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Fables Vol. 3: Storybook Love

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Unlike in the first two volumes of Fables, there is no single story arc in this one. Instead we get four tales of different lengths that help fill in the Fables world.

In "Bag o' Bones" Jack the Giant Killer has allied with the South in the Civil War. Once fortunes turn against the South, Jack winds up having adventures involving the Devil, Death, and a beautiful cursed Southern Belle.

In "a Two-Part Caper" a reporter contacts Bigby to let him know that he knows his secret. He has discovered the colony of immortals and is convinced that they are vampires. Bigby, with the help of Sleeping Beauty, Bluebeard, the Frog Prince, Prince Charming and Boy Blue, makes a late night raid to ensure their secret is kept.

In "Storybook Love", the longest story in the collection, Bigby and Snow become targets and are removed from Fabletown, Prince Charming squares off against Bluebeard, a villain returns, unforseen repercussions arise, and Charming decides to look into running for mayor.

Bigby tells The Frog Prince the story of "Barleycorn Bride" wherein John Barleycorn must help the rest of the refugee Lilliputians find brides their own size.

The tales in this volume are well-done. The first and last help fill in some of the history while the middle two move the modern story along very nicely. Another very entertaining read.

In the third volume of Bill Willingham's great Fables, we are treated to multiple storyarcs. Two one-shots, a two part caper, and a four part revenge story make up the plotlines of Storybook Love, which is the best volume yet.
Starting with Bag of Bones, we see some things that Jack of the Tales has done to earn his trickster reputation. In an attempt to get rich, he intended to marry a southern belle and would win her over by joining the Confederates in the Civil War. Though, as we all know, the war didn't turn out the way he expected it to. After the war, he ran into a (possibly demonic) man whom he bamboozled in a card game. Using a magic sack won from the man, Jack went as far as to prevent death, with some rather, um, graphic results.
In the caper story, we are introduced to Briar Rose, popularly known as Sleeping Beauty, who is still victim to the curse whenever she gets a pricked finger. When a reporter claims that he has figured out the fables' secret (he believes them to be vampires), he warns Sheriff Bigby Wolf that he is going to publish and unless they don't want any input, he had better give him an interview. Wolf refuses, and plans a scheme to discredit the journalist. Using Boy Blue, Jack, Bluebeard, Prince Charming, and Briar Rose, they knock out the entire building, using Briar Rose's curse, and proceed with their plan. The plan is nothing one would ever see in a storybook; it involves blackmail and murder threats. Wolf is ruthless to the man, and it ends with a rogue fable taking care of things his own way.
Storybook Love is somewhat of a followup to Animal Farm. Goldilocks, an insane militant is still on the run from Snow White and Bigby Wolf, and it turns out that none other than Bluebeard is hiding her (for a price of course, which at the time is quite lewd). Still angry with Wolf for the way Wolf treated him in the caper, Bluebeard gives Goldilocks the means to take out Snow and Wolf. Bluebeard magically hypnotizes the pair and sends them off on a camping trip from which he thinks they will never return. After they wake up, they soon are running for their lives from Goldilocks, which is still hard for Snow White, because she is still using a cane from the incident in Animal Farm. While in the woods, Snow and Bigby are able to get to know each other better. The story ends with two great twists; one of which involves Snow White beginning to shed her image of an ice queen.
Finally, in Barleycorn Bridge, Wolf tells Flycatcher the story of Smalltown, a community at the Farm. It was founded by the Liliputian army (Liliputians are the tiny people from Gulliver's Travels) after they escaped from the Adversary's armies in the Homelands. Since the army was made up of only men, they immediately realized that they had a problem; without women their size, they couldn't procreate or find love. A liliputian and his bird go on an adventure back to the Homelands to solve the problem.
Fables continues its wonderful subversive nature. The stories are both humorous and horrific. Goldilocks is an insane girl who likes interspecies flings, and who, towards the end, ends up looking pretty grisly. Prince Charming is a jerk who can sway women due to his impressive looks, but becomes a bigger burden than he's worth. And Pinnochio, well his role in the story is better left unspoiled. Willingham does an excellent job of telling stories with such famous characters, but doing them with his own unique twists.

I liked the first two volumes of "Fables," but felt some of the characterization was a bit uneven as Willingham developed his characters and the world of Fabletown. In this volume, there is one sequence that advances the main story arc and further develops the characters of Snow White, Bigby Wolf, and Prince Charming, and three other stories which stand on their own. I felt the characters were all much more real in this volume, and the setting more solid.

The main story (which advances the series' overall plot) features the return of Goldilocks, whose appearance always seems to guarantee a bloodbath, and develops the relationship between Snow White and Bigby Wolf. Bigby becomes a much more interesting character in this story, starting to become more than just a "Wolverine" knockoff. Prince Charming also takes a minor but significant role in this story, and surprisingly, also becomes much more interesting, as we see that he can be more than just a manipulative cad.

One of the secondary stories is about a muckraking journalist who discovers the Fables' secret and threatens to expose them. It introduces Briar Rose, aka "Sleeping Beauty," and also stars Bigby Wolf, Prince Charming, and Bluebeard.

The other two secondary stories are more traditional fairy tales that have nothing to do with the main story arc, but flesh out the characters and world of the Fables. One is set during the Civil War and stars Jack of the Tales as his usual scoundrel self. The other tells of how the Lilliputians came to our world and joined the other Fables on The Farm.

Sometimes, authors don't know what they have. I'm sure the creators of classic fables like Little Red Riding Hood and Snow white never thought the villain of one and the protagonist of the other would ever find love, but author Bill Willingham finds a way to make it work in this intelligent and beautifully illustrated story arc.

The fables, exiled from their home world, live in Manhattan and exist as a fractured community, faced with the mundane (they call normal human Mundys) and the fantastical (Beauty's Beast turning beastial in appearance whenever she's mad at him), all under the watchful and creative eye of Willingham.

Reading this (or the other two excellent collections), one gets the feeling Willingham has done a lot of research into the original fables and not the Disneyized versions we have come to know. Literary buffs, academics, those who like a good laugh and anyone who wanted to know what happened after they lived happily ever after should pick this up. Beware, however, that this is not for children. Let them grow up with Disney and they'll be very entertained when they're old enough to read this.

This series is one of the better things in the comic world since the Sandman series ended and Batman storylines seem to be regressing to the "wam" "pow" era... More please Mr Willingham

I really like this series. The tongue-in-cheek nature of some of the characters juxtaposed with the dead-real nature of others mixed with the fantasy of near-immportal characters from Western fables (both well-known and, now, lesser-known) living in the city of NY is a great idea. The good artwork and coloring is just an added bonus.

In this marvelous and engaging series of funnybook stories collected here, Bigby Wolf (also known as the Big Bad) attempts to romance the ever-elusive Snow White while Prince Charming (having divorced Snow White, Briar Rose, and Cinderella) kills Bluebeard and a homicidal Goldilocks is on the lam. Throw in the Mouse Police that never sleep, the Lilliputians and Thumbelina, and a flying monkey serving temporarily as a mayor and what a fun, rollicking romp through archetypes and the collective unconsciousness. Just some of the best comics reading around, but as others have mentioned elsewhere, this isn't Disney and these aren't the sweet and sticky fairy story characters the unwitting might suspect.

This is the third book in the Fables series. Unlike the first two books this one is comprised of four separate tales. This installment does an excellent job of filling in some background while still moving the main story along.

The first installment tells about Jack the Giant killer and his love of a cursed southern belle. The second talks about Bigby Wolf dealing with a reporter who thinks he's discovered the secret of Fabletown. The third is the longest and progresses the story the furthest; this one is about Goldilocks trying to kill Snow White and Bigby. The fourth is about Jack and the Beanstalk.

All of the stories are engaging and interesting. The third (Storybook Love) about Snow White and Bigby ends on a total cliffhanger that had me dying to know what would happen next. The illustration is in keeping with previous book; although the fourth story didn't have as detailed artwork as the three that came before it.

This book was another engaging, humorous, and interesting set of Fabletown tales. I am absolutely hooked on this series and excited to read the 4th book, March of the Wooden Soldiers. The world continues to gain complexity and I am always surprised by the fables that pop up in the storylines. It is fun to try and figure out who is from which fable/fairy tale.

Overall an excellent installment to this series. I am eager to find out what happens next. It was great to get background on some of the characters as well as have the story progress. This is definitely an adult graphic novel; there is nudity and violence. Fans of fairy tales, humorous urban fantasy, or just fantasy graphic novels in general should make sure to check out this series.

The premise of Fables is that certain characters from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and classic children's literature are living sub rosa in New York, either in Manhattan, if they look human, or upstate on The Farm, if they would attract undue attention in the Big Apple. Why are they in Mundania? They had to flee their respective Homelands as these were conquered by a merciless Adversary who only offers two options: surrender to die. (The Adversary's identity is revealed eventually.) But some escaped through portals.
The cover of the first volume, Legends in Exile, shows Snow White in running shoes racing to catch a subway crowded with characters, including Beauty and the Beast, Bluebeard, Prince Charming, and a Flying Monkey. This first story arc is a tribute to film noir, with a humanized Big Bad Wolf as the sheriff, called on by a frantic Jack to solve the murder of his girlfriend, Rose Red. Since Rose is her estranged sister, a distraught Snow White involves herself in the investigation. The seductive but impecunious Prince Charming also shows up, which raises Bigby Wolf's hackles, because his own nostrils are wide open for Snow White.
Animal Farm introduces the wilder elements, as Snow White runs for her life from an uprising of disgruntled Fables. When Reynard the Fox isn't making the moves on her, Shere Khan is trying to make a meal of her. A murderous, gun-toting Communist Goldilocks leads the rebellion.
Storybook Love brings the Bigby Wolf-Snow White story arc to a crisis, while Bluebeard and Goldilocks connive to take over Fabletown.
In volume four, March of the Wooden Soldiers, Fabletown is threatened with exposure by an observant journalist, and it becomes apparent that the Adversary plans to bring the war to Fabletown. The rest of the series divides between following the Snow White-Bigby Wolf saga, and the unfolding epic of the war for the Homelands, in which a most unlikely hero emerges. Along the way are background material stories, such as Mowgli's mission to win Bagheera's freedom and visit to the Arabian Nights realm to win allies in the war against the Adversary. Jack goes to Hollywood to make himself the most popular, and thereby the most powerful of all Fables. That's a funny storyline. There is considerable humor throughout, and more character development than any review can summarize. At the same time, some segments are R-rated for graphic sex and/or violence. All the stories are magnificently written by Willingham, and the many illustrators include Lan Medina, Alex Maleev, Mark Buckinham, and Steve Leiahola - who makes the Snow Queen look fine. (He did a lot of work on the X-Men in the Chris Claremont days.)
This is the ongoing graphic novel series to look for when you have reread Watchmen enough times to memorize it. I simply cannot say enough good things about it. With 12 volumes in print, and more are on the way (Yes!), it is one of the treasures of comicdom.

I don't know why it took me this long to get on board the FABLES bandwagon. For years now, left and right, everyone's been pimping this series to me. Now, count me converted. I finally read a FABLES trade paperback, and, it turns out, everyone's right. This is some of the best reading currently being produced in comic book-dom, and I got straight-away hooked. FABLES: STORYBOOK LOVE happens to be the third volume, and is so good I just had to say stuff about it.

Some background: Once upon a time, some terrible, terrible thing called the Adversary went on an all-out bloody invasion of the fairy tale kingdoms, causing now suddenly deposed magical creatures, these "fables," to flee to far distances in search of sanctuary. The refugees escaped into our world and were able to make a home of sorts. And, so, today, in a nondescript nook of New York City sits Fabletown. Ah, but if the regular Joes only knew...

And, by the way, those fairy tale creatures who couldn't pass for humans instead while their days away in a concealed place called the Farm, in upstate New York. As you may imagine, being forced to live in seclusion tends to foster unrest. See Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm.

Even though FABLES boasts an ensemble cast, it's not surprising that the most noteworthy characters are Snow White, who is Fabletown's no-nonsense deputy mayor, and Bigby Wolf, Fabletown's reformed and resident sheriff. In fact, at the back end of Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile, Bill Willingham's great prose short story - which focused on the Big Bad Wolf as he was in the olden days and how he first met Snow White - not only put the finishing touch to a wonderful read, but made me start really rooting for something to blossom between these two. Anyway, with that romantic regard in mind, things kind of come to a head in this third volume.

FABLES, Vol. 3: STORYBOOK LOVE reprints issues #11-18 of the series. Things start off with "Bag o' Bones," a fun, homespun-flavored story of Jack Horner set during the Civil War era, including that time he ends up playing cards with the crafty debbil. I haven't yet checked out JACK OF FABLES, the spin-off comic, yet it's pretty evident that Jack Horner is one of those likable rogues. To quote Willingham himself: "Jack is basically all of the Jacks who have ever appeared in fairy tales, folklore, nursery rhymes and old folk ballads." So Jack's been a busy, busy cad.

Next is a two-parter. Issues #12 & 13 tell of an overly-curious journalist who, believing that Fabletown is a hotbed of vampires, plans to publish an expose. But dummy makes the mistake of telling Bigby about it. Bigby and his fable cohorts concoct a pretty clever scheme to foil the guy. A mostly lighthearted caper, with a grim ending.

Then comes the meat of this volume, the four-part "Storybook Love." Goldilocks (the villainess in FABLES Vol. 2: ANIMAL FARM) works in concert with Lord Bluebeard to once and for all get rid of Snow White and Bigby. Their shenanigans involve the ensorcelling of Snow and Bigby and sending them off into the wilds, with the notion of then murdering them. It doesn't work, and this story arc culminates in a discovery which binds Snow and Bigby closer (the particulars of which actually end up royally ticking Snow off). Plus, Lord Bluebeard and that insufferably good-looking wastrel, Prince Charming, dabble in friendly, and then not-so-friendly, fencing.

Finally, in "Barleycorn Brides," Bigby narrates to Flycatcher the origin of Smalltown's traditional rite of passage. It's cute.

I wasn't too sure, going in, whether Bill Willingham would be able to pull this off, but he does, and brilliantly. He gathers all these characters - drawn from all walks of folklore and mythology - and manages to place them into one cohesive continuity. More, Willingham lends character development and a dose of realism to these fantastical elements. I've liked Willingham since back in his days with THE ELEMENTALS, and it's nice to see he hasn't lost his storytelling skills (and lest folks forget, dude can also draw). And, naturally, part of the fun is in placing the lesser known characters (Did you know that Bufkin, the flying blue monkey originates from the Oz books?). Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha's artwork, by the way, perfectly complements Willingham's great writing and whimsy and humor. I dig the way they draw Bigby Wolf. Not to mention, I could waste long moments staring at James Jean's expressive covers.

FABLES is published under DC Comic's Vertigo label and is intended for mature audiences. These issues are laced with profanity and occasional nudity, so you maybe shouldn't hand these out to the young 'uns. But for those older types who relish urban fantasy and reading stories by Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, FABLES hits the spot. This series is marked by the unexpected, by its intrigues and grotesqueries and topsy-turvies, where the Big Bad Wolf is a hero and Goldilocks is a psychopath, and the Frog Prince is a janitor. And, for these expatriated fables, is there a happily ever after?

Not if Bill Willingham has anything to say about it (and he does).