Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book One
by Bill Willingham (Writer), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator), Craig Hamilton (Illustrator), Lan Medina (Illustrator)
Bill Willingham's Fables (Deluxe Edition — 1-10), Fables (2002-2015) (Deluxe Editions — 1-10)
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"Imagine that all the characters from the world's most beloved storybooks were real -- real, and living among us, with all their powers intact. How would they cope with life in our mundane, un-magical reality?"--Cover, p. [4].Tags
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Fables, The Deluxe Edition Book 1 (2009) by Bill Willingham, etc. This is a collection of the first series of tales from this Eisner Award winning series. The first is a murder mystery concerning who killed Rose Red and where is her body. The second is a take on Orwell’s Animal Farm. An uprising on the upstate New York farm for non-human characters is happened upon by Snow White,
If you didn’t know, the characters are the population of fairy tales. Their homelands were invaded by The Adversary a long time ago and many, but not all, of the fairy tale characters made it to refuge in our world. Now those who can pass as human live in New York, while the others at the farm.
That is the general idea of the series. Wllingham and company show more have come up with some cute, modern ideas for these characters, but they have also gave them human vices. If you like your heroes tarnished, well here they are. Of course it would be boring if Goldilocks was nothing but a sweet babe in the woods, Snow White didn’t know any curse words and the Prince stayed charming. Here they have been allowed to age in an ageless fashion as they lived through the centuries with us. These are not the same beings that lived “once up a time, they have become something more and for better or worse, here they are.
The dialog can be a bit clunky but the illustrations more than make up for it. This collection is a very nice introduction to the long running series and is well worth a look. show less
If you didn’t know, the characters are the population of fairy tales. Their homelands were invaded by The Adversary a long time ago and many, but not all, of the fairy tale characters made it to refuge in our world. Now those who can pass as human live in New York, while the others at the farm.
That is the general idea of the series. Wllingham and company show more have come up with some cute, modern ideas for these characters, but they have also gave them human vices. If you like your heroes tarnished, well here they are. Of course it would be boring if Goldilocks was nothing but a sweet babe in the woods, Snow White didn’t know any curse words and the Prince stayed charming. Here they have been allowed to age in an ageless fashion as they lived through the centuries with us. These are not the same beings that lived “once up a time, they have become something more and for better or worse, here they are.
The dialog can be a bit clunky but the illustrations more than make up for it. This collection is a very nice introduction to the long running series and is well worth a look. show less
I love the concept of this series: fairy tale characters in exile, living in New York. It was a lot of fun meeting these characters in a different context.
The first half of this collection centers around a murder mystery plot. The second is a retelling of Orwell's Animal Farm. Noir and political allegory meets the innocence of bedtime stories.
If my enjoyment was just based on these concepts, I would have loved it. However, the characterization just wasn't to my taste. I didn't root for the casts' victories or care about their downfalls. Their relationships with one another were stilted or aggressively defensive. I felt cut off from their internal workings. I wanted to know about the real stuff beyond their cool exteriors. I never got show more that.
My main critique lies in the execution of the second half. There was too much unnecessary animal violence and gore. I'm fine with graphic violence if it isn't pure sensationalism. It should do something else. Make a statement that goes beyond "oh wow, there's a head on a spike," or represent something that doesn't reinforce harmful ideas. In Fables, animal brutality is represented as either shocking or admissable. While animals are represented as sentient, anthropomorphic beings who are verbal in their thoughts and feelings, they are still treated as inferior beings (an idea actually voiced by one of them) who deserve to be dealt with violently (and preferably in the most graphic way possible).
3.5 stars for the first half. Many less for the second. show less
The first half of this collection centers around a murder mystery plot. The second is a retelling of Orwell's Animal Farm. Noir and political allegory meets the innocence of bedtime stories.
If my enjoyment was just based on these concepts, I would have loved it. However, the characterization just wasn't to my taste. I didn't root for the casts' victories or care about their downfalls. Their relationships with one another were stilted or aggressively defensive. I felt cut off from their internal workings. I wanted to know about the real stuff beyond their cool exteriors. I never got show more that.
My main critique lies in the execution of the second half. There was too much unnecessary animal violence and gore. I'm fine with graphic violence if it isn't pure sensationalism. It should do something else. Make a statement that goes beyond "oh wow, there's a head on a spike," or represent something that doesn't reinforce harmful ideas. In Fables, animal brutality is represented as either shocking or admissable. While animals are represented as sentient, anthropomorphic beings who are verbal in their thoughts and feelings, they are still treated as inferior beings (an idea actually voiced by one of them) who deserve to be dealt with violently (and preferably in the most graphic way possible).
3.5 stars for the first half. Many less for the second. show less
What a delightful romp! The artwork is lovely and the concept charming; solid plot and pacing with enough self-referential humour to satisfy my current fickle mood.
This hardback edition gathers the first two books of the Fables series, Legends in Exile and Animal Farm. Each of those is split into five comics so it mad sense to me to pick up this edition as I was pretty sure it was going to be something I'd enjoy. I've only previously read a couple of graphic novels but it seems I'm destined for a few more in the future.
As Bill Willingham tells us in the introduction, Fables are taken from the myths, legends and fairy stories we all heard when we were kids or have told to our own children. But here they've been given an adult twist. Forced to flee their homelands they now live in New York and have to make ends meet just like the rest of us.
The first story, Legends in Exile, has Bigby Wolf, the show more sheriff of the Fables living in the New York community, investigating the disappearance and possible death of Rose Red. Snow White invites herself along on the investigation as she wants to know what's happened to her sister. Throw in Bluebeard, Prince Charming and Jack as the major suspects, not to mention Snow herself, and you have an almost classic noir tale. Can Bigby follow the evidence trail and get the right answer at the parlour scene?
As you may expect from the title of the second story we have a pastiche of George Orwell's Animal Farm. The none human types have been closeted away at the farm and some of them are beginning to get a bit restless. Can a revolution succeed when it's led by the three pigs and Goldilocks?
A beautifully glossy hardbound book with glorious illustrations and sensible panels and the occasional full page and two page drawings are a real treat to the eyes. These editions are being released once each year, the second volume due in November and I can't wait. I may have to beg, borrow or steal the rest of the series while the deluxe editions are being released. show less
As Bill Willingham tells us in the introduction, Fables are taken from the myths, legends and fairy stories we all heard when we were kids or have told to our own children. But here they've been given an adult twist. Forced to flee their homelands they now live in New York and have to make ends meet just like the rest of us.
The first story, Legends in Exile, has Bigby Wolf, the show more sheriff of the Fables living in the New York community, investigating the disappearance and possible death of Rose Red. Snow White invites herself along on the investigation as she wants to know what's happened to her sister. Throw in Bluebeard, Prince Charming and Jack as the major suspects, not to mention Snow herself, and you have an almost classic noir tale. Can Bigby follow the evidence trail and get the right answer at the parlour scene?
As you may expect from the title of the second story we have a pastiche of George Orwell's Animal Farm. The none human types have been closeted away at the farm and some of them are beginning to get a bit restless. Can a revolution succeed when it's led by the three pigs and Goldilocks?
A beautifully glossy hardbound book with glorious illustrations and sensible panels and the occasional full page and two page drawings are a real treat to the eyes. These editions are being released once each year, the second volume due in November and I can't wait. I may have to beg, borrow or steal the rest of the series while the deluxe editions are being released. show less
Prelim Review: I remember how excited I was for this series back when it first premiered. It was during the waning time of my comic book obsession, when I was trying NOT to spend $70 a week, but I knew I had to read this. And I was rewarded with a series that to this day (117 issues and counting) that I enjoy, love and very rarely dislike.
This Deluxe volume covers the First Arc (Rose Red's 'Murder') and the Second Arc (The Farm's revolution). I don't remember the Revolution so much--I may have skipped it actually since I don't like Rose Red that much, but in hindsight...it was disturbing, but rather revealing about later events.
This came out long before the fairy tale shows--Once Upon a Time and Grimm--and I think sets a good standard show more of what to look for. Willingham doesn't just give us the notables, he gives us all the fairy tale folks who people forgot. Gave them real world concerns (if somewhat skewed) and gave us a taste of what happens 'Ever After'.
Full review to be posted at Poisoned Rationality show less
This Deluxe volume covers the First Arc (Rose Red's 'Murder') and the Second Arc (The Farm's revolution). I don't remember the Revolution so much--I may have skipped it actually since I don't like Rose Red that much, but in hindsight...it was disturbing, but rather revealing about later events.
This came out long before the fairy tale shows--Once Upon a Time and Grimm--and I think sets a good standard show more of what to look for. Willingham doesn't just give us the notables, he gives us all the fairy tale folks who people forgot. Gave them real world concerns (if somewhat skewed) and gave us a taste of what happens 'Ever After'.
Full review to be posted at Poisoned Rationality show less
So this book is good and all, I like the premise and the story is engaging but why in the world are there no people of color in the whole book? Even in the backgrounds, it's all white people in fable town!
Apparently to be a fable you have to be white or an animal, it's weird.
Apparently to be a fable you have to be white or an animal, it's weird.
The premise: ganked from BN.com: When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile.
Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created their own secret society-within an exclusive luxury apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side-called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Bigby, Fabletown's sheriff, and a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the culprit is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.
This Deluxe show more Edition collects the first two trade paperbacks of the series, issues 1-10, and Bill Willingham's prose story from Vol. 1, as well as character sketches.
My Rating: Good Read
The first deluxe edition grabbed my squirming attention and held it firmly. I can see how easy it is going to be for me to tear through these graphic novels, and unfortunately, book five doesn't come out until the middle of the year (which technically isn't THAT far away, but still)! I loved the noir and gritty feel of the stories, and how Willingham isn't afraid to introduce dark, disturbing story elements. And isn't that what fairy tales are supposed to be about? Not the shiny, happy Disney-fied versions (as much as I loved those), but the ones told to scare the living shit out of kids in order to make them behave? Willingham is modernizing those tales for the modern reader, and it works rather well. Oh, we aren't getting any moralizing really, and there are definitely some fun, humorous moments. But there are surprising, unexpected, and dark moments as well, and I'm definitely invested in the series and can't wait to start reading book two. Fans of fairytales, especially modern retellings, should definitely get their hands on this, but fair warning: if you think it's all a little too familiar, ask yourself if you're watching Once Upon a Time or Grimm, and if so, then check your scorn at the door: Willingham has been writing Fables since 2002, and while I can't say whether or not either show is a knock-off of Willingham's work (I don't watch either), I can say that regardless, Willingham's work is more than worth checking out.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. I want to talk more about the world-building, the characters, and the comparisons that've inevitably been made to the freshman television shows Once Upon a Time and Grimm. The full review can be found at my blog, which is linked below, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.
REVIEW: Bill Willingham's FABLES: DELUXE COLLECTION: BOOK ONE
Happy Reading! show less
Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created their own secret society-within an exclusive luxury apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side-called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Bigby, Fabletown's sheriff, and a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the culprit is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.
This Deluxe show more Edition collects the first two trade paperbacks of the series, issues 1-10, and Bill Willingham's prose story from Vol. 1, as well as character sketches.
My Rating: Good Read
The first deluxe edition grabbed my squirming attention and held it firmly. I can see how easy it is going to be for me to tear through these graphic novels, and unfortunately, book five doesn't come out until the middle of the year (which technically isn't THAT far away, but still)! I loved the noir and gritty feel of the stories, and how Willingham isn't afraid to introduce dark, disturbing story elements. And isn't that what fairy tales are supposed to be about? Not the shiny, happy Disney-fied versions (as much as I loved those), but the ones told to scare the living shit out of kids in order to make them behave? Willingham is modernizing those tales for the modern reader, and it works rather well. Oh, we aren't getting any moralizing really, and there are definitely some fun, humorous moments. But there are surprising, unexpected, and dark moments as well, and I'm definitely invested in the series and can't wait to start reading book two. Fans of fairytales, especially modern retellings, should definitely get their hands on this, but fair warning: if you think it's all a little too familiar, ask yourself if you're watching Once Upon a Time or Grimm, and if so, then check your scorn at the door: Willingham has been writing Fables since 2002, and while I can't say whether or not either show is a knock-off of Willingham's work (I don't watch either), I can say that regardless, Willingham's work is more than worth checking out.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. I want to talk more about the world-building, the characters, and the comparisons that've inevitably been made to the freshman television shows Once Upon a Time and Grimm. The full review can be found at my blog, which is linked below, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.
REVIEW: Bill Willingham's FABLES: DELUXE COLLECTION: BOOK ONE
Happy Reading! show less
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Author Information
Mark Buckingham is presently an artist on Marvel's Peter Parker, Spider-Man. Previously, he juggled his time among almost every book in DC Comics' Vertigo line (most notably on Sandman's sister Death) and Marvel's Dr. Strange, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Generation X. He is also renowned for his experimental artwork on Eclips Comics' Miracleman. show more "Bucky," as he is often known, is honorary chair of the Comic Creators Guild and co-organizer of the United Kingdom's National Comics Awards. He lives with his wife, Gail, and three cats in the Victorian seaside town of Clevedon, England. show less
All Editions
Some Editions
Series
Bill Willingham's Fables
22 works (Deluxe Edition — 1-10)
Fables (2002-2015)
155 works (Deluxe Editions — 1-10)
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Contains
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book One
- Original publication date
- 2009-10-06
- People/Characters
- Snow White; Rose Red; Jack of Fables; Bigby Wolf; King Cole; Beast (show all 17); Beauty; Bluebeard; Prince Charming; Molly; Goldilocks; Shere Khan; Reynard the Fox; Colin Piggy; Posey Piggy; Dun Piggy; Weyland Smith
- Important places
- Fabletown, New York, New York, USA; New York, New York, USA
- Dedication
- To Lan Medina and Mark Buckingham.
Men of vision, fellow authors. You carried the heaviest pack on this joint expedition. You have my gratitude, respect, and always my admiration.
-- Bill Willingham
This book is dedicated to all those dearest to me. My parents Valerie & John, my sister Clare, her partner JAson and their wonderful children Rudy and Matilda. My dear friends Neil, Matt and Shane. My wife and true love Irm... (show all)a. Thank you for your constant love and support. Thank you to Bill and Shellyfor wanting me to be part of FABLES from the start, as well as everyone in the team, for making this book so special.
-- Mark Buckingham - First words
- Once upon a time . . . [sic.]
- Quotations
- "You try being married for almost a thousand years without a few ups and downs along the way."
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But most of all she cried for the loss of a true wise friend called Colin Piggy.
- Disambiguation notice
- This volume compiles the first two volumes: Fables, Volume 1: Legends in Exile and Fables, Volume 2: Animal Farm
Classifications
- Genre
- Graphic Novels & Comics
- DDC/MDS
- 741.5973 — Arts & recreation Drawing & decorative arts Drawing and drawings Comic books, graphic novels, fotonovelas, cartoons, caricatures, comic strips History, geographic treatment, biography North American United States (General)
- LCC
- PN6727 .W52 .F35 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Collections of general literature Comic books, strips, etc.
- BISAC
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- ISBNs
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