Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages Author: Visit Amazon's Bill Willingham Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1401223168 | Format: EPUB
Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages Description
Review
"An epic, beautifully written story that places Fables, familiar characters from folklore, in the mundane world after a mysterious Adversary conquers their homelands ... the series has proved tremendously popular."
- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Vertigo (August 18, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1401223168
- ISBN-13: 978-1401223168
- Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Oh, yes, baby! Fables took us before through a wonderful, wild, delicious ride that introduced characters, locations (the farm, the homelands, Fabletown) and took us through a terrible, fascinating war between evil Gepetto and his magic-fueled armies in the homelands and the force from Fabletown. Now, we're in the aftermath. The Peace after the War. And things are getting ugly, event by incident. Dark Ages refers, no doubt in great part, to the fact that dark powers are being released into the chaos that is the Homelands (now no longer kept in check by the tyranny of Gepetto and his sorcerers and armies), where mercenaries are looting and no one is in charge; and dark power released as well in the Fables' NYC town, where Gepetto is still vicious and bitter over his powerless situation post-amnesty.
In the first secton, a sort of establishing one, an interlude, "Around the Town", we get interesting (different from what we're used to, too) art by Michael Allred--very two-D, darkly outlined, thick areas of color. A sort of retro art look, but I liked it. Pinocchio is showing his toxic maker around Fabletown, where most don't wish him well at all. He gets an opportunity to spout his menacing philosophy, and there's nothing likable about this still-menacing (if momentarily neutered magically) puppetmaker. I like how Pinocchio is drawn in a very boy-like way, unlike the original/usual Pinocchio who has a huge head and square jaw, as if he were a dwarf rather than a boy. I also liked seeing Bigby and Snow's brood taking in the city. (Bigby looks like a young Marlon Brando in this chapter.
"The Dark Ages" is the latest graphic novel compilation of the outstanding Fables series written by Bill Willingham supported by various artists. The premise is characters from folklore like Prince Charming, Hansel and Gretel, etc. are real and secretly living in New York. They have been driven from their other dimensionally home worlds due the depredations of the "Adversary".
At this point if you have not read the series, stop reading this review. In order for someone to fully appreciate and understand what is going, you have to read the series in order.
What we have seen so far, our heroes have successfully defeated the forces of the Adversary and his empire is destroyed. The true power of this empire, Gepetto, is now an unwanted and very reluctant citizen of Fabletown in Manhattan. But he is under control. Everything should be fine, right? WRONG!
Gepetto is utterly unrepentant over anything he has done. He hates where he's at. He hates everything around him. But he does have a point however twisted. His empire kept order. Our heroes have serious destabilized the worlds of folklore. In the ensuing chaos, two soldiers-of-fortune unwittingly unleash an evil from confinement worse than the one they defeated. Unfortunately our heroes are first on the agenda....
They are forced to run as things literally collapse around them. They do not understand this new opponent. They do not even know the true nature of this new enemy. Not even Frau Tottenkinder does not understand what is happening. But they do know they have run.....
It is a common criticism of "The Good Prince" that everything was cut and dried with victory inevitable. Apparently Mr. Willingham heard your complaints. Now everything is in disarray and out of control.
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