An intro to the Fable universe, where fairy tale characters are living a secret life in the modern world, and someone is taking them out one by one. Huge warning here: when it says it is meant for mature readers, it means it. This downloadable PDF consists of scans of the pages of the first chapter of an actual graphic novel. As such, the vertical nature of the comic does not fit well with a screen, requiring either much scrolling to see a page or a full page view where the text is tiny. Colors are mostly flat, with little shading or variation. Not meant for children at all, the content is sex and murder, and is rather graphic. It is only the first chapter available online, as well, so don't expect any story resolution. ( )

This was my second book from SantaThing. This graphic novel tells the story of immortal fairy tale denizens living in New York City. Bigby Wolf has to solve the mystery of Rose Red's trashed and blood covered apartment, while her sister Snow White tries to help him. Not quite as dark as I was expecting, though Prince Charming and Bluebeard are creeps. The art is heavy on comic book standard depictions of women, it would have been neat to see the women through the ages changing to reflect standards of beauty (in fact, the Beast does change depending on how Beauty feels about him, so there's precedent). The mystery and the concept were interesting, but I'm in no rush to get the next volume. ( )

I had heard a lot of great things about the Fables series of graphic novels by Bill Willingham. So I bought the first few books and read the first volume, Legends in Exile, for the fall Read-a-thon.

This first book in the series includes some background material so we understand how all the different characters from fairy tales, legends, and fables ended up together and in the world of the mundanes (as we normal beings are called), but really the novel is a murder mystery.

As with all mystery books, it's difficult to write a summary without giving away too much. It starts out when Jack (of beanstalk fame) discovers that his girlfriend (Rose Red) is missing and her apartment is splattered with blood. He races to the head of security, Bigby Wolf (as in Big Bad), and reports the crime. Wolf then confers with Snow White, director of operations, and an investigation is started.

That's the bare-bones version. The fun of this book comes from the sarcastic humor, quick one-liners, and (for lack of a better word) art jokes. For example, in one panel, Bigby, who is drawn as a human, has a wolf shadow. In another of King Cole's home, you see three fiddles in the background. I enjoyed studying the art as much as I did reading the story.

I couldn't find any samples of the pages to post here, but Amazon has a "look inside" feature, so you can get an idea.

I had enough fun with volume 1 that I'm looking forward to more Fables. My understanding is that there are quite a few of them, so I have a lot of good reading ahead. ( )

I've heard good things about this series and have almost picked it up many times over the past year or so. I finally broke down and grabbed a copy a couple of weeks ago and I'm really glad I did.

I've enjoyed a lot of the "fairy tale retelling" stories that have been coming around lately, some more than others. What I found even more fun about this premise is that the fairy tale characters have been dislocated from their fairy tale worlds and are now living in our world…trying to 'fit in' but also striving to maintain their own identities.

The character development and presentation was excellent. I loved the adult depth given to these characters that are otherwise fairly 2-dimensional. Seeing Jack (of Beanstalk fame) as a conniving, lying, scheming, unsuccessful con-man of sorts was great. Snow White as the semi-snobbish clean cut acting-leader felt a little flat at first, but as the story went on and we saw more into her personality, she became even more intriguing. Prince Charming was great as the over-confident schmoozer. But my favorite had to be the portrayal of "Bigby" (as in "Big Bad" Wolf) as a sort of noir detective for the fairy tale folks. Having just recently read Red Harvest, I had a feel for the hard-boiled detective and really liked Bigby's portrayal.

The art in this novel was well done and a lot of fun. The central art was clean and nice and helped the story along….while at the same time, the artist had a lot of fun along the periphery by adding in small details that added humor or tension to the scenes and may not even be picked up on (I'm sure I missed a lot of the subtleties).

The story was engaging and very interesting. At the heart of this particular book (the first in the series), there was some focus on introducing us to the characters. By doing it through the course of a murder mystery, it allowed the author to provide backstory without it sounding like contrived monologues. The mystery itself was a lot of fun and very engaging. I wish I could say I had it figured out before the very end…but I can't. I did suspect something along the lines of what happened, but not exactly as it played out, which (in my opinion) is the way a good mystery novel should be framed (the reader shouldn't be able to figure things out too easily, but should feel like they came just inches behind the detective).

I was a little turned off by the amount of swearing in the book (I would love to have been able to share this with my kids, but the language will definitely make me keep it out of their hands for at least the next few years). There were a couple of scenes of violence which were a little over the top (especially for young readers), but weren't overly graphic or offensive. And the one "sex scene" and the couple of suggestive panels we in the PG to PG-13 range. Overall, a movie version of the book would probably receive a PG-13 rating, possibly pushed to R if they decided to overplay the language/violence or expound on the sex. If the language was toned down a bit, it could probably be a solid PG.

Overall, this was a great read and a very fun world filled with wonderful characters. I'm definitely planning to follow this series (from the B&N shelf, it looks like there are 10+ books already). I may have to increase my book allowance so I can catch up more quickly.

****
4 stars ( )

I am currently reading this title. So far it is high;y enjoyable and I am excited about discovering a new Graphic Novel series. The series has 30+ issues (released as trade paperback sets) and is currently still being written.

This series was recommended to me by a friend after I told him how much I liked Alan Moore's Top 10 series. At the time I was talking about the Top 10 offshoot volume Smax, which contains similar reinvented fable/fairy-tale meta-fiction. Enjoy!

Basic Reason for Beginning: Read 1001 Nights of Snow Fall as introduction, not wishing to get caught in a new (and long!) series and liked it. Add the fact that all my friends seem to love this series, I thought I'd give the first book a whirl as well.
Basic Reason for Finishing: It's fast and I do kind-of like whodunits, for all that they make me feel stupid for not catching the clues.

Full review here.

Book Rereadability: I might, but I think it'd only be to see how the clues are pieced into the story. The strongest aspect, for me, was the whodunit and I know the answer now.
Author Rereadability: I like Willingham as an author. I like his stories. I'd like to read more of them, but I think I'd prefer it if I could borrow them before buying them.
Recommendation: The book comes with a blurb that says it's a must-read for readers of contemporary fantasy. As you might guess, I disagree. It is a solid, good story and if you like fantasy like that, if you like fairytale retellings, I have no doubt that you'll enjoy this. If the idea of 'fairytale retellings' doesn't sell you, don't be too hasty to put this to the side. It's not really a retelling. More taking the characters from fairytales and giving them a new lease on life, with an eye for detailed personal lives and personality and leaving the fairytales themselves to the background. (Go on, how many fairytales you know are a whodunit?) ( )

Our childhood stories characters presented in a darker shade.
This comics intends to depict a fuller and more elaborate view of these characters, downgraded from their magical realms into our own mundane reality. Though, the first volume falls short in my opinion since I expected a more elaborate and darker story.

Read my full review on my website:
http://henwen.net/Review.aspx?rev=Fab...

Review by Eilonvi the Pigkeeper ( )

All the fairy tale creatures of old have created a secret community in New York City to hide from an enemy known only as the Adversary. When one of the fable apartments is found trashed and covered in blood, its occupant missing, the sheriff of Fabletown is charged with solving the mystery.

This mystery is heavy on characters, but easy to follow because they are all familiar: the Big Bad Wolf, Snow White, Bluebeard, Prince Charming, and so on. The modern take on the fables is lots of fun, and there is a considerable amount of humor besides. ( )

David Eicke:
This weekend, I started reading a series of graphic novels by Bill Willingham called FABLES, and I think I’m hooked. The concept of the series is that all the characters from the world’s fairy tales and, well, fables, have been exiled from their homelands by some nebulous force called the “Adversary” and forced to live in New York City and surrounding areas.

We find out that things didn’t exactly work out to be “happily ever after”: Snow White and Prince Charming have divorced and he now womanizes female wait staff. Beauty and Beast are having marital issues. Big Bad “Bigby” Wolf is now the Bogartesque sheriff of Fabletown (the underground fable community within NYC), and is investigating the ostensible murder of Rose Red. Jack (of beanstalk fame), her boyfriend, is a prime suspect.

The mix of noir-detective mood with a cast of mythic Shrek-like characters is just bizarre. And bizarre in a really good way. Now I just have to find Volume 2. And 3. And 4…If I’m going to be addicted, I might as well be well-supplied.

From the back of the book:

Who killed Rose Red? In Fabletown, where fairy tale legends live alongside regular New Yorkers, the question is all anyone can talk about. But only the Big Bad Wolf can actually solve the case- and, along with Rose's sister Snow White, keep the Fabletown community from coming apart at the seams.

My Thoughts:

This was my 1st foray into graphic novels and I enjoyed the experience. It seems everyone and their brother are enjoying graphic novels and it convinced me that I must give them a try. I started with the Fables series as Ladytink and a few others seemed to be really liking these so it seemed like a good place to start. And it was! Legends in Exile is a fast-paced whodunnit filled with fairy tale characters. It was an easy read that I finished in one sitting...I just couldn't put it down. I knew that there were clues that I was missing but I just didn't care and let the story take me along for the ride. The pictures added to the story for sure and it was a neat experience all around. Except this is an adult story and it kept catching my son's attention. He wanted to know what Mommy was reading (usually he could care less) and wanted to look at all of the pictures too. There wasn't anything awful just not the type of book that I wanted him looking at :) So we busted out a Hulk graphic novel for him and he was content looking at his own pictures. There isn't much else to say about this one except if you are like I was and on the edge on whether or not to give graphic novels a try...well, just try them. It was definitely a worthwhile experience and I will be reading more in the future! ( )

I was recently introduced to the fantastical and captivating world of graphic novels through Bill Willingham’s Fables.

I have long admired the cover art of the Fables collections and, as I love fairy tale retellings and fractured fairy tales, I have no idea what took me so long to pick up the first volume. I am ecstatic that I finally did! I haven’t been this excited over a story since reading The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly last year. I can’t get enough!

Each volume is beautifully told and illustrated. The stories pull the reader in. They draw on the familiar characters of childhood fairy tales, albeit wonderfully fractured and grim. The tales range in mood from whimsical to touching or tragic. Each volume draws the reader further into the world of Fabletown and I try not to devour them all in one sitting. I can’t say enough how wonderful these graphic novels are. ( )

"Fables" continues the mythologically rich tradition that was Gaiman's Sandman series. Here Willingham deals with various characters from fairy tales and folklore--referring to themselves as "Fables" – who have been forced out of their "Homelands" by a mysterious enemy known only as the Adversary.

They have traveled to our world and formed a clandestine community in New York City known as Fabletown, living amongst the "Mundys". Fables who are unable to blend in with human society (such as monsters and anthropomorphic animals) live at "The Farm" in upstate New York.

The main characters of Fables are public domain figures from folklore, mythology, and literature, although most of the characters seen so far are from European stories. I can't wait until Willingham decides to use Eastern & Norse mythological creatures. He has already started incorporating Arab figures in the latest volumes in this series.

The covers are done by James Jean (in subtle ways changing the appearance of the more famous characters so that it becomes hard for the reader to guess the current story arc protagonist). The majority of the interior work has been done by Mark Buckingham, who reportedly will be given the reins to the story if Willingham becomes unable to continue it. Other artists include: Bryan Talbot, Lan Medina, P. Craig Russell, Mike Allred, and Linda Medley. And of course it features lettering by the master, Todd Klein.

The first volume of the collected issues #1-5 gives us an introduction to Fabletown, of who's really running the reins of government (it's certainly not the man who's just there for glad handling purposes), and of the different characters that will capture our attention and imagination from here on. It was delightful to realize that a lot of beloved characters didn't really live happily ever after (given the marital problems of Beauty & the Beast; the divorce between Snow White & Prince Charming; the angst of Pinocchio at being transformed into a real boy, albeit too literally by the Blue Fairy, etc.). The focus of this story arc is that of Fabletown's Sheriff Bigby Wolf investigation of the apparent murder of Rose Red, Snow White's estranged sister. Who killed Rose Red? Was it Jack of the Tales (of the Beanstalk legend), her boyfriend? Was it her betrothed, Bluebeard (the one who has an appetite of killing off his wives on their honeymoon night)? Or was it Snow White herself, who has a grudge since it was the arrival of her sister into her married life which caused the divorce?

This volume also includes a short story wriitten & illustrated by Willingham, titled "A Wolf in the Fold." It tells the story of how Snow White & Rose Red (as well as countless Fables over the centuries) were able to escape into the mundane world, as well as how the members of Fabletown were able to convince Wolf to become Bigby, the Sheriff of Fabletown. There's a brief appearance of Feathertop (the scarecrow from the short story of Nathaniel Hawthorne) as companion of Snow White, as well as a clue to the wolf sightings in Transvylvannia.

Book Details:

Title Vol. 1: Fables: Legends in Exile
Author Bill Willingham
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )

A world where King Cole is charge and Snow White is his deputy...what more you could you possibly want ( )

I really enjoyed this. Great dialogue which had me laughing out loud in places. The crime aspect of the story a little transparent but not enough to detract from the enjoyment. Artwork is brilliant though I feel I maybe falling a little in love Snow White (I think it must be the dark hair!) Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. ( )

The people of fairy tales have escaped into the mundane world as their lands were ravaged and taken over by the Adversary. Ole King Cole is the mayor of Fabletown and Snow White is second in charge. This volume reads like a classic noir detective as Snow White's sister's apartment is found to be a bloody carnage with Rose Red herself missing. With no body to know whether he is looking at for a murderer or kidnapper Bigby Wolf (the law of Fabletown) sets off to track down Rose Red and solve the case.

The book is peopled with characters from fairy tales such as the above mentioned plus Prince Charming, Pinocchio, one of the Three Little Pigs, Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast and many more. It is so much fun to see these characters depicted in this way, in a very adult manner. The book also ends with a very good short story which explains how the fairytale lands were attacked and especially focuses on how Snow White and Bigby Wolf found their way to Fabletown.

I loved this book! The story told was gripping and I loved the artwork, which imitates the old comic book style of the 70s and earlier. Now I know why everybody is so addicted to these books as I can't imagine not continuing on with Volume #2. There are even a couple of prequels and a spin-off series called Jack of Fables. Highly recommended to any adult who loves fairy tale retellings. ( )

Fables: Legends in Exile #1 collects the first five issues of Bill Willingham's Vertigo comic.

The high concept is a wonderful conceit--what if fairy tale characters, ranging from Snow White to Bluebeard, all lived, in secret, in New York City (and upstate New York in the case of the animals). Trying to avoid revealing their nature to the populace, they are a small community unto their own, and yet, unmistakably, expatriates in the Greatest City on Earth.

And what happens when one of these (implied) immortal characters is brutally killed, and the evidence points not to an ordinary New Yorker, but one of Fabletown's own denizens?

With this idea, great drawing and writing,and plenty of visual eye candy, Fables is an example of a good graphic novel which uses the full strengths of the form. Certainly one could have told this story in a straight novel format, but this is a case where seeing is believing. Snow White as a deputy Mayor. The Big Bad Wolf as a detective. Prince Charming as a schemer using his looks and charm to make his way in the world. These characters have pasts rooted in their fairy tales as well as previous relations between them in the expat community. We get the feeling that the characters have always been there, hidden, in New York. There is a continuity to their existence.

And much more awaits the reader. It all works so very well, and the murder puzzle is a fair one.

I look forward to at some point getting additional graphic novels of the series (something I need to do with a couple of others, like Sandman...). In the meantime, if you have any interest in fairy tale characters and in graphic novels (or love the former and want to try the latter), this is a graphic novel which is a painless way to try and enjoy the form. If you love Urban Fantasy, this volume is a must.

The only downside is that only 5 issues of the comic were collected in the volume. I read this almost *too* quickly.

Highly Recommended. ( )

The novelty of a bad episode of "Law and Order" being acted out by fairy tale characters wears off pretty damn fast. ( )

What if characters from fairy tales were real? What if they lived in the real world? How would they survive? How would magic and modern technology interact? That's part of the premise of the Fables series published by DC Comics' Vertigo line. In this series, the Homelands--the worlds of the people and creatures in our storybooks--have been invaded and conquered by an entity known as the Adversary, causing many to seek asylum in other dimensions. A fair number have ended up in our world, making their home in an apartment complex in New York State. They run their own little community there, complete with a mayor, sheriff and staff. In this first collection, Rose Red, the sister of deputy mayor Snow White, has apparently been murdered. Sherriff Bigby Wolf has to solve the case. Who killed Rose Red? Was it her boyfriend Jack Horner? Her former lover, Prince Charming? Was it suicide? Or is it something even more diabolical? All in all, Mr. Willingham weaves an interesting tale, giving a new twist to many characters whom we've loved for years.
--J. ( )

Premise: the characters from fairy tales have left their homeland and are living in the modern world. There's a crime, and some characters try to solve it.And you know? It works. I was skeptical, I admit, but it was fun to read. I'd recommend it and pick up the second in the series, for sure. ( )

This is my first time reading a “graphic novel” and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Tucker chose this title for me because he knew I loved “fairy tales” and the characters in this story are all from famous children’s fairy tales. In addition, this is a mystery story, another of my favorite genres. The premise behind the story is that a long time ago something began attacking the fairy lands and destroying the characters. Finally the remaining characters from far flung lands had to flee and they ended up in New York where they had to learn to get along and create a secret sub-culture in order to co-exist with the “mundies”—i.e. humans. The story begins with the discovery of a crime—it looks as if Rose Red has been possibly murdered. Snow White, her sister, is the one who is in charge of the community (King Cole is the ceremonial and nominal ruler, he delegates all decisions to Snow) and Biggy Wolf (i.e. Big, Bad Wolf in human form) is the detective. The story is interesting and somewhat reminds me of the comic books I read as a child except the art is much more detailed and necessary to the plot I discovered when I realized I missed some clues by not spending enough looking at the pictures! I will be exploring more graphic novels. ( )

If you enjoy the occasional graphic novel, I recommend this series. All of the Fables that we know and love from all of the bedtime stories, Disney movies, and Grimm's faery tales are forced to emmigrate from their homes by the Adversary and immegrate to the only land not yet fallen, our land. All of the fables that can pass as human live in a burrough in NYC, and all the animal like fables live on a farm in upstate New York. Action, adventure, mystery, and love. ( )

Fairy Tales have always been something I love, whether they are the classic Grimm stories or the more modern Disney versions. So when I heard about a graphic novel series featuring all of the classic fairy tale characters together in a place called FableTown, I knew I had to read it.

Legends In Exile is the first volume in the Fables series, which collects the individual comic issues together in one book. Volume 1 gives the reader an introduction to how the Fables came to be living in modern day society. Apparently a being known as the Adversary started up an army and forced the Fables to seek a new home. It’s not explained in-depth in this volume, but the Fables found a way to cross over into the human dimension and set up a new home for themselves in New York. Using magic which they managed to smuggle away with them, they charm the humans into not noticing much of the strangeness which surrounds them.

Most of the main characters are introduced here. Snow White, assistant to the Mayor of Fabletown (King Cole) however it is clear that Snow runs the show, with her intelligence, business savvy and ice queen personality. Bigby, The Big Bad Wolf, has given up his huffing-puffing ways and is now the Sherriff of Fabletown. Boy Blue is present here also, as Snow White’s office clerk and general gopher. Boy Blue’s flying monkey, Bufkin (of Oz) has an important job as head librarian of the cavernous Fabletown library.

Legends In Exile begins with Jack (Horner, Beanstalk) running to Bigby for help because it seems as though his girlfriend (also Snow White’s sister) Rose Red has been murdered. The investigation into Red’s disappearance and suspected murder reveals many secrets within Fabletown and successfully opens this series.

I enjoyed Volume 1 of Fables immensely, the characters and plotlines are incredibly well done. Although Fables is a comic, it does contain mature content that may not be appropriate reading for younger children. Fables is the perfect reading experience for those who want something a little more grown-up than the original nursery rhymes we remember from childhood. ( )

Summary: When their homeland was taken over by The Adversary, fairy tale inhabitants fled to New York, where they've been living inconspicuously amongst the "mundanes". This first volume in the series focuses around two main characters - Snow White, the second-in-command of Fabletown, and Bigby Wolf, its de facto sheriff - as they try to figure out what happened to Rose Red, Snow's half sister... who has gone missing, and whose apartment was found covered in blood. Volume 1 is a collection of the first five issues of the comic.

Review: This is only my third attempt at reading a graphic novel, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but since I've got several friends who are in a very nerdly kind of love with Fables, I figured I should check them out. And, happy to say, I was pleasantly surprised! The graphic novel aspects of it were good - I followed the layout and the story well, the panel art was detailed and rich (you can see some samples at Amazon), and the cover illustrations by James Jean are phenomenally lovely (you can see more of his work here). What I was really surprised by, however, was the story. The mystery aspect of it was nothing out of the ordinary (a lot of the time is spent introducing characters and world-building), but I wasn't expecting it to be so funny, both in the sense of overt jokes and in the more subtle way that it poked fun at fairy tale characters and conventions. Similarly, I wasn't expect there to actual multi-dimensional characters that I cared about. Shoot, there go all of my prejudices about comic book geeks! I'll be reading the next one in the series, for sure. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: This one isn't for the wee-uns - there's a fair bit of violence, language, and sex to go around - but for those of us who have grown up on fairy tales, it's a fun and highly enjoyable new take on some old favorites. ( )

Fables is one of the many comic series that has been calling to me for quite some time, and yet I have managed to put off reading them for just as long. Not only does Fables catch my eye every time I'm in the comic shop, it also came highly recommended to me by several people whose opinions I trust. So, when I discovered that the local branch of my public library has the series, I snatched up the first volume, Legends in Exile, which collects issues one through five in addition to a previously unpublished short story.

I absolutely love the premise behind Fables, which is of course introduced in Legends in Exile. Actually, the title gives a pretty good indication of it. Characters of legend, fables, myths, and fairy tales from all of the world have fled to New York, pursued by an entity known only as the Adversary who has taken over their wealth, properties, and homelands. Those that are human seeming live in disguise in New York City with Old King Cole as the Mayor, Snow White as his second in command, and a complete cast of others keeping the refugees together in some semblance of a community known as Fabletown, while their inhuman counterparts remain on a large farm in upstate New York.

Beyond the general introduction to the story so far, there is a murder mystery to be solved by the Fabletown sheriff Bigby Wolf (aka Big Bad Wolf, among other things). Snow White's sister Rose Red has gone missing--her apartment is in shambles and blood is everywhere. Bigby has plenty of suspects, from Rose's on-again off-again boyfriend Jack (of beanstalk and giant-killing infamy), to her lover Bluebeard (yes, that Bluebeard), and even Snow White herself. Overall, the mystery plot-line wasn't that great, but I loved the interactions between characters from completely different stories. Bigby was a personal favorite.

The short story wasn't anything spectacular either, but it was enjoyable. It gives more background for several of the characters, particularly that of the Wolf. None of the characters are explicitly identified, but it's fairly obvious which characters are implied. The story was a lovely addition to the volume and lent a bit more substance to it as a whole.

The artwork is very well done and very consistent (inconsistency is a pet peeve of mine). Completely in color, and generally realistic--these are fairy tales we're talking about--it was a delight to look at. As already mentioned, I love the concept behind Fables. Even though the first volume wasn't a particularly strong introduction to the series, there were enough highlights that I'm definitely going to have to pick up the next volume, Animal Farm.

Experiments in Reading ( )

I reread this volume recently, just to relvie the story. Certainly the world Willingham created is less "deep" in this initial telling, but the foundation is there. In truth, the whole thing could not have been laid out at first, but this little murder mystery does a good job in introducing the major characters and conflicts.

Just as Neil Gaiman's Sandman series starts small and grows exponentially, so too does Fables, and I am amazed at how naturally and how wonderfully the world has grown from the first volume to the latest. Each volume pushes open more doors while remaining true to the original core. It's a wonderful read. ( )