The first arc of Fables comes to a close in fine fashion, reinforcing the elements of the story that I've enjoyed, providing a nice overview of the mystery and its solution and ending on a delightfully charming note (even if Snow White doesn't necessarily think so.) Lan Medina and Steve Leialoha give the final chapter the same detailed and expressive look that the rest of the arc has had as well, and help to tell Bigby's story visually so that readers can get a sense of the mystery unfolding. A blend of fantasy characters with a crime plot and plenty of character drama has made Fables a solid hit from Vertigo.
I have to say that it's difficult to talk about this issue without giving away the mystery, but I'm going to try because the surprises and the clues are too good to blow in a review. I will say that one of my complaints has occasionally been that Willingham was giving us a mystery without many clues, such that the reader couldn't really figure it out, but that turns out to be a bad assumption on my part. As Bigby rattles off the clues that let him solve the mystery, it becomes clear that the tools are there to figure out what happened all along. If you haven't read the issue yet, go back and reread all five and see if you can put it together. Willingham played more than fair with his readers in this sense.
The plot is fairly intricate, though. Willingham's work has always shown a warts-and-all understanding of human nature, and just because some of these characters aren't human doesn't mean they don't share that nature. The complexities of schemers, ruthless men, slightly dim party types and various other complex personalities served to make the plot complex, but completely believable. A variety of circumstances combined to make the mystery possible, and Bigby Wolf comes off looking very smart by solving it so easily. Willingham also humanizes Wolf, though, with a last page revelation that made me smile and reminded me that he has a soft spot underneath his gruff exterior.
Lan Medina's artwork really caught my eye in the first issue of Fables, and though I'm looking forward to Mark Buckingham's work, I'm sad to see Medina go. His work (with Leialoha, who deserves a fair amount of credit as well) on the characters gave them each a distinctive look that reminded us of the fable aspect of their nature, whether it's Wolf's somewhat unshaven look, Snow White's almost pristine and professional appearance, the darkness of Bluebeard's features or other giveaway features. And he managed the difficult task of conveying the grounded reality of New York with the magical nature of a Fables community right underneath humanity's nose.
Coming in to Fables, my expectations were high, and Willingham and company delivered what has become a success not just in my eyes but in the buzzing comics community. With the first arc complete, it's now time for a trade of the first arc and a jumping-on point in a second arc, and if you haven't been reading the book up until now, keep an eye out for #6 next month... Fables is well worth your time and money.
