A Man With An Agenda

The characters of our most beloved fairy tales and stories exist and live in exile. Centuries ago their various kingdoms and worlds - from Oz to the Great Forest - were invaded and conquered by the Adversary, a sinister and apparently unstoppable force. After a time, the Fable refugees banded together and formed a government in the 'far colonies' under Mayor King Cole, the ones who could pass for human in the small town of New Amsterdam and the rest on a remote farm upriver. Their Fabletown enclave is now a city block in Manhattan.

Snow White, as deputy administrator, is bemoaning the poor state of Fabletown's government finances to Boy Blue when she is informed by Sheriff Bigby (as in, Big Bad Wolf) that her sister Rose Red is missing and presumed dead. There is a murder to be solved and the suspects keep piling up. The story is focused, but a lot of groundwork was being laid, sometimes only as a quick gag - the marital problems of Beauty and Beast 1,000 years later - something I can appreciate now that I've read it over again followed by more of the sequels.

'Fables' is a great example of what can be done with comics, some of its themes may be dated and the mythological continues to be almost mined to death, but overall still exciting.

Fables

Next: 'Fables, Vol. 2: Animal Farm'