James JeanReviews

This is an art book, so there isn't much reading involved in this book. Reason I'm just going to review it now rather then wait later. This is the second edition of a book that came out years ago that I really wanted but never got the time to get it. Thankfully James jean and Vertigo remade this book.

I really love Fables. It's my favorite comic book. Own all the volumes and all the spin-off trade available, so most of these covers I've seen already. Why did I get this then? Because the pages are bigger and crisper to see. Noticed stuff I never noticed before. Like did you know Legends in Exile features a pig on ever cover? Never really actually stopped and looked a this covers before.

James Jean's art is just amazing though. In my opinion Fables always has the best overs for comics. But Jean's remind me of vintage 1920s art or something you'd actually see in a fairy tale book. Even his non-Fables art has some kind of magic to them.

I'm not sure about the previous edition, but this one as all the covers he did for Fables, the trade paperbacks, 1001 Nights of Snowfall, Jack of Fables and other goodies. Even if you don't read Fables and looking for a good art book I recommend this.

Lets face it, one of the best things about Fables is the cover artwork by James Jean. The stories are good too but the interior artwork is pretty mundane comic book stuff. If you are in love with the classic look great, but for me the covers are almost worth as much as the contents.

The cover art of comic books is often forgotten in lieu of the artwork from the inner pages, but with a long running series like Fables it is difficult - if not impossible - to ignore the impact of long-time artist James Jean. Jean's work captures the spirit of every chapter of the Fables storyline, but his real talent shines in the creative and detail-filled covers for the collected editions, which must encompass an overall storyarc as well as the individual stories within. In collecting Jean's work we are able to see the progression of his artistic evolution - towards a more digital canvas - as well as recall all of our favourite Fables stories, so this book is well worth a perusal. The only thing that I wuld have liked to see more of is commentary on each cover. But I understand that including too much text may have drawn away from the artowkr itself, so I will be satisfied with the little commentary that they gave.

I love Fables, and I love this guy's art too.

A beautiful book from Fables cover artist James Jean that is composed entirely of wordless illustrations. The book's panels are concertinaed together to form a continuous whole. Within this structure are interweaved two distinct fantastical landscapes - a seascape and a strange procession across a weird landscape. The book allows for the panels to be combined in different ways allowing the viewer to construct their own narrative.

Hard to describe but see the illustrative video below:

Rift video

This is, in all honesty, one of the most gorgeous books I have ever opened. If you are at all a fan of Fables, James Jean's work, or just beautiful art this book will interest you.