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183rd out of 575 books
—
921 voters
Fables, Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons (Fables #5)
by
Bill Willingham (Goodreads Author),
Mark Buckingham , Steve Leialoha , Tony Akins , Jimmy Palmiotti
Collecting issues 22 and 28-33 of the hit VERTIGO series, this trade paperback features two tales of Bigby's exploits during World War II as well as "The Year After," which follows the aftermath of the Adversary's attempt to conquer Fabletown — including the birth of Snow White and Bigby's children!
Paperback, 168 pages
Published
April 1st 2005
by Vertigo
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Remember that time when Bigby got a weird WWII flashback story and Snow got put out to pasture to raise a litter of cubs? Yeah, that kinda sucked.
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This is another back fill comic or me - while I enjoyed this one as it bridged a couple of gaps and was stronger than volume 6 & 7, it is not stand out. The birth of the babies and departure of Bigby are important, getting tied up fantastically in Volume 8. It also explains the change in Beast's curse / transformation ability - something that irked me in vol 7. Two other points of note from havinng read 6 & 7 - "Jack" really is no loss at all and the story just drifts without Bigby the D...more
This is the fifth book in the Fables series, and while I didn't like it as much as The March of the Wooden Soldiers, it does a good job of transitioning a number of our favorite characters into new roles/positions.
There are a number smaller events covered in this Fables collection. The first couple chapters cover Bigby's activities in World War II. Then a bunch of issues brought up in The March of the Wooden Soldiers are resolved: Snow White has her (rather unique) babies and Prince Charming run...more
After such an epic storyline as "March of the Wooden Soldiers", crashing back down to reality would be hard, and "The Mean Seasons" really does suffer from it. True, this series is not all about action, but this mix of side stories + back stories + the aftermath of the war didn't really agree with me.
Cindy's story was interesting, I had no idea who she was working for right until that last moment, but the fact that it takes place outside of the current chronology was a bit frustrating. Bigby's...more
Cindy's story was interesting, I had no idea who she was working for right until that last moment, but the fact that it takes place outside of the current chronology was a bit frustrating. Bigby's...more
The Mean Seasons is a solid follow-up to
The March of the Wooden Soldiers
. After the Battle of Fabletown, we get a nice expositional episode that ties up a few loose ends: Snow White gives birth, there's a regime change in Fabletown politics, and we get to see behind the scenes into Bigby's operations as Sheriff of Fabletown.
We also get treated to a scene from the past, from Bigby's time serving in World War II.
And some new threads are also introduced: there's a serial killer on the loose in Fa...more
We also get treated to a scene from the past, from Bigby's time serving in World War II.
And some new threads are also introduced: there's a serial killer on the loose in Fa...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
From the PFS Book Club...
What I Liked: As always, this is a solid entry for an amazing ongoing series. Mark Buckingham's art is beautiful, with some of the best facial expressions I've ever seen. The series of close-ups on Snow White when she's giving birth (and discovering just how many children she's going to have) is great. And in that same issue, you get some amazing Bigby reactions, as well, and a group shot that has a different but still readable emotional reaction on each and every face....more
What I Liked: As always, this is a solid entry for an amazing ongoing series. Mark Buckingham's art is beautiful, with some of the best facial expressions I've ever seen. The series of close-ups on Snow White when she's giving birth (and discovering just how many children she's going to have) is great. And in that same issue, you get some amazing Bigby reactions, as well, and a group shot that has a different but still readable emotional reaction on each and every face....more
...and this is where the otherwise amazing comic book/graphic novel series, Fables took the EPIC storyline it left off with in March Of The Wooden Soldiers and crashed and burned...by harking back to some tough guy's old war stories, sending the strongest female character in the series flying back to sexist-barefoot-pregnant-confinement-times, and introducing us to the cutest-yet-worst characters in the entire series... the cubs. sigh... fail, fail, a thousand-times fail.
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After a somewhat shaky beginning, the "Fables" series has become a keeper for me. Even though I didn't love this volume as much as the previous one, it was still pretty good, and the story genuinely surprised me.
The first issue follows a secondary character, Cinderella, like with Jack in the previous volume and, like Jack, I believe she has a spin-off series. I'm not a great fan of Jack and I have to say I didn't find Cindy all that interesting. Just your basic, run of the...more
After a somewhat shaky beginning, the "Fables" series has become a keeper for me. Even though I didn't love this volume as much as the previous one, it was still pretty good, and the story genuinely surprised me.
The first issue follows a secondary character, Cinderella, like with Jack in the previous volume and, like Jack, I believe she has a spin-off series. I'm not a great fan of Jack and I have to say I didn't find Cindy all that interesting. Just your basic, run of the...more
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
Comments: The book starts off with a single issue that features Cinderella. It feels purposeless at first but a little secret is revealed that later comes into play with a slight significance. Next is a two-issue story line featuring Bigby which flashes back to his World War II days and an ultra secret mission that he participated in. This was a great story line that introduced a new character who is living in Fabletown but I'm not sure whether he'll show u...more
Comments: The book starts off with a single issue that features Cinderella. It feels purposeless at first but a little secret is revealed that later comes into play with a slight significance. Next is a two-issue story line featuring Bigby which flashes back to his World War II days and an ultra secret mission that he participated in. This was a great story line that introduced a new character who is living in Fabletown but I'm not sure whether he'll show u...more
**Spoiler alert for those who haven’t read Bill Willingham’s Fables Volume 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers.
The 5th volume starts out with a story of Cinderella entrapping a Fable who is collaborating with the Adversary, but exactly whom is she working for? The Cinderella story is followed by a couple of other short stories about Bigby Wolf’s secret mission during World War II. Then on to the main event where we pick up after Fabletown survives its attack from the Adversary’s wooden soldiers. Sno...more
The 5th volume starts out with a story of Cinderella entrapping a Fable who is collaborating with the Adversary, but exactly whom is she working for? The Cinderella story is followed by a couple of other short stories about Bigby Wolf’s secret mission during World War II. Then on to the main event where we pick up after Fabletown survives its attack from the Adversary’s wooden soldiers. Sno...more
Willingham does a fine job of economy with the main story of this collection. Once again Cinderella's one-shot spy story with Ichabod Crane is presented outside of its original chronology, which doesn't matter to the history of the series or enjoyment of any collection it is in. The two-part Bigby in WW2 story is overly graphic, though many no doubt laud its "authenticity" for a WW2 story. The mixture of gritty combat and Universal Picture horror tribute is interesting (though I could have done...more
This is the fifth volume of the Fables series, and unfortunately I don't think that it is possible to talk about at least some of the aspects of this book without spoiling those earlier volumes. I will try and warn you first though before we get into that territory and I will not be spoiling for the action in this volume.
The action starts in this volume with all three of Prince Charming's ex-wives getting together for a lunch. You have to know that there are going some stories swapped when they...more
The action starts in this volume with all three of Prince Charming's ex-wives getting together for a lunch. You have to know that there are going some stories swapped when they...more
A bit of a transitional volume with a lot of bits and pieces, but they were all pretty good. I liked the one about Cindy's secret life, it made sense and added a layer to the story about her boss and how he does his job. Bigby's war stories were good comics in and of themselves, even though they didn't add much to the overall story arc that's being developed since they took place in the past and didn't have anything to do with the battle against the Adversary. The rest was really just little mom...more
Cinderella makes a key appearance, working for Bigby as a spy to try and hunt out potential traitors to the fables, there's a very funny backstory about Bigby in WW2 with the highlight of this story being a fight between Frankenstein, being used as a Nazi experiment, and wolf-form Bigby, and Snow finally gives birth to her, erm, litter of often airborne babies. There's little forward momentum in Fables, Volume 5: The Mean Seasons, but enough world and character building to keep things interestin...more
The fifth collected edition of "Fables" is a much more subdued affair after the last one. It contains several shorter stories that advance many of the overall plot lines lingering about Fabletown.
Two shorter pieces show Bigby Wolf on a secret mission as a spy for the Allies during World War II titled “War Stories” and introduces us to the Frankenstein monster of the same story title. Even if the Fables have no loyalties to the mundanes, essentially, it's their world too, and worth keeping livabl...more
Two shorter pieces show Bigby Wolf on a secret mission as a spy for the Allies during World War II titled “War Stories” and introduces us to the Frankenstein monster of the same story title. Even if the Fables have no loyalties to the mundanes, essentially, it's their world too, and worth keeping livabl...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Aug 14, 2011
Ian
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
graphic-novels,
historical-fiction,
dark-fantasy,
mystery,
mythology,
politics,
romance,
urban-fantasy
Poor Blue Boy! Poor Bigby! Poor Bufkin! Poor, dear Old King Cole! This volume is not beloved by the fans, but I suspect that's because they're looking for non-stop action. Instead, this volume focuses on the aftermath of the last invasion, the death of a brave man, the shift of political power from the kindly King Cole to the smug Prince Charming, the birth of Bigby & Snow's children, the political fallout from the same, and the return of Bigby's father.
The stand-out for me was the way they...more
The stand-out for me was the way they...more
This is probably my favorite volume so far, and almost gets five stars.
One of the great things about an ongoing comic that doesn't fit into any larger continuity is that there can be sweeping status quo changes and huge jumps forward in time with no problem, and it was these things that made Volume 5 really solidify the world of this series as a real, lived-in one. The main story of the book was a fun, and kinda heartbreaking, one that didn't feel like it was trying to build to any larger point....more
One of the great things about an ongoing comic that doesn't fit into any larger continuity is that there can be sweeping status quo changes and huge jumps forward in time with no problem, and it was these things that made Volume 5 really solidify the world of this series as a real, lived-in one. The main story of the book was a fun, and kinda heartbreaking, one that didn't feel like it was trying to build to any larger point....more
Bringing new life into the world should be be a joyful event, but the birth of Snow White and Bigby Wolf’s babies is soured when many of the children do not appear completely human. According to the rules of Fabletown, any non-human Fables are required live at The Farm. This is the one place where Bigby, also known as The Big Bad Wolf, cannot go, thus derailing the couple’s budding relationship. In the meantime, Fabletown is in the midst of an election for mayor. The candidates are the well mean...more
A bit of a mixed bag. I'm quite happy to get a mixture of short and long stories, but the WW2 flashback didn't quite work. Reading the letters page (in the original monthly issues), the writer said that he had to change the plot halfway through because he realised that someone else had already used his original idea. However, I assume that the artwork had already been drawn, and he just rewrote the dialogue. Bearing that in mind, there are some odd clashes, e.g. the shelf of (living) heads in ja...more
Flipping through the selections at the bookstore, I hemmed and hawed over getting this book. I was anxious to know what happened after the Fabletown Battle and wanted to see the outcome of Bigby and Snow's pregnancy, but I was unmoved by the artwork. I bit the bullet and picked it anyhow. I'm glad I did. Willingham's writing brings me right in. I enjoy how each book is equally dedicated to giving the side story of the characters, with short side stories, and to giving the reader just enough of t...more
I'd been curious about Bigby's past during WWI and WWII after a reference in a previous volume that he'd helped fight in the wars, and the first storyline in here involves some time he spent during WWII. It's an entertaining war story involving crazy Nazi scientists and another Fable, and I enjoyed it.
The second half is a whole lot of change, between everything happening with the race for Mayor and Snow White giving birth. Kind of bummed that she's still been taken out of the action to some exte...more
The second half is a whole lot of change, between everything happening with the race for Mayor and Snow White giving birth. Kind of bummed that she's still been taken out of the action to some exte...more
No surprise that Prince Charming won the election, but I am curious to see how he messes up the government system Snow White and Bigby had in place. What does it mean now that Snow White is at the farm? Bigby isn’t allowed to be there and Rose Red is running the place. Snow White becomes maternal rather quickly and taking care of her flying brood of six can’t be easy. I love that Cinderella is more than a person with good looks, and that she is actually helping Fabletown and not just whining all...more
March of the Wooden Soldiers set the bar pretty high for the series, and as a result this book was a bit of a letdown in comparison. I like how Willingham is willing to shake up the status quo by putting new characters in charge, appreciated the examination of Flycatcher's unusual situation, and enjoyed Cinderella's time in the spotlight as the Fables world and cast of characters continue to expand. The detour into Bigby's past during World War II was an interesting idea that didn't quite work d...more
No one seems to love the Bigby WWII story but I thought it was delightful. I mean, Frankenstein vs. the Wolf Man? That is just the kind of pulpy mash-up stuff I love. And the Mean Seasons stories were pretty cool too, although I was not that in love with the conversation Snow had with the zephyr at the end; I mean, I realize that this is a fairy tale character talking to the fucking wind here, but I just did not find it terribly believable. (WTF am I even saying.) Also I was pretty confused beca...more
This is my least favorite volume of Fables yet. The Cinderella story was interesting and made me want to explore her limtied series. However, the Bigby flashback was somewhat interesting, but not really what I was hoping it would be. The most interesting part is the changes that happen within the Fabletown government. Roles change, some characters move into the background, while others become much more centerstage. I look forward to what will happen with these changes in the future. Next is the...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This volume collects a left-out one-shot from earlier in the series along with a two-issue Bigby backstory before moving onto the election, Snow giving birth, and the consequences of both.
While the complications arising from these events are both reasonable, given the world, and well told, this significantly slows the movement related to the overarching plot of the adversary. Given that the present day story encompasses four issues but in story world lasts a year, it feels a little rushed in th...more
While the complications arising from these events are both reasonable, given the world, and well told, this significantly slows the movement related to the overarching plot of the adversary. Given that the present day story encompasses four issues but in story world lasts a year, it feels a little rushed in th...more
The Fables reread continues.
I love that we get to see Bigby's World War II experience after the hints at it in the earlier story arcs. It gives a variety to the stories. I will say that I don't think I'd gotten into grindhouse cinema last time I'd read it so I didn't even really think about how hokey the whole Werewolf Soldier thing was. Still fun.
The Zephyr is pretty cool. Seeing Snow so vulnerable is very different but also nice now that she's not leading the Fable Community.
Blue is gone. I li...more
I love that we get to see Bigby's World War II experience after the hints at it in the earlier story arcs. It gives a variety to the stories. I will say that I don't think I'd gotten into grindhouse cinema last time I'd read it so I didn't even really think about how hokey the whole Werewolf Soldier thing was. Still fun.
The Zephyr is pretty cool. Seeing Snow so vulnerable is very different but also nice now that she's not leading the Fable Community.
Blue is gone. I li...more
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In the late 1970s to early 1980s he drew fantasy ink pictures for the Dungeons & Dragons Basic and Expert game rulebooks. He first gained attention for his 1980s comic book series Elementals published by Comico, which he both wrote and drew. However, for reasons unknown, the series had trouble maintaining an original schedule, and Willingham's position in the industry remained spotty for many...more
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