Review ~ Werewolves of the Heartland

Werewolves of the Heartland (Fables OGN)

by Bill Willingham
Illustrated by Jim Fern, Craig Hamilton
published by Vertigo
genre: Graphic Novel, Fairy-tales, Retellings, Adult

Summary (Goodreads): Bigby Wolf embarks on a quest through the American Heartland to find a new location for Fabletown, a secret society of exiled fairy tale characters living among the "mundys." In his wanderings, Bigby stumbles across Story City, a small town that seems to be occupied solely by werewolves. Oddly enough, they seem to already know and revere Bigby, but at the same time they've captured and caged him.

FABLES: WEREWOLVES OF THE HEARTLAND tells an epic tale that began well before Bigby Wolf set foot in the bucolic plains of the Midwest. It began long ago when he served in World War II and became mired in a Nazi experiment that would change nations. It's soon evident that murder in Story City is the least of their sins, and unraveling the town's many mysteries may cost Bigby, the seventh son of the North Wind, much more than his own life.

This new hardcover is a must-have for any longtime FABLES fan, as well as a great entry point for new readers.

My Thoughts: So I read this completely out of order. Meant to grab Wolves (#8) and grabbed this instead. It seems to be inclusive and didn't really ruin anything for me in the volumes between where I am and when this one came out.
As I've come to expect, I really liked the graphics of this. They were more muted and had an almost pastel dream quality at times. The characters were easy to distinguish from each other.
Overall, I enjoyed this trek to Story City. How the residents came to be tied in with previous stories and flowed into this one. I liked seeing Bigby be who he is without any apologies. Didn't matter if one was a close friend/ally. He did what needed to be done. Now to get back on track with the series in the correct order.

Rating: 4

Review ~ Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers

Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers; Vol.4

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Craig Hamilton, Steve Leiahola, P. Craig Russell
published by Vertigo
genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Fantasy, Re-tellings

Summary (Goodreads):  When Little Red Riding Hood suddenly walks through the gate between this world and the lost Fable Homelands, she's welcomed as a miraculous survivor by nearly everyone - everyone except her old nemesis, Bigby Wolf, who smells spying and subversion more than survival. But will he be able to prove his case before disaster strikes? And how will it all affect Prince Charming's upstart campaign to become the new mayor of Fabletown?

My Thoughts: Storywise, this was one of my favorites so far (I know I'm only on vol. 4). The Illustrations were what I've become used to and did not disappoint. They really help add to the written storylines.
I liked learning more about the original war with the Adversary that caused the fables to flee to  New York. I also liked knowing about fables that did not make out alive and not wondering if they will show up in the future.
Lots of focus on Little Boy Blue and Red Riding Hood. How they formed a relationship amid the war and how that was used to forward the story.
The usual main characters were present and for the first time we had everyone from both Fabletown and The Farm together working towards a common goal.
Overall, I liked where this started and how it moved the story forward. Still cannot stand Prince Charming and would like to see less of him (I know this isn't going to happen). Interested in how Snow and Bigby deal with having a child and how all the remaining characters react to the aftermath of the attack.

Rating: 4

Review ~ Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile

Legends in Exile (Fables, Vol.1)

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Lan Medina, Steve Leiahola, Craig Hamilton, James Jean
published by Vertigo
genre: Graphic Novel, Fairy Tales, Adult

Summary (Goodreads): When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolf), to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

My Thoughts: I heard about this series while I was looking at reviews for the Sisters Grimm series of books. I tend to enjoy fairy tale retellings  and have started looking at more graphic novels so I thought I would give it a try.
The summary pretty much tells it all without telling you the ending. This felt more like a murder mystery than a fairy-tale, but still a good read.
I liked the illustrations in this more than the previous graphics (not many) I had looked at.  Each panel told the story and really helped the story.
Overall, it was interesting seeing some favorite characters in a different light. While this was definitely adult it wasn't too graphic or dark considering the topic. I will be reading more from this series.

Rating: 4