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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN num: 9781401202569
ISBN number: 140120256X
Label: Vertigo
Manufacturer: Vertigo
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 192
Printing Date: May 01, 2004
Publishing house: Vertigo
Release Date: May 01, 2004
Sale Popularity Level: 10638
Studio: Vertigo
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FABLES: STORYBOOK LOVE is a captivating tale of romance and adventure. After being hunted and hounded by a savage being called the Adversary, the legendary characters of fables and fairytales were forced to relocate to a magical high-rise in Manhattan. Living in peaceful disharmony for centuries, the literary figures have forged a dysfunctional existence of tentative alliances and allegiances. But when Snow White and the Big Bad Wolf begin an improbable romance, Bluebeard enacts a devious plan to destroy his rivals. Now as Goldilocks mercilessly stalks the two lovers in the Cascade Mountains, Prince Charming confronts Bluebeard in a deadly duel within the confines of the Fables’ New York condominium.
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Rated by buyers 
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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 very 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, ... Read More
Rated by buyers 
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After the somewhat letdown of a second volume (that's only in comparison to the stellar book one), Fables is back in full force with the best volume yet. It's also the thickest, clocking in at eight issues; that is three more than either of the previous volumes. It has two one-shots, a two issue story arc, and an entire four issue story arc. The one-shots give awesome backstory, and the longer arcs push the story forward in exciting and surprising directions.
The very first one-shot gives us a glimpse into earlier days, when the Fables were still new to the New World (our "mundy" dimension). It features Jack as the main character, who fights as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War and deals--literally--with death. The story was quite a captivating read, and one of the best issues yet. I'll skip to the end of this volume, which also features a one-shot. This is a more traditional Fable, and features Bigby telling Flycatcher the tale of a how a certain thumb-sized Fable (not who you're thinking, but she plays a part in it as well) came to become a thief and a hero. That one was a bit of a 'meh' ending after so many awesome things happened in the middle, but without considering its place in this book, it was a solid enough issue.
The two story arcs, however, are the meat and potatoes of this collection. The very first has the Fables (minus Snow White, who is still getting over the events of Animal Farm) dealing with a large threat; a journalist who has come to realize what they are... and he plans on outing them to the public. The only thing is, he thinks they're vampires. Funny as this is, it turns into a very dark tale that really brings out the contrast between Bigby and the increasingly villainous Bluebeard, who have very different ideas about how this journalist should be handled. Both of the characters are very fleshed out, and a lot of tension is left unsolved... until the very subsequent story arc. In the four issue story arc, the titular "Storybook Love," the status quo flips. One of the characters graduates from possible threat to major villain, romance blossoms between some cool cats, and Prince Charming (easily one of my favorite characters) surprises everyone with his actions. This is easily the best long form story arc so far.
Not everything is sunshine, though. I have a major issue with how penciller Mark Buckingham suddenly--and drastically--changed the structure of Bigby's face. He once has a very chiseled jaw and well defined features... but now, I suppose to highlight his wolf nature, he looks like he has a very loose mask of melting flesh hanging from his bones. Odd choice. All in all, however, it was a thoroughly entertaining read.
8/10
Rated by buyers -
This third Fables trade paperback collects issues #11-18 of the Bill Willingham series. I'll presume anyone reading this is already familiar with the series and direct those unfamiliar to reviews for the excellent Volume 1 and 2 TPBs. For new fans, the very first two pages of Volume 3 feature capsules off the main characters and summaries of the very first two story arcs.
The two-part caper "A Sharp Operation", penciled by Lan Medina, shows a tabloid journalist about to expose the secrets of Fabletown. The title story arc, penciled by Bryan Talbot, spans issues #14-17 and focuses on Bluebeard's and Goldilocks' deadly conspiracy against Bigby and Snow. Both of these plotlines feature outstanding development of the characters from the very first ten issues.
This TPB is bookended by a pair of lesser one-shots featuring (respectively) Jack in the post Civil War American South and a flashback to the legend of the Lilliputians. The artwork in the former includes some finely detailed scenes but that of the latter tended toward the cartoonish. Overall, the cover price offers good value for an eight issue collection, especially considering Amazon's discount.
Rated by buyers -
This third volume in the excellent FABLES series is even better than the very first two. The primary storyline picks up where Animal Farm left off, with Snow White recovering from her normally life-ending wound and Goldilocks on the run. All seems to be peaceful after the episode at the Farm, until a nosey journalist shows up threatening to reveal what he guesses to be the Fables' colony of vampires. From there, the pace of the story remains very intense, with accomplished and attempted murders, coerced and freely-given sex flings, and high drama throughout. There are also two background stories included in this volume: An explicit tale of Jack's exploits during the Civil War, and A more fairy tale-like story of the beginnings of Smalltown.
All of the stories presented here are very entertaining, making this book a hard one to put down. Only one high profile Fable is introduced here. Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) plays a prominent role in the efforts to silence the misguided reporter, and is sure to have a place in future tales. Prince Charming plays a major role in this one, developing some surprisingly large ambitions that will unfold in upcoming issues. The title of this volume comes primarily from the strange relationship between Bigby and Snow, but could loosely connect with any of the individual stories within. My advice, take this one slowly to make it last. You'll be tempted to read it all in one sitting, but delaying gratification will prolong your experience and heighten your enjoyment. Remember, there are only 13 Fables titles to date, you don't want to rush through them too quickly.
Rated by buyers -
This volume collects issues 11-16 of the monthly comics. The very first and last issues each tell self-contained stories tangential to the main Fable world. The central two-thirds of this book moves the general story arc along with the precision of a physics lesson: as the pressures increase within this little community, the situations heat up.
Prince Charming is charming only in name - his womanizing takes a notably non-mythical turn. Goldilocks still dates out of her species (not that I have anything against other species, mind you, but I'm not sure I'd want my sister to marry one). Briar Rose takes a nap. Snow White and Bigby end up on a hot date - neither has memories from it, but one has something else.
The Fable mythos updates many of our childhood fairy tales, in a world of distant warfare and urban exile. If you've followed the story since volume 1 of the collections, you'll know that my plot hints say just about nothing - there's always another twist to the creativity that brings these characters to new life. The artwork doesn't blaze new trails and people looking for BamPow super heroes will find only a little, very little, to cling to. The art team is strong and competent, though, and the scripting creates characters that you really want to like (or to dislike, trust your judgement). Also - I'm not sure this is wholly a good thing - the series grows on you. I'll be back for more, and in proper story order for once in my life.
-- wiredweird
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