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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Janitor King, June 17, 2008
"Fables 10: The Good Prince" is latest of Bill Willingham's outstanding Fables series. If you are not familiar with the series I recommend you read no further. Start at the beginning. In order to truly understand and enjoy this series and put this book done with a sense of satisfaction, you have to start at the beginning.
Even if you're familiar with the series, I'll try and not spoil it by giving away too much of the movie. :-)
This series of stories centers around Flycatcher, the Frog Prince. Recently he has come to terms with the death of his wife and children at the hands of the Adversary. He's not the same anymore. He's no longer the dim-witted, happy- go- lucky genial janitor of Fabletown. He's a man in mourning and he's finally ready to do something about it.
Along with the Forsworn Knight and wearing his armor guided by visions, Ambrose descends into the Witching Well on a desperate mission. He is the only man for the job. But before he can start, he needs the help of those at the bottom of the well........
Meanwhile, Prince Charming and other leaders of the community are preparing for war. Prince Charming is a first rate wartime leader. They have been made aware that Lord Hansel and company have a mission to rescue the heads of wooden soldiers captured in the battle for Fabletown. In the process they are a distraction while the Adversary plans to destroy our world.
As the events unfold, we find out so much. Things like who is the real power in Fabletown. We learn who originally wore the armor of the Forsworn Knight. We find that the Adversary is more than a talking puppet but someone still pulls his strings with ridiculous ease. Of course Bigby and Snow are hardly retired.....
It never ceases to amaze me how this series remains fresh. Mr. Willingham is a genius. In my previous review, I have never given proper credit to the artwork of Mark Buckingham. He is my favorite artist of the series. His style is heavily, unabashedly influenced by the late, great Jack Kirby. Look at the portrait of Boy Blue on page 32. It's very reminiscent of Kirby's Kamandi. The goblin soldiers and their uniforms remind me of Mister Miracle and the denizens of Darkseid.
This is a worthy addition to the series and reading it was a joy.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A disappointment, June 23, 2008
I've been a fan of Fables for a long time--I love the writing, the art, the characters and the story. I'd been a little sad to see the series fall in quality over the last few storylines, and was really looking forward to this story, as it seemed to promise a return to the glory days--an epic plotline on par with "Homelands" or "March of the Wooden Soldiers."
I was, unfortunately, disappointed.
The problem is, I think, in the plotting. I won't give much away, but suffice it to say Flycatcher, the innocent, pure janitor who only recently remembered the fate of his family under the Adversary, goes on an epic journey to redeem himself and their memory. How what he ends up doing really connects with them isn't made clear, which is a fault, but much bigger is the general lack of real conflict or character development. There's only one point, right at the end of the story, where the reader really fears for the hero's survival. I mean, given the artificial nature of narrative, the reader understands implicitly that yes, the hero probably survives at least until the climax of the story, but each tribulation that Flycatcher faces is easily overcome. They should have spent more space showing the struggles rather than summarizing their difficulty, and they should have made them more difficult overall.
It just seems as if everything is laid at the hero's feet. Yes, this is occasionally how things work out in real life (presidencies, college acceptances, cush corporate positions), but it doesn't make for very compelling reading. As a result, not only is the story dramatically flat, but the main character doesn't seem to develop all that much. Flycatcher at the end is pretty much the same Flycatcher we've loved since the beginning of the series--and after all this, he shouldn't be.
Interspersed in Flycatcher's main story are snippets of Fabletown preparing for war with the Adversary. This was interesting, but I feel it detracted from Flycatcher's journey--if he doesn't get a break from his struggles, why do we? And by the end, I didn't feel I'd read a complete story--the dramatic payoff of the Flycatcher story was too light, and the war promised more compelling drama.
Technically, the story leaves something to be desired. The writing is riddled with overly wordy, stilted, unrealistic dialogue, with characters monologuing about what they're doing or planning instead of getting on and doing it. The series has always had this problem to a certain extent, and even the best of writers do it every once in a while, but it really shows here. And though I'm a tremendous fan of certain aspects of Buckingham's art, it's been getting a little sloppy of late, and seems particularly rushed in certain parts. On the other hand, he still manages to deliver some stunning vistas and clever cuts. The best art of the book is in the guest artist's issue, however.
I struggled to decide whether to rate this two or three stars; in the end, my affection for the series won over my criticisms. But I hope they pick up the ball for the coming war and ramp up the drama. Our heroes need true obstacles, not wave after wave of easily-dispersed faux-foes. Heaven forbid, it might be useful to kill a few of them off, like they did in the early days of the series. This book hasn't soured me on Fables, but I will be looking to the next plotlines with a more critical eye. I've seen how good they can be; I expect to see that quality again.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Series Continues to Please!, October 7, 2008
I thought by now I'd be over FABLES. I mean, Ten bound volumes, plus those Jack extras, etc.
But no. It keeps me involved and interested and delighted. While the critique that this one is not sufficiently involved with evolving characterization rings true, we nevertheless get some revelations, we get a fun plot with a twist, we get a bit of humor, and we get a trip down to the Witching Well (which, come on, weren't you curious?)
This installment, which harkens more to a traditional hero's journey, a more traditional fable, in this case, Flycatcher's redemptive journey, fills that bill nicely. We see tormented Flycatcher take the reins of his destiny--and, naturally, magic is afoot. His journey twines with that of the Forsworn Knight (another recurring background character who has been tickling curiosity out of me from the start). The two find a way to heal wounds, make amends, and do good. It will affect both the exiles and the homelanders. It's certainly gonna tick off the Big Baddie puppetmaker.
Characterization quibbles aside, and even the complaint that this too easily solves a great portion of the war build-up---well, I'm gonna give the writers credit that they'll find a way to up the stakes, despite what happens here.
This is a story of redemptions, heroism, self-sacrifice, and reaping the rewards of virtue (or the just desserts of baddieness). It's got a happy ending (which I love), and it gives a message of seeking ways other than traditional warfare to bring a resolution (at least in part) and solve problems for the greater community. That's a good lesson. Although, naturally, it's easier done when one has magical armor, Excalibur, and a band of special fighters not limited to traditional means. (Okay, so maybe that does dilute the pacifistic point. Heh.) There's even a nifty ecological message in the climactic battle.
All in all, a wonderful addition to the ongoing storyline of FABLES. I love this series. Top-notch stuff. Can't wait to get #11 to add to my collection.
Mir
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