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Sep 19, 2008

Jason rated it:

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Mar 10, 2009

Wealhtheow rated it:

The Adversary began his rampage through European fables' homelands, and they fled in a disordered and panicked mob. But the empire is ever-growing, and the Arabian tales are next. A delegation from the Arabian Homelands arrives in New York's Fabletown and provokes much diplomatic consternation. I enjoyed the meeting-of-minds between King Cole and Sinbad, and love any instance Frau Totenkinder gets to deploy her deceptively twisty magic. Beast and Beauty's relationship deepens; it's not all tr More...

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Jan 23, 2012

Jelinas rated it:

They say that too many cooks spoil the broth. I would say that, sometimes, it's too many ingredients that spoil it.

Arabian Nights fell a little flat for me. I was excited when Willingham started including characters from the Arabian Nights world. But the storyline involving them wasn't all that captivating. Also, one of the characters kept calling Sinbad, supposedly the head of this royal retinue, "sirrah." I gathered that he meant it as a term of honor, but I couldn't get o More...

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Nov 27, 2011

Shannon rated it:

My daughters (especially the ten year old one) love graphic novels. This can be a bit challenging, since so many books in this genre are either violent (when geared towards boys) or overly sexualized (when targeting a female audience). At the library recently, we were browsing the graphic novel and comic book section when we found this book. The premise is interesting: fairy tale characters have crossed over into our world and created Fabletown, a refuge of sorts. I've enjoyed watching ABC's More...

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Oct 01, 2011

Jess rated it:

After the high point of the series so far in Volume 6, Fables, Volume 7: Arabian Nights (and Days) returns to the clunky storytelling of the first 5 volumes. However, following the superior Volume 6: Homelands, it comes off as much less tolerable in comparison.

C'mon Willingham & co, I know you're capable of creating something much more compelling than easily defeated magical powers. Here that magical power is a D'Jinn, a genie, released by a defector among the newly arrived Arabian f More...

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Jun 11, 2011

Caroline rated it:

I loved the first portion of this, where a group of Arabian Fables arrive at Fabletown as refugees from the Adversary attacking their portion of the Homelands. Unfortunately, it felt like this was cut shorter than it could have been, but at the least it should be some good set-up for future volumes dealing with the Arabian Fables. This really gives me a hankering to finally read Arabian Nights--I'm only familiar with a few of the stories in there, and really only from them being popularized by A More...

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Nov 05, 2009

Nicola rated it:

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Comments: The main story takes a pivotal turn as the focus shifts to the Fables of the East. Here we meet folklore from the eastern part of the world who are living in Baghdad. Sinbad, is namely the main character introduced and the first 4 issues of this volume contain this story arc. Many of our favourite characters so far make appearances (some very brief) to show what's happening with their respective arcs or to show they haven't been forgot More...

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Aug 22, 2011

Ian rated it:

This one was an extremely quick read, but notable for its introduction of the Arabian Fables and their relationship with those of the West. The language barriers (with the English-speakers by-and-large arrogantly demanding everyone speak English and the Arabic-speakers by-and-large assuming that their shattered-English is flawless and that English speakers are just too stupid to understand English) and the cultural divides (with the Arabian Fables cleaving to a medieval Islamic view of the world More...

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Apr 24, 2009

Purplycookie rated it:

"Arabian Nights (and Days)" is as good as any of the books in the Fables series, but the entire sequence read like a prelude to future volumes. Nothing happens in this latest installment to significantly impact the war against the Adversary, nor are there any major changes in the established cast, though we see a lot of new characters introduced who will no doubt play major roles in the future.

There are basically two stories in this volume. The first story arc concerns the More...

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Jan 25, 2009

Troy rated it:

I still remain skeptical of Fables. The storytelling is fast and fun, and that's probably the most important thing, but the writing is often clunky and the politics are often regressive.

In this issue, for example, there is a funny subplot about the Arabic fables use of slaves, as well as a standard Machiavellian wizard, but all of the stories are oddly toothless and with little impact or commentary about our world, which is odd since almost all of the old fables tended to be deeply p More...

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Aug 07, 2011

Jeff rated it:

This volume starts as Sinbad and his envoy arrive in New York for diplomatic talks with Fabletown. There's just one problem. Mowgli, who set up this visit, has been sent on a very important mission and has not been around to remind Prince Charming of their arrival. This is just the tip of the iceberg as cultures clash and tempers flare.The Adversary has began the invasion of the Arabian Fable homelands and the combined might of an alliance could stop him in his tracks. Many people are critic More...

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Aug 13, 2010

Jen3n rated it:

I had to skip a few books in this series just as necessity. Books two through six, specifically. Oh, dear.

BUT! Bill Willingham is an excellent writer. I've liked both his Green Lantern stuff and his erotica and I love this Fables series. The story is clear yet complex and flows well enough that I had figured-out what I'd missed within the first few pages.

In this book, the Fables from the Arabian Nights come to meet with the Mayor of Fabletown to sign a treaty and mak More...

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Aug 27, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

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Mar 12, 2011

Meri added it

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Collecting issues #42-47 of writer Bill Willingham's Eisner Award-winning creation, FABLES: ARABIAN NIGHTS (AND DAYS) opens a new front in the struggle between the Fables and the Adversary as the worlds of the Arabian Fables are invaded — leading to an unprecedented diplomatic mission to Fabletown and a bad case of culture shock! This seventh volume of the popular Vertigo series also includes "The Ballad of Rodney and June," the 2-part stor More...

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Jun 20, 2009

Zahreen rated it:

This was kind of a disappointment in what so far has been a great series. I have to agree with the rest of the reviews that while I think its great that they are reaching out to other cultural fairy tale and fable traditions to create a more complex Fable world, there were stereotypes abound in this volume. The Arabian fables come in with a d'jinn, a harem, slaves, and broken English - even the script that is supposed to represent translated Arabic is this orientalist eastern script. Even tho More...

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Oct 29, 2010

Chibineko rated it:

Arabian Nights (and Days) introduces the world of the arabian fables to Fabletown. We get to see that not all worlds are under the sway of the Adversary, and that not everyone is thrilled that the arabian fables are going to cooperate with the american fables. We also get to learn a little more about the wooden soldiers, as well as get to see more of the wonderful Frau Totenkinder (easily one of the most interesting characters in the series).

While this isn't a good place to jump int More...

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Sep 07, 2011

Jeffrey rated it:

Fresh off the revelations of the previous volume, Fabletown receives emissaries from the Arabian Fables who have just recently come under attack from the adversary.

The story is entertaining, if the Arabian fables don't get to do much. Perhaps because they're closer to their story existences, they don't have the same life that the European fables do. Still, it's nice to see King Cole back in action and Charming can actually be somewhat talented at the job if he thinks about it.
More...

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Mar 28, 2011

Kim rated it:

This installment is all set up for future installments. It rushes towards a climax that doesn't go the way you think it will, and really just sets up the Arabian Characters in the universe of fables. That said, it's still a solid Fables read. I would rather be reading Fables than basically any other story out there at the moment.

The best things about this story is that it situates Blue in the farm, and you start to feel better about King Cole's position. He was completely unsympath More...

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Nov 29, 2008

Cassandra rated it:

Not my favorite volume from this series. This is the first attempt to include something outside of the more Euro-centric fairy tales. I think that the writing is a bit clumsy around the representation of other cultures. Because of this, I think that I was a bit more critical and noticed how hetero-normative the series is as a whole. This is also the first time that current events make an appearance in the story line.

I'm curious to see how they treat other, non-European fairy tales a More...

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Jan 28, 2012

John rated it:

I enjoyed the main story: much as I like the European fables, it made things more interesting to get the Arabian fables involved too. I was actually quite impressed to see Prince Charming take a moral stand against the slave trade. There were also some funny scenes, e.g. with Ride and Flycatcher.

The final story (Rodney and June) was good too: I liked seeing some sympathetic characters among the Adversary's forces, rather than them being uniformly evil. This theme is developed later i More...

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Dec 01, 2011

Dale rated it:

This somewhat more grounded and intimate volume was a bit of a comedown after the massive sprawling storylines of the previous two, but not really a letdown since it still hits all the right notes blending characters of legend and myth with the real modern world in unexpected ways. I also know I'm only about halfway through the series (so far, as it's still going!) and I don't want to pre-judge anything too much ... this might be a necessary breather before more dazzling craziness, or then agai More...

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Sep 29, 2011

Elijah rated it:

A pretty good volume. Not a whole lot happened, but we get some worthwhile character stuff, and a look at a very different set of Fables, largely differentiated by hailing from a fictitious version of a real place (Baghdad of the Arabian Nights). There are a few points when it seems the book will fall into being semi-offensive, but it really doesn't. Although, a bit of a look at how fucked up the European fables must have been, culturally speaking, when they were more medieval would've been a ni More...

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Jul 10, 2011

Ashley rated it:

The interaction with the Arabian Fables was amusing at times & the Rose and Snow cameos were much appreciated. I'm growing to like Beauty & Beast as characters after this arch now that we've gotten to know them and see them as central characters rather then frequent background characters. Bigby sadly didn't make an appearance this time around as he has yet to be found. The two issue wooden soldier story at the end of the TPB was ok. Because it didn't really fit with the rest of the issues I assu More...

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Feb 14, 2009

Meredith rated it:

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Jan 08, 2012

Amanda rated it:

Once more into the fray we go with a whole other section of fairy tales, this time for an entirely different realm. And dealing with how people interact, what they expect, what goes right and what goes wrong. I like the culture barriers. I like seeing Cole be useful, and find his next calling. I liked seeing Charming get taken down a notch, and still make the right choices.

The Ballad of Rodney and June was a little longer than I feel like it needed to be, but I deeply appreciated it a More...

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Dec 23, 2009

Nicholas added it

"http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1285829...[return][return]The series goes seriously off the rails here, with some very dodgy Arab stereotyping, dubious references to the Iraq invasion, and a plot twist that is not very credibile even in the context of the series ('I changed the words that came out of his mouth, even though I don't speak his language'). I got it for completeness but I think it can be skipped." More...

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Dec 31, 2010

Erin rated it:

In the sixth installment of "Fables," Prince Charming replaces King Cole as mayor. The Arabian Fables show up with slaves and customs and language that the mayor doesn't understand. When he convinces Sinbad to adopt American customs, Sinbad's advisor unleashes a genie that could potentially destroy Fabletown. Additional stories include one about two wooden soldiers who fall in love and wish to be made real so they can marry.

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Jul 07, 2010

Jonathan rated it:

This book is excellent, as are all the books in the series. Without giving much of the story away, Prince Charming is up over his head when Sinbad arrives in Fabletown with a Djinn. And meanwhile, a new danger lurks just around the corner. The art is stunning, as always: not only are minute details of characters' emotions captured, but the little doodles are just so delightful! I highly recommend this and all the Fables books.

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Mar 03, 2011

Jeremy rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jan 03, 2009

CJ - You Carry On As If I Don't Love You rated it:

This installment was pretty funny and highly entertaining. Prince Charming received a lot of justified verbal abuse about his lack of power and self-control, we see King Cole (I miss the old guy), Snow's cubs are getting bigger and causing mischief, and Boy Blue is now at the Farm.

This volume showed the relationship of Beauty and 'her' Beast in a very nice light. They are the married couple that have been together so long that they 'safely' bicker and they have their fights but they More...

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