All Purpose Fables Thread

[snarkbunny]

Anyone have a good reading order for Fables, Jack, Cindy minis + all the trades?

Try:
01. Legends in Exile (collects Fables 01–05 & "A Wolf in the Fold" short story)
02. Animal Farm (collects 6–10)
03. Storybook Love (collects 11–18)
04. March of the Wooden Soldiers (collects 19–21,23–27 & The Last Castle special)
05. The Mean Seasons (collects 22,28–33)
06. Homelands (collects 34-41)
07. Arabian Nights (and Days) (collects 42–47)
08. Wolves ((collects 48-51)
JOF 01. The (Nearly) Great Escape (collects 1–5)
1001 Nights of Snowfall -> Provides background info for the next TPBS.
09. Sons of Empire (collects 52–59)
JOF 02. Jack of Hearts (collects 6–11)
10. The Good Prince (collects 60–69)
JOF 03. The Bad Prince (collects 12–16)
11. War and Pieces (collects 70-75)
Peter & Max, a prose novel by Bill Willingham.
CINDY 01. From Fabletown With Love (collects Cinderella – From Fabletown With Love 1–6)
JOF 04. Americana (collects 17-21)
12. The Dark Ages (76-82)
JOF 05. Turning Pages (collects 22-27)
JOF 06. The Books of War (collects 28-32)
13. The Great Fables Crossover (collects Fables 83-85, The Literals 1-3, Jack of Fables 33-35).
14. Witches (collects 86-93)
JOF 07. The New Adventures of Jack and Jack (collects 36-40)
JOF 08. The Fulminate Blade (collects 41-45)
15. Rose Red (collects 94-100)
JOF 09. The Ultimate Jack of Fables Story (collects 46-50)
CINDY 2: Fables are Forever
16. SuperTeam (101-107)
Fairest starts here..

[The Adventurer]

Try:
01. Legends in Exile (collects Fables 01–05 & "A Wolf in the Fold" short story)
02. Animal Farm (collects 6–10)
03. Storybook Love (collects 11–18)
04. March of the Wooden Soldiers (collects 19–21,23–27 & The Last Castle special)
05. The Mean Seasons (collects 22,28–33)
06. Homelands (collects 34-41)
07. Arabian Nights (and Days) (collects 42–47)
08. Wolves ((collects 48-51)
JOF 01. The (Nearly) Great Escape (collects 1–5)
1001 Nights of Snowfall -> Provides background info for the next TPBS.
09. Sons of Empire (collects 52–59)
JOF 02. Jack of Hearts (collects 6–11)
10. The Good Prince (collects 60–69)
JOF 03. The Bad Prince (collects 12–16)
11. War and Pieces (collects 70-75)
Peter & Max, a prose novel by Bill Willingham.
CINDY 01. From Fabletown With Love (collects Cinderella – From Fabletown With Love 1–6)
JOF 04. Americana (collects 17-21)
12. The Dark Ages (76-82)
JOF 05. Turning Pages (collects 22-27)
JOF 06. The Books of War (collects 28-32)
13. The Great Fables Crossover (collects Fables 83-85, The Literals 1-3, Jack of Fables 33-35).
14. Witches (collects 86-93)
JOF 07. The New Adventures of Jack and Jack (collects 36-40)
JOF 08. The Fulminate Blade (collects 41-45)
15. Rose Red (collects 94-100)
JOF 09. The Ultimate Jack of Fables Story (collects 46-50)
CINDY 2: Fables are Forever
16. SuperTeam (101-107)
Fairest starts here..

The Fables Deluxe HC places 1001 Nights of Snow Fall after Mean Seasons. Granted now that I think about it, that may have been done for space limitations in the next two story arcs. But it definitely needs to be read BEFORE Arabian Nights (and Days).

[snarkbunny]

The Fables Deluxe HC places 1001 Nights of Snow Fall after Mean Seasons. Granted now that I think about it, that may have been done for space limitations in the next two story arcs. But it definitely needs to be read BEFORE Arabian Nights (and Days).

Yeah, 1001 Nights works well there and really even after the Wooden Soldiers arc it could be read. The Jacks can move around to some degree too.

I like 1001 Nights after Wolves because the comments in Arabian Nights is a tease for 1001 Nights, but that may be because I read it as they came out and 1001 Nights was first published after Arabian Nights.

[Sandinista]

(SOME SPOILERS FOLLOW)

I LOVE the first 12 volumes of Fables. I rank it up there with Sandman, Preacher and Lucifer. An amazing story with excellent twists and turns, great characters and absolutely gorgeous art. However, I am heartbroken to see what is happening to the series. Since the defeat of Gepetto Fables has gotten progressively worse and worse. The Dark Man run was absolutely terrible and incredibly anti-climactic. It was seriously like Willingham just ran out of stuff to say about him and ended him with an afterthought. Vol. 15 for me was the last straw. Super Group was terrible in every single way except the art. What a pointless volume.

I fear that Willingham is simply continuing this series out of either money (worst case scenario) or the sheer ignorance that the quality of his series has plummeted (best case scenario). I seriously do not want Fables to slowly fade away like The X Files. It should've ended with a bang at the end of Vol. 12.

If Willingham wants to keep telling stories in the Fables Universe by all means do so but do it like the excellent Cinderella minis or the gorgeous Fairest: short mini-series with different artists concentrating on different characters.

Some writers have to know when to say "The End" (I'm looking at you too Mark Waid)

[nightwing1982]

Hmmmmmmmmmm......no.

[CTpitch]

oh wow obligatory cynical post on the vertigo board

[Mr. Holmes]

I agree with the OP about the decline of Fables, but can't you just ignore the book after the 12 volumes?

Edit: Well he's not the OP anymore.

[MRP]

So if you aren't enjoying reading it anymore, then stop reading it. Why does it need to be cancelled? Others are obviously still enjoying it and you want to take that away from them because YOU are no longer enjoying it...why? For others, it is part of their livelihood and they should lose that because YOU aren't enjoying it anymore?

It's perfectly ok for you to lose interest. It happens. If so, stop buying it as I said, but you don't speak for me, and I don't want the series to end as I am still enjoying it. If quality is dropping, readers will leave and it will get cancelled, but if sales are steady and the creators want to keep producing it, then let it go on without you.

-M

[Sandinista]

So if you aren't enjoying reading it anymore, then stop reading it. Why does it need to be cancelled? Others are obviously still enjoying it and you want to take that away from them because YOU are no longer enjoying it...why? For others, it is part of their livelihood and they should lose that because YOU aren't enjoying it anymore?

It's perfectly ok for you to lose interest. It happens. If so, stop buying it as I said, but you don't speak for me, and I don't want the series to end as I am still enjoying it. If quality is dropping, readers will leave and it will get cancelled, but if sales are steady and the creators want to keep producing it, then let it go on without you.

-M

Well there was obviously a bit of hyperbole in my post...but just in case you missed: it is my PERSONAL OPINION and DEAREST WISH that Bill Willingham would end his Fables series so that it doesn't suffer the fate of so many other great series whose memory will always be marred by extending them well past their natural ending point. All great stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. Certainly all great Vertigo series. The continuance of Fables well past its natural ending point (the defeat of the Adversary) is stretching a story needlessly. I'm obviously not the only one. So what if sales are still going strong? That's hardly a reason to keep something going. Bill should have some artistic integrity and end the series once and for all so it doesn't go the way of Jack of Fables, The X Files, The Simpsons, etc. etc.

[ImpulseUCF]

I still enjoy Fables, but I must admit it seems to have lost its focus since the defeat of the adversary, and it seems to be treading water without much direction for the most part. Like I said, I still like it, but it's time for a new focus and meta story arc. It was so tight and lean before and now it just kind of...is. I'm willing to give Willingham the benefit of the doubt and see where it goes. I agree the Mr. Dark resolution seemed out of nowhere, but I enjoyed it enough.

[edhopper]

Well there was obviously a bit of hyperbole in my post...but just in case you missed: it is my PERSONAL OPINION and DEAREST WISH that Bill Willingham would end his Fables series so that it doesn't suffer the fate of so many other great series whose memory will always be marred by extending them well past their natural ending point. All great stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. Certainly all great Vertigo series. The continuance of Fables well past its natural ending point (the defeat of the Adversary) is stretching a story needlessly. I'm obviously not the only one. So what if sales are still going strong? That's hardly a reason to keep something going. Bill should have some artistic integrity and end the series once and for all so it doesn't go the way of Jack of Fables, The X Files, The Simpsons, etc. etc.

So for all the readers who still enjoy Fables and don't want it to end, you want Bill to end it so that you don't regard the series as going on past it's prime. Even though that would deprive the thousands of readers who don't agree with you and want to keep seeing it published. It's not enough that you will decide to stop reading it if it falls below your personal view of whether the book is still worthwhile, everyone else must stop reading it too, no matter how much they still like it. Sounds a bit selfish to me.

BTW; As I was reading #115 I was thinking how much I still like this book and how it is still one of the best things published. Therese in Toyland is just downright creepy. And I loved the three page Oz mini at the end. Shawn's art work was just luscious.

[ImpulseUCF]

Well, in defense of those asking for it to end, I do understand the concept of what they are requesting. Far too often, a great work of fiction is extended beyond its narrative purpose or scope for the arbitrary pursuit of money or whatever else. In posterity when one looks back at the work of art, the collected whole can suffer. For example, if you look back at the X-Files, that show ignored its central narrative arc for far too long and just wandered until it was forced to end when had the writers simply mapped out a proper beginning, middle, and end they could have told a more cohesive story that stands together well. Instead, there is a series with a good beginning, a decent but wandering middle that just kinda falls off at the end.

I'm not saying the same has happened with Fables, but Fables did have its central, main story arc to propel the series, and it worked its individual stories arcs in and around it very well. It found the balance of telling self-contained episodic tales that also moved the main arc forward. Since the resolution of the emperor plot, though, the series feels like it no longer has that central driving focus, so the arcs are kind of self-contained, wandering and pointless. Well, going nowhere more than pointless.

I still enjoy the series, but it's time for a new focus. They've been treading water for too long, and without a main mega-arc it's harder to buy in than before. So, I don't want it to end, but I understand the idea of why some people would prefer it to. Sometimes it's better to tell a good story and leave at the peak than to allow it's legacy to be marred by subpar work.

[snarkbunny]

I don't actually need a new mega-arc. I like the open-ended possibilities that currently exist. Especially with the last and current arc, I'm enjoying seeing how Willingham is dealing with the cubs and Bufkin, and Rose Red.

Otherwise, I agree with Ed on "ending" comments. There are a lot of series that I've quit that have continued on and it is "selfish" to assume that because I'm done with the series, everyone should be too. Everyone has an individual take on what makes a series worth reading or not and it's narcissistic to assume that "your" decision is the best choice for everyone. Frankly, if Fables had ended after War and Pieces, I would have never been able to read Bufkin's tale in Witches and that is one of my very favourite Fables arcs.

[The Nuke]

I have to agree a little with the people who say it's time for Bill to start wrapping things up. It seems to me that originally that Fables was about a group of Fabled story characters who were exiled to the real world after the Adversary took over their homelands, and that the story was about their survival and eventual defeat of this adversary. When that was the case, Fables was very focused, you knew where you were headed to, and all the stuff in between just built up to it.

However along the way it seems Bill didn't want this series to be about the defeat of the adversary anymore, in fact when it finally came down to the war, I don't think he really cared much for it and was more interested in what happened after the war. Which to me explains why, IMO, "WAR and PEACE" is so rushed and sloppy for the most part. I mean all that build up for 3 issues. After WAP, I've heard mixed things. Things like, this story was good, this story was ok, or that this story sucked. Obviously it's not the critical darling it once was, but it's also 10 years old too. Wit the war Bill knew where he was headed, right now it doesn't seem that way. Right now it just seems like he's making stuff up as he goes. He might plan it out before time, but he clearly doesn't have an end game in mind at the moment. And that might be why some think the quality sucks. Personally I haven't read Fables since WAP, but am eager to pick up the new trades in time.

Still, to those people who think FABLES as lost lost it's greatness. Just because a story has changed it's style or gone in a direction that you don't believe it should doesn't mean the story is all of a sudden bad. IT could still be great stuff,just don't what you want it to be. Now I've heard some people complain about the writing, and that it seems like all the characters don't have a voice of their own anymore just Bills. Which it a valid complaint.

[ImpulseUCF]

I wouldn't say it is time for Bill to wrap it up, but I would like him to figure out where the hell he's going with this and start going there. It feels like it's been a lot of reshuffling for something new, but that new thing hasn't even started yet.