More of Williams's past with the case that has turned him somewhat jaded is slowly revealed.
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Then Mabel, William, and Doc Edward go out to the More of Williams's past with the case that has turned him somewhat jaded is slowly revealed.
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Then Mabel, William, and Doc Edward go out to the Carnary mines to run tests, only to be met by a tribe of Native Americans who seem at first to be attacking them. But once everyone calms down, they tell the group that they are only trying to protect everyone from whatever poisonous "thing" is down in the mines.
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When they get back to the town of Canary the doctor listens to the recording they took down in the mines and makes a spooky discovery. So far, I'm impressed with this one.
Free to Amazon Prime members with Prime Reading....more
The story opens with this demon-bird-looking guy visiting the deathbed of an old woman. I don't rIt's got this very Poeesque haunt-y vibe to it.
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The story opens with this demon-bird-looking guy visiting the deathbed of an old woman. I don't really know what's going on yet, but so far there's this somewhat gothic love story thing happening between this rich dude with family secrets and the princess of the kingdom he lives in. <--of course, the king hates his guts. As fathers do.
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An assassin attacks him on the way home and this triggers the death-bird powers he didn't know he had. Interesting.
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I liked it. The art is cool and so far the story has a good hook....more
Night of the Ghoul has a predictable ending, but it still held my attention.
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And Francesco Francavilla's art really sells the whole story as somNight of the Ghoul has a predictable ending, but it still held my attention.
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And Francesco Francavilla's art really sells the whole story as some sort of throwback tale from the crypt.
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So, while the story is nothing special, there was something comfortably familiar about this sort of throwaway horror story. Recommended for Horror fans.
If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can check this one out for free....more
The art was still an issue but I was invested enough in finishing the story that it was just a background annPretty decent ending to the title.
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The art was still an issue but I was invested enough in finishing the story that it was just a background annoyance. I wanted to find if our bard and his heroic berserker of a wife end up together, or if she gets pissed off and tears him limb from limb.
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Everything gets wrapped up nicely without making things too unbelievably tidy. I liked it all well enough to give Spurrier another try at a later date....more
This volume is less whiny bard and more reality-based relationship stuff.
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Hum (whiny bard) is determined to save his wife from her violent demoThis volume is less whiny bard and more reality-based relationship stuff.
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Hum (whiny bard) is determined to save his wife from her violent demon/berzerker moods by getting some sort of magical potion that will change her - without her permission. Any married man will tell you how badly that will end. On the flip side, his wife seems to think she's the only one with a quest and he can't possibly understand her need to fulfill her higher purpose. But as the reader who knows what he has gone through for her (whether or not it's his job to fix her aside) you can see that she is his quest. And her fanatical devotion to ending these Whateverthey'recalled bad guys has blinded her to how much she's hurting him. Which, you know, sounds like marriage to me.
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I can see from other friend's reviews that the art is either phenomenal or horrible. I fall into the latter category, as this actually hurt my eyes to read. And that's not hyperbole, I actually took breaks to rub my eyes and let them rest. Certain panels were so loud and squiggly that I felt as though I were trying to decipher the blood splatter pattern at a particularly violent crime scene. Obviously, your mileage will vary but for me, it was too busy and bright. And without being able to break this down into small panels using a digital copy, I doubt I would have been able to finish this series.
I'm not sold on Simon Spurrier but I liked this volume a tad more than the last one....more
The final volume of Fairest is definitely the worst.
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I'm not saying you definitely shouldn't read it, because it concludes Reynard the Fox's stThe final volume of Fairest is definitely the worst.
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I'm not saying you definitely shouldn't read it, because it concludes Reynard the Fox's story and gives you a peek into what's happening to some of the Fables you maybe haven't thought about much. But. None of it is important to the main storyline at all. It starts with Reynard bragging to the other farm fables about his adventures as a human knight in Rose's new Camelot. Doubtful any of these stories are true, but it causes a lot of resentment, and the farm's residents call for Charming's campaign promise of glamour for everyone.
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Rose demands that Cole fork over the money to keep Charming's outrageous pledge, and finally the witches show up with a solution to appease the masses. There's a really dull mystery to solve when someone steals one of the 5 glamours. Blech. Reynard finally finding true love is cute but would have been a much better story without having to read all the boring side stuff.
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The last issue features Goldilocks. It's ok. I did actually like how they left her story somewhat open-ended.
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There are a few mentions of what's happening with Bigby in the main book, but not enough to give you any sort of new insight. Recommended for Fables completionists only....more
So it's not a bad ending, but it was what the word anti-climactic was invented to describe.
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The battle was a letdown of epic proportions. Again,So it's not a bad ending, but it was what the word anti-climactic was invented to describe.
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The battle was a letdown of epic proportions. Again, the solution wasn't bad. But the build-up was so intense that to solve it with a wet fart resolution that just suddenly appeared like a light bulb over Rose's head? Like, didn't y'all notice that little tidbit before you started to amass the armies? Regardless. It is what it is. If you're going into this expecting a major throwdown with a lot of twists and turns, you'll need to tamp those expectations down quite a few notches.
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It was nice that Willingham took the time to write a bajillion epilogues for all the characters, but at some point, it just felt like overkill. I really hated Dare's epilogue. (view spoiler)[
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What the hell was that? Why even take the time to do that? And another weird thing is that you never actually see Snow grieve for him. I get that she's got a lot going on, but it's almost like an oh well we have 6 more feeling about his death. THAT'S NOT HOW THAT WORKS. I felt very cheated by that whole storyline because while his sacrifice meant everything to him, you never see anyone in his family (other than Therese) mention it.
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I definitely would suggest that you take the time to read the Fairest series because a lot of the answers to lingering questions (like what happened to Prince Charming and the statement that Snow White will die due to a sword through the heart) are in there.
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This was a really cool series and even if I wasn't blown away by the ending, it still ended well enough for me to walk away satisfied. Recommended....more
I have to say there is a slight sense that everything is kind of slipping off the rails here.
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I'm intrigued by Snow White and Rose Red3.5 Stars
I have to say there is a slight sense that everything is kind of slipping off the rails here.
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I'm intrigued by Snow White and Rose Red's origin but I'm also nervous. There were several important deaths in this one that were troublingly lackluster. When Blue died it was huge and really given the proper page time. These deaths? If you blink, you'll miss some main characters getting taken out. I'm just going to assume that there were solid reasons behind them and that it will be explained in the next volume.
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This one is a bit hard to review without giving away spoilers, but it's definitely a roller coaster ride! Looking forward to the last volume!...more
The main story revolves around Rose Red, but Camelot opens with Rodney and June's little Junebug exploring the castle on move-in day and discovering sThe main story revolves around Rose Red, but Camelot opens with Rodney and June's little Junebug exploring the castle on move-in day and discovering some villainous rat-men in a basement. How will they play into these final volumes, I wonder?
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Ok. Rose finally meets the grown-up Therese, and her story of redemption for herself and the toys inspires Rose to become Hope's Paladin of Second Chances. With this in mind, she creates a new Camelot - and all the problems that come with it.
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Rose's knights are characters who, for one reason or another, need a second chance to make up for something they've done. Unfortunately, Rose takes on a second chance pet project that once again divides her and Snow. And while you can't help but root for Rose, you know that this really was a step too far. (view spoiler)[ She takes on Brandish. Who is not only not repentant for killing Bigby and planning to kill Snow's cubs, but only agrees to do what Rose says because his other option is to be buried alive in concrete for all eternity. (hide spoiler)] Snow draws a line in the sand and when Rose crosses it, she (quite understandably) banishes Rose from all contact with her children.
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The Thirteenth Floor witches are still trying to find all of the pieces of Bigby to bring him back, when they realize that there is one mysterious piece of him that has seemingly vanished into the ether. Who has it? Mordred consults Lake (as in the Lady of the) only to find out that Rose and Snow may both be more powerful than anyone realizes. But before she can explain their bloodline to the witches, she's confronted with her own Fate when little Ambrose answers the door - and then goes on a drinking bender.
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Bigby meets up with Boy Blue in the afterlife and learns that the end is not the end. And he has to decide whether or not to go back to his old life in Fabletown with the knowledge that he may come back as a destroyer instead of a savior. There's also a sweet and much-needed reunion for him at the end of this issue.
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Winter narrates for a bit as she seamlessly helps her mother prepare for battle with her Aunt Rose and keeps up with her duties as North Wind. Although she may have made a big mistake by not keeping a closer eye on everyone in Fabletown.
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Gepetto is still lurking around trying to regain his old power. Using one of Pinocchio's old wooden soldiers he may have found a way around Ambrose's protections in the Sacred Grove.
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The last 2 issues see Briar Rose, Puss in Boots, and the other boys in the band heading out on an adventure that will end Fabletown. Just not in the way you're thinking...
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Whew! A lot happened in this volume and you can really feel the momentum of the story picking up as everything is hurtling toward the finish line. I'm so nervous!
I hope this is leading up to something good. Bufkin leads a revolution, and I'm glad to see both he and Lily get a HEA of sorts. He was my least favorI hope this is leading up to something good. Bufkin leads a revolution, and I'm glad to see both he and Lily get a HEA of sorts. He was my least favorite character and his adventures in Oz were my least favorite storylines. In that sense, I'm glad he's out of the way and all of the romance nonsense was wrapped up in the most palatable way possible.
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I kind of liked Beast's solution to his problem with the Blue Fairy. Arranging a marriage contract between her and Gepetto (who has no idea what's happening) is bound to be interesting.
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Bigby is out on a mission to find the missing cubs. This volume is happening simultaneously with volume 18 Cubs in Toyland and both volumes end with the same scene. Bigby is traveling worlds with Stinky, using Briar Rose's magical car. You can read how she got that in Fairest, Volume 1: Wide Awake, if you're interested. If you're reading the Fairest series, you'll also understand a bit more about Ambrose's part in the narration of the story.
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The main meat of the story comes from Mrs. Spratt's fencing teacher revealing himself as Brandish, the enchanted bear prince that Snow agreed to marry as a child. He claims that a promise to marry is marriage under the old laws, claims Snow as his wife, and locks her in his tower. Because fairytales gotta be fairytales.
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The rest of Fabletown, due to some powerful magic spells used by Brandish and some of their own archaic laws, are unable to help Snow escape. While the 13th Floor witches try to find a way around the enchantments, Mayor Cole sets about trying to enact laws that will give them the power to help their friend.
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Bigby and Rose make their way to Fabeltown to help her, but ultimately it will be up to Snow to put an end to her creepy ex-fiance.
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While not quite as dark as the last volume (not sure you can get darker) this one is still a hard pill to swallow in places. Still a good story, though. Looking forward to seeing how Willingham wraps it all up for all of these characters that I've come to love....more
Blech. This is one of my least favorite Fables stories so far. It was a chore to slog through for a go-nowhere plotline. And Nazis. Points deducted foBlech. This is one of my least favorite Fables stories so far. It was a chore to slog through for a go-nowhere plotline. And Nazis. Points deducted for using Nazis in a story...again. Also, I really didn't like the art style.
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This one was a callback to that incredible boring WWII story in Mean Seasons. And if I'd known they made an entire volume out of leftover Nazis-turned-werewolves, I probably would have just googled this to see if anything pertinent happened instead of wasting my time.
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I guess there's supposed to be some shock value here because when the werewolves shift to human form there are pages and pages of tits and badly drawn penises all over the place. I wasn't bothered by it, but I know some of you like your comics with less sausage and eggs on display. Buyer beware.
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The whole thing hinges on some Nazi scientist and one of his old war comrades accidentally getting Bigby's blood inside of them during a battle in WWII. And even though Bigby is supposedly a shapeshifter and son of the North Wind, this somehow made them into werewolves. Hopefully, this is somehow explained somewhere down the line but, regardless, I felt this was a garbage story. However, quite a few of my friends really loved this one, so check it out for yourself and decide....more
As the name suggests, this one focuses on which one of Snow & Bigsby's cubs will inherit their grandfather's title of The North Wind.
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Mr. North'As the name suggests, this one focuses on which one of Snow & Bigsby's cubs will inherit their grandfather's title of The North Wind.
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Mr. North's servants attempt to get the kids to take tests to see who is best fitted to the role, while in the meantime the other great Winds move into the castle and try to take over for themselves.
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Bufkin is still on a revolutionary crusade in the kingdom beside Oz. <--this is still my least favorite side story right now.
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There's a really cool story in here about a character that was so powerful no one even noticed he was saving our world. Including himself!
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And Rose Red gets a Christmas visit from a few Hopeful strangers who will try to guide her on her way to becoming a new Paladin of Hope.
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Another solid volume from this team. Recommended....more
Things really don't go as planned for Ozma and her Super Team. But is that always such a bad thing...?
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Bufkin goes on an adventure that didn't rThings really don't go as planned for Ozma and her Super Team. But is that always such a bad thing...?
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Bufkin goes on an adventure that didn't really interest me much, but I'm guessing it will tie into the larger story somewhere down the line.
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Bigby and his father have words when The North Wind finds out his son has been harboring the zephyr - Bigby & Snow's 7th son, Ghost. What will the Cubs think of him when Grandpa kills their brother?
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The awful Mrs. Spratt goes on a diet with a little help from Mr. Dark, in order to seek her revenge on all the Beauties in Fable town who've made her feel (whether they meant to or not) less than for all these centuries. Moral of the story? Don't fuck with former fat chicks.
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I will say that since this one had the final showdown with Mr. Dark, I was expecting quite a bit more. I thought Mr. Dark was so much delicious as a villain than silly Gepetto as The Adversary, and seeing how he finally went down (while it made complete sense) was underwhelming, to say the least.
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This was still a great volume, though, and I'm 100% looking forward to seeing what happens next with Bigby & Snow's kids!...more
This one was very hard for me to get into, but I did eventually end up liking it. I think the biggest problem for me was the art. It's all over the plaThis one was very hard for me to get into, but I did eventually end up liking it. I think the biggest problem for me was the art. It's all over the place, loud, and messy as hell.
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I started out reading the physical copy I own, but ended up switching over to digital just so I could zoom in on the panels and try to make sense out of what I was seeing. It definitely helped. Anyway, I finished the rest of the book and was really digging the story by the time I got to the last page.
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The gist is that there was some sort of world-breaking fight that killed off magic. Or made it impossible to make more magic. Something like that. Anyway, the main character is/was a bard and he's searching for his wife who has been captured by some wicked band of evildoers. Of course, not all is what it seems...
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He's a bit of a surly anti-hero who is willing to do bad things if it means he can rescue his wife, and with the help of his pentacorn (a unicorn with 5 horns), he sets out to do whatever it takes.
I'm interested enough to have downloaded the next volume....more
As the title suggests, this volume centers on all the witches. Frau Totenkinder takes off to find the man that took down Mister Dark the first time. We As the title suggests, this volume centers on all the witches. Frau Totenkinder takes off to find the man that took down Mister Dark the first time. We also get an introduction to the origins of this new character, Dunster Happ.
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And while our Black Forest Witch is at it, she takes a few years off her appearance and finds Mayor Cole a new source of revenue. Hmmm. Meanwhile, Ozma takes over the 13th Floor witches in her absence. And I'm really excited to find out more about who she is and what her plan is for everything.
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Finally, a baseball game has repercussions that ring out across Haven. Ambrose has to make a tough decision when too much alcohol leads to the first murder in his kingdom. But also we finally get a bit of resolution to the will-they-won't-they between Fly Catcher and Red Riding Hood!
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This was yet another great volume in an epic tale and I'm very excited for the Rose Red story in the next one. Recommended!
Oh, this was so cool. I remember reading the Snow White Rose Red fairly tak=le a bajillion years ago, and this was an incredibly clever retelling of iOh, this was so cool. I remember reading the Snow White Rose Red fairly tak=le a bajillion years ago, and this was an incredibly clever retelling of it that explains why rose Red has been such a shit to Snow White for all of these centuries. Not an excuse, but an explanation for why she was so angry at her sister. There really wasn't an excuse, and she still comes off as a completely self-absorbed dick, but at least now we know the reason why.
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I loved the twist of who Snow's wicked stepmother was, how Charimg found her, and who the dwarves were - although I had part of that picture from Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall.
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After finding out the truth of her and her sister's past, you see a change come over Rose as she attempts to really make amends and repair the damage she caused. You also find out more about how the affair went down with Charming. I hope he comes back because he looks like less and less of a serial douchebag as new things about his past are revealed.
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It was awesome to see Rose stop feeling sorry for herself and the things she'd done, and take back control of the Farm. Gepetto was up to his old tricks in her absence and it was great to see her no-nonsense way of dealing with his new run at power. And speaking of, since Ozma brought an enemy of the old Adversary to the Farm, it will be interesting to see how she integrates into the story.
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The second half is the battle between Frau Tokenkinder and Mr. Dark and it's good. Really, really good. And that's all I can say without spoiling stuff.
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All right. That's kind of it for the real story, but there is a ton of filler in here because it has the 100th issue in this volume. I'm going to be 100% honest and say that none of it was really very good. Probably the cutest thing was the cut-out section where you could supposedly make paper dolls and backgrounds and then the little board game thing.
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The worst for me was a short prose story about Pinocchio and Gepetto. I hate reading prose in comic books unless it's just somehow ah-mazing, and this wasn't. I really couldn't give two shits about either of those characters, and this clunky little story would have been a whole lot easier to swallow with less words and more pictures.
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There were also Questions From Fans again. Except these were questions from b-list celebrity fans that I'm guessing were friends with the author or something. It didn't give me the warm fuzzies like it did when Willingham answered fan questions the first time.
Still, this had a great main story and I can't wait to see what happens next!...more
This volume opens with Skinny Hulk vs The Thing, hits you in the feels a couple of times, and then gets wilder from there.
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Joe Fixit is in contrThis volume opens with Skinny Hulk vs The Thing, hits you in the feels a couple of times, and then gets wilder from there.
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Joe Fixit is in control and he and his emaciated counterpart head to Hell (sort of) to rescue Banner. Meanwhile, something else shakes loose from that place and tries to work its way out.
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Alpha Flight gets a makeover with some evil new members called the U-Foes, while the old members set out to try and find Doc Samson's original body. Of course, they run into some problems along the way.
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New gamma powers pop up, old friends reunite, and it looks like everything is heading towards the showdown we've all been waiting for! I will say I was somewhat confused as to what was happening at certain times, but I'm not sure if that's because the story was actually murky in spots or if it's just because it's been a few months since I read the last volume. But it's not like I'm going to stop reading now, so what does it matter? I would love to sit down and do a re-read of this entire run once it's out, though. I've said it before, but this is honestly the best Hulk comic I've ever read and I imagine that this will be considered the iconic version of this character within a few years' time. Seriously. If you're on the fence, you might as well go ahead and read this one now.
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The art is the star here and in the rest of the volumes. So, even if you're unconvinced that Ewing's run is the strongest there is, you need to take a look at the incredible panels drawn by Joe Bennett and the covers by Alex Ross. Alex Ross is perfection and Joe Bennett makes body horror look visually stunning. Highly Recommended!...more
From left field comes this new bad guy who is Literally going to write the universe out of existence. If anyone can stop him, it's going to be our beloFrom left field comes this new bad guy who is Literally going to write the universe out of existence. If anyone can stop him, it's going to be our beloved Fables.
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This was a fun plot device and it felt very much like Willingham was having blast, creating an evil immortal writer with the power of a god who is hampered only by his twin brother Writer's Block. The gist is that there are a group of Literals who sort of control the narrative of the universe, the main dude is Kevin Thorn. <--the god with a hankering to do a rewrite The Genres also show up and several interesting characters like Sam who Kevin resurrected to advise him.
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As much as I enjoyed this volume, I also spent a lot of time feeling lost. Like there was something else I should have read first so that I could understand where these characters came from. I'm assuming that I needed to have been reading Jack of Fables along with the main Fables title?
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Overall though, I thought this was another great volume....more
