rapunzel's sorrow.
The scenes in the Homelands really worked for me, and that's for a number of reasons. First of all, Willingham ensures that the dialogue never gets too lofty. The exchanges between Gepetto and Pinocchio are down to earth, quite colloquial in tone. That makes for an important balance with the purple prose issued by the other attendees at the strategy meeting. Furthermore, the script teams with the art nicely to show that Gepetto feels genuinely hurt over the destruction of his magical grove and his vulnerability. There's a greater degree of sadness to his behavior than anger, really. Gepetto doesn't behave like a villain because he doesn't see himself in that light. He feels justified in his actions, and I appreciated the even-handed approach to his character here.
The gravity of the Homelands conference is offset nicely by Red Riding Hood's discovery of some simple pleasures of the real world. But more importantly, I was touched by the strong connection but slow pace of the developing relationship between Hood and Flycatcher. The two are so timid yet in different ways that they complement each other nicely. The relationship is deliciously innocent in tone, and that contrasts well with the darker and more cynical elements in the book. 9/10
