Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book Four [Hardcover]

Bill Willingham (Author), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: February 21, 2012 | Series: Fables

Bill Willingham's hit series FABLES continues here, for the first time in hardcover. In the aftermath of the Adversary's attack on Fabletown, FABLES: THE DELUXE EDITION BOOK 4 follows with the impending birth of Snow White and Bigby Wolf's children! Meanwhile, Boy Blue goes on a mission of revenge, as he discovers the Adversary's true identity.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo; Deluxe edition (February 21, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401233902
• ISBN-13: 978-1401233907
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 1 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,595 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Willingham never fought a desperate and losing battle in a good cause, never contributed to society in a meaningful way, and hasn't lived a life of adventure, but he's had a few moments of near adventure. At some point in his life Bill learned how to get paid for telling scurrilous lies to good people, and he's been doing it ever since. He lives in the wild and frosty woods of Minnesota.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Keeping The Excellence February 23, 2012

By Bruno Marisi

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fables Deluxe Edition Vol. 4 reprints Fables #28 to 33 and the original graphic novel Fables: 1001 Nights Of Snowfall.

The first 2 issues are a tale of Bigby in his World War II combat days, a la Sgt. Rock. It's a great story that digs even deeper in an already wonderfully developed character. Pure gold.

Issues 30 to 33 tells a yearlong story (in the Fables continuity) that begins dealing with the aftermath of the previous volume and ends shaking the series status quo up. And it does it in both serious and excellent ways, making Fables move forward in exciting new directions. It's a truly heartbreaking, bittersweet story, full of character development, a department where Bill Whillingham shines like very few writers.

And then we have 1001 Nights Of Snowfall. Some people are (and will be) angry at Vertigo for reprinting this story, since it was originally published as a hardcover. I can totally understand that. But... personally, I'm just glad to see it included in the Deluxe series, as the original HC has a smaller (standard) trim size and I prefer to have all the Fables stories in this deluxe-oversized format. 1001 Nights features and ensemble of artists of the highest quality, including Brian Bolland, John Bolton, James Jean (yeah, doing interior artwork!), Michael Kaluta, Jill Thompson and Charles Vess among others. Willingham writing is, of course, top notch as usual.

Finally, the edition is great, just as the previous volumes. It keeps the quality of paper stock and printing and features a printed hardback under the dustjacket (unlike the rest of Vertigo and DC's hardcovers that are just plain black). It's a glued binding book, but I don't regard this as an issue since the book reads swell and there's no significant gutter loss. I highly recomend this series to ANY comic-book or literature enthusiast. This is a book of unique and universal appealing.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of content, may be a disappointment... February 24, 2012

By Charles T. Pressley

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

These Deluxe reprints of Fables have been a great (and fairly cost effective) way to collect the series and put some good looking swag up on your shelf. Typical Vertigo trades, at least in my opinion, are put out as economical and not-particularly-durable options for readers who didn't buy the individual issues. The Deluxe editions offer a serious, classy alternative without the huge markup normally inherent to hardcover omnibus editions.

Here's my one gripe. Half this collection already exists as a fine hardcover volume. 1001 Nights of Snowfall is an OGN not published within the "main" run of this Series. Frankly, I already own it, and buying it twice is ever so slightly frustrating. That said, it is "oversized" from its original printing, and is worth reading for fans of the series (actually, almost imperative). For those reasons it makes sense to have been included here, but feels like a waste of 100 pages.

As for the rest of the book, if you're a fan and intend to purchase these Deluxe Editions, there's actually little reason not to buy this one. If you're not a fan, but intend to read Fables for the first time in the fanciest way currently possible, the hardcovers are a perfect way to do it. And who knows, at the rate these are being printed you have a real hope of catching up.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 1/2 a book for the full price February 22, 2012

By A. Korman

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As others may have noted, this edition is not a pure continuation of the series in hardback. Instead this title is 50% continuation from the 3rd deluxe edition and then the complete run of 1001 Nights of Snowfall. The Amazon summary seems to neglect thus. This is fairly disappointing as 1001 Nights of Snowfall was already in hardback, and I imagine, already purchased by most of the people who would buy this book. For those who are completionists, you're essentially getting hosed as you'll need this book to complete the series in hardback. Outside of that, this book is of the same quality as the previous deluxe editions.