With the "murder" of Rose Red resolved, this is the start of a new story arc for Fables, exploring the very interesting notion of the upstate Farm where all the non-human Fables have to stay. Willingham diverts from this story a couple of times to show us what's going on in the Fables community, but in general this is a story about two of the main characters taking a trip upstate and finding out that something very unusual is going on at the Farm. It feels slightly more serious in tone than the first arc, and doesn't grab me as much right off the bat, but it's still got Willingham's style and charm in spades, with Buckingham taking over from Medina and providing some very nice artwork indeed.
This story is at its best when it's focusing on the Farm, which is really a fairly small portion of this issue. The full-panel shot of the gathered Farm inhabitants will be a lot of fun for those who like hunting for Easter Eggs (I spotted Puss in Boots and the Three Blind Mice, but a lot of them were beyond me) as well as an instant visual shortcut that establishes the tone of the place. And seeing these very non-human, traditionally cutesy animals-as-people dealing with serious matters like insurrection and politics is jarring, in an intriguing way. It is also very clear that there's more going on than simply an attempt to retake the Homelands, and my suspicion, given the ire Dun expresses over their situation, is that there's more of an uprising in the making directly against the Fables community.
At any rate, though, Willingham is again building up an interesting mystery, with Snow White finding some shell casings and then a murder victim turning up. This isn't simply a murder investigation, though, it's something that could become a conspiracy story, and with Bigby Wolf back in the city, the focus is more on Snow and Red. I really like Snow, as I get a strong sense of the character and who she is, but Red still seems a bit vague to me. Her lazy, party-girl nature has been well-established, but she seems to know as much or as little about Fables and stories as required by the story, and I'm hoping that Willingham will loosen his control over her for plot purposes so that her true character can shine a little more.
Taking over from Lan Medina on artwork is Mark Buckingham, although the continuing inks of Steve Leialoha help to smooth the transition considerably. It's hard to make a direct comparison, as much of what I liked about Medina's artwork has his incredible depiction of New York City and most of this story takes place either inside buildings or in upstate New York, but it sure looks like the book is in good hands, artistically. The double-page spread of The Farm is impressive, and Buckingham gives the important characters a distinctive visual identity that identifies their nature, whether it's the stern Snow White, the mischievous appearance of Rose Red or the grumpy and moderately sinister Dun.
With Transmetropolitan ended and 100 Bullets settling into something of a comfortably familiar zone, it was time for Vertigo to inject a little new life into their line, and Fables is one of the titles that has done just that. It's not what most people expected, played more straight than for laughs, and Willingham has taken an interesting premise and crafted a fascinating comic.
