T-shirt #184 - Fables

T-shirt #184 - Fables

Pictures of me are featured here wearing my Fables shirt in the place I bought it: Fanfare Sports and Entertainment of Kalamazoo.

Funny thing, yesterday at Kalamazoo College, dropping off my best friend's son to an acting class (as he, the son, Sam, is considering K-College), the acting teacher recognized me from seeing me in Fanfare. I recognized him, too, but I couldn't place him.

Today is dedicated to Fables, which I am ashamed to say, and I have confessed this before, has often fallen into my back log. But no more. I am caught up and intend to remain caught up on this extraordinarily fantastic comic book. Arguably, if I was forced to make a top five list of best comics being published right now, I would surely put Fables on it.

I already wrote about Fables on this blog, but most notably, it appears on my list of comic book recommendations for non-comic book readers, which appeared in the Paul Pope entry T-shirt #160.

It's not a ranked list so the spot on the list is irrelevant (it's sixth). As I wrote then, and I will write now, I would not recommend it to everyone as the first thing to try as someone who wants to start with comics. But certain people with an interest in fantasy will adore it. Really, everyone would adore it. But better for some people to start with something that is truly up their alley.

Fables has been consistently one of my favorite comics for many years. As it is up to issue 133, that's almost 12 years of reading. Willingham and Buckingham have produced many other comics prior to Fables, but this is surely the best work of either of their careers.



With many spin-offs and consistent sales, Fables is the core seller of DC's Vertigo line, and surely deserves its place on a list of best comics of all time.

For those not in the know, Fables is a comic book that chronicles the lives of the classic "fable" characters, such as Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf (known as Bigby), Rose Red, Beauty, the Beast, Jack Horner, Pinocchio, Boy Blue, Cinderella, and so many others. These characters are forced out of their Homelands by the Adversary (who turns out to be... oh wait, NO SPOILERS) and live in communities (one in new York and one farm in upstate New York) hidden from the "mundies" (short for Mundanes, normal, non-Fable people like us).

The comic is just brilliant and has been so for its entire, nearly 12 years run.

I am not as big a fan of the second volume story arc ("Animal Farm") as other stories, so people who start reading the volumes in order are advised to stick with it as they may not like the second volume as much as the first either. Some of the best work with Fables has been done recently, such as "Cubs in Toyland" (issues 114-121), the Mister Dark story that culminated in issue #100, "Inherit the Wind" (issues 108-111), and this current storyline (started in issue #131) for "Camelot" about reforming the Arthurian Round Table to take on a sacred quest.

Fables  has won many awards and praise for its writing and art. Arguably, both NBC's and ABC's "fable" TV shows started as adaptations of Fables. Apparently, a live action film is in the works adapting Fables.

For a full explanation of all Fables stuff, check out the Wiki for FABLES.

At 133 current issues, like other current epics (The Walking Dead), Fables  is a massive commitment, but it's well worth the time and the investment.

READ FABLES!!

BTW, in the pictures of me in Fanfare, I am posing in front of a Fables display created by Andrew. The photos were taken by Bill Artis, which is why there's a blurry one.

:-)

WEEKLY COMIC LIST

Infinity takes top spot this week, up from third place two weeks ago (T-shirt #168), but the cliff hanger about Thanos' son coming from Black Bolt had me hooked (as reviewed in T-shirt #176).

This is a small week in terms of numbers of comics, especially since I am not buying all of DC's villains books. I still have not gone back to buy those I skipped. I may not.

Because of fewer books this week, Daredevil moves up two spots from a month ago (T-shirt #156), and Fables (the subject of today's blog post) moves up several spots and is out of the back log.

Also, Thor, which is usually not back logged, fell to the back log because the last issue was a filler. I have moved up both issues, right near Fables, and so those will surely get read this week.

And, after buying the first volume of old Aquaman comics in Fanfare's sale last week, I grabbed the second volume this week as I enjoyed the first one so much. I read a great deal of it last week in Detroit as it was the only book I took with me on our trip.

COMICS FOR THE WEEK OF 1309.18
Infinity #3 of 6
New Avengers #10
Daredevil #031
Uncanny X-Men #012 (Battle of the Atom chapter 4)
Thunderbolts #015
Fables #133
Mind the Gap #14
Great Pacific #10
Thunder Agents #2
Batman and Robin: Ra's al Ghul #23.3
Teen Titans: Deathstroke #23.2





BACK LOG
Morbius the Living Vampire #008
Savage Wolverine #008
Secret Avengers #009
Thor God of Thunder #013
Ultimate X-Men #31

SPECIAL PURCHASES
DC Showcase Presents Collected Edition - Aquaman - Volume 2

FABLES  - ART GALLERY
I could go a bit nuts with Fables art. Here's a nice selection of covers and assorted art work, though no pages. I don't want to spoil any story. Just the covers reveal too much.

Fables #51

Fables #70

Fables #91

Fables #96

Fables #123

Fables #109

Jack of Fables #17

Covers from first four trade papaerbacks

-chris tower - 1309.21 - 15:41