Fables: The Good Prince (2008)

Lancelot comes back and leads Flycatcher on his quest to rescue the dead in the Witching Well and offer them a place at his land within the Homelands, Haven. I like that most of this collection contains one overall story (there are a few shorter stories interspersed too), since it allows Fly to make a probable transition from complete forgetfulness to full awareness of his quest. The Good Prince of the title lives up to his name and is fully rewarded for his fidelity and bravery. I appreciate that Willingham allows his characters (good and bad) to be fully three-dimensional so that they are always surprising. Even the Adversary in all his wickedness can justify his actions somewhat reasonably. ( )

The former Frog Prince, now the Woodlands janitor Flycatcher had been a fringe character in the books up until now, it was about time readers found out the mysteries that were hidden behind that mop of hair and the baseball cap with the frog like eyes.

Ever since turning back into a frog and then being made human again at Christmas Fly has been listless and not doing his job. The Woodlands is a total mess. Ride attenpts to motivate him by slapping him across the face, but even that rather drastic action has no effect on his self-pitying state. He even goes to the Farm to see if that will help him. Back in Fabletown the Empire's increasingly militancy and the presence of Hansel nearby is bothering the brains trust of Charming, Beauty, Beast and Frau Totenkinder.

Blue convinces Fly to go back to Fabletown and his arrival coincides with the awakening of the suit of armour that hangs in the Woodlands atrium; The Foresworn Knight. The recent pronouncements had freaked out Bufkin to the extent that he violently disassembled the suit.

The suit reveals itself to Fly as the ghost of Sir Lancelot. I'd been wondering what happened to the Arthur legend, the only one we'd seen previously was Sir Pellinore. Now we knew. Lancelot believes that Fly as Prince Ambrose is the one to wear his armour and go to the Homelands. They travel via the Witching Well, which also gives them access to the ghosts of the Fables that have died and had their bodies put down the Well. Fly instructs the mirror (from the Snow White legend) to stay open so that the people on this side can see him.

The view from the mirror becomes the most watched show in Fabletown and many wonder if Fly is too trusting when he accepts the ghosts of Bluebeard and Shere Khan as part of his 'army'. Despite all the obstacles Fly seems to handle them with impunity and he grows as a man. He establishes a kingdom he calls Haven.

This naturally brings him to the Adversary's attention, who believes he is part of an invasion force. The hordes keep coming and Prince Ambrose keeps finding ways to defeat them. Eventually a huge army of Wooden Soldiers comes. Again Fly finds a way and this time not only does he take one of the Adversary's most potent weapon it also ruins the Sacred Grove, where the wood for the soldiers is sourced from. Ride comes with Blue courtesy of the Witching Cloak and is reunited with who she really loves; Prince Ambrose of Haven.

Along with the main story there was a standalone called The Birthday Secret with artwork by Aaron Alexovich. It was a cub centric story about how Bigby and Snow introduced the rest of their brood to their brother; Ghost. It was very sweet. I hope Ghost works out with his siblings.

War is on the way.

This is the tenth book in the Fables series by Willingham and was absolutely fantastic. It tells the story of Flycatcher, as he regains his place of power as the Frog Prince and becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Flycatcher remembers his past and realizes that he has a large role play against the Adversary. Armed with Excalibur and the special armor of Lancelot he will become a force for good against the Adversary. The Fables in Fabletown are finally fully aware of the plans for war that the Adversary has and are preparing to meet this challenge. There’s a little break in this heavier story as we revisit the cubs.

I really enjoyed this installment of Fables; the story about the Adversary versus the Fables was expanded on quite a bit. It was fun to see Flycatcher go against his tame personality and embrace both power and responsibility. I enjoyed how the story broadened out and enjoyed seeing Flycatcher given a larger role.

The artwork was similar to previous installments in the series. The interlude featuring the cubs had a different artist, but this was also very nicely done.

Overall I think fans of the Fables series will be pleased with this installment in the series. Flycatcher sees a lot of character growth and things are set up nicely for the upcoming war between the Fables and the Adversary. Recommended for fans of fantasy/urban fantasy graphic novels. ( )

these just keep getting better as the character and story arcs intertwine. and this one is the most cinematic of the lot, with a very big story of its own that covers a lot of ground. the Frog Prince, Flycatcher, here comes into his own in this parable of war and peace. there's also a nice little play within a play setup, with the citizens of Fabletown as audience watching enthralled as the Frog Prince story unfolds live in the magic mirror. some won't like this whole series, because it's told in the postmodern; but for those who do, this one's a treat. ( )

An arc devoted towards the good man Flycatcher and finally understanding all of the cryptic statements coming out of the suit of armor in the basement. Takes a beloved side character and makes him the hero, maybe not exactly what Fabletown wanted, but exactly what Fabletown needed. ( )