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15th out of 76 books
—
13 voters
Fables, Vol. 13: The Great Fables Crossover (Fables #13)
by
Bill Willingham (Goodreads Author),
Matthew Sturges (Goodreads Author), Russ Braun , José Marzán Jr. , Mark Buckingham , Andrew Pepoy
All nine issues of the long awaited crossover between Vertigo's two popular series Fables and Jack of Fables are collected here.
The world of Fables is introduced to a whole new set of characters...The Literals. The Literals are characters that embody, literally, different literary genres such as Mystery, Comedy and Romance. One of The Literals goes by the name The Storymak...more
The world of Fables is introduced to a whole new set of characters...The Literals. The Literals are characters that embody, literally, different literary genres such as Mystery, Comedy and Romance. One of The Literals goes by the name The Storymak...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
February 9th 2010
by Vertigo
(first published 2009)
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Total filler. You can skip this entire collection and will never know you missed anything in the series. Devastatingly over-done. All the high-brow, fourth-wall, metatextual reference stuff was - oh my god - so boring. This collection may have fulfilled some deep need in the authors to explore and comment on their re-writing of, well, most of the world's folk tradition. But to fans of the Fables series who enjoy it for its whimsy and clever story-telling - snore. To be honest, it was such a depa...more
Kind of falling out of love with the Fables series now, and this collection assembles the big crossover with the Jack spin-off series (which I didn't read past the first couple of trade paperback collections, because Jack is just such a prick.) So, basically this large story arc is a "time-out" from the large one set up in the previous volume with the new Big Bad, Mister Dark, who barely appears at all here. Instead, Jack comes to the Farm to warn the Fables about a new threat to the entire worl...more
I have mixed feelings about this one, which is appropriate given that it's a mix of Fables and Jack of Fables storylines. If you glance over the ratings I've given each of those series, it's pretty obvious that I prefer the main Fables books over the Jack spinoff. The purpose of the crossover was to bring the main Fables characters into the Literals drama, and I was disappointed that the dark villain storyline from Fables almost ground to a halt while all the Literals took over. In the end, I do...more
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I was really enjoying this book. It was a nice and thick volume - more pages are better! I enjoye3d reading about the Literals and the Genres, and Thorn's struggle with his writing. There's a lot of cool stuff in here. I enjoyed the myth of Boy Blue and the cult that started around him as well as the introduction of the Genres.
I was prepared to give this book five stars... if not for the disappointing ending. The first deus ex machina (Bigby Wolf jumping into the throng of Genres and dealing wit...more
I was prepared to give this book five stars... if not for the disappointing ending. The first deus ex machina (Bigby Wolf jumping into the throng of Genres and dealing wit...more
Volume 13 of Bill Willingham's Fables series is all about the Literals, embodiments of the structure of story, first introduced in his Jack of Fables spin-off series. When one of the most powerful Literals awakens and decides that the story has gotten out of control and it is time to start over, it is up to Bigby, Jack, Snow, Gary, and a host of other characters to find a way to keep him from (pun intended) literally ending the world.
To be honest, after slogging through the disappointing Jack of...more
To be honest, after slogging through the disappointing Jack of...more
This was the last Fables volume available at my local library, and I wish it had been better.
This volume is a crossover of all three of the Fables comics: Fables (original flavor), Jack of Fables, and The Literals. If you haven't read any of the Jack of Fables comics, and I didn't, it'll be a little jarring to be introduced to so many new characters all at once.
At the Farm, the Fables are trying to regroup and figure out what to do. Mister Dark's presence in NYC is affecting them, causing people...more
This volume is a crossover of all three of the Fables comics: Fables (original flavor), Jack of Fables, and The Literals. If you haven't read any of the Jack of Fables comics, and I didn't, it'll be a little jarring to be introduced to so many new characters all at once.
At the Farm, the Fables are trying to regroup and figure out what to do. Mister Dark's presence in NYC is affecting them, causing people...more
I would not recommend this volume to anyone reading Fables proper. This Great Fables Crossover Event combines three titles (Fables (barely), Jack of Fables, and a new title called The Literals). This volume does not do absolutely anything to progress the new exciting storyline that was put forth in the last volume. Also, Jack (who got his own spin-off series) is a terrible character that is an insufferable jerk. I definitely don't think I will be reading any of the Jack of Fables spin-off titles...more
This volume was OFFICIALLY THE WORST. Uhhh, just uhhhhh. For a while, I almost thought I would check out the Jack of Fables spin off, but this pretty much seals the deal on that never happening. Jack sucks. And it's not just that he's an unrepentant asshole (because I can love me some fictional unrepentant assholes), it's that he's a BORING asshole. His shtick gets old, fast. Jack is written for 12 year old boys, but not even cool 12 year old boys. The worst 12 year old boys. (Example of Jack pl...more
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
First thing I couldn't help but notice was that a-zon dot com has an average rating of three for this and that means there must be quite a few unhappy reviews out there. I won't read any until I'm done my own review, but what can I say. I love Fables! I guess I'm a pushover and not that hard to please because I thought this issue was great; the only storyline I don't like is the one of Rose Red. Otherwise, this volume felt special and the balloons on the co...more
First thing I couldn't help but notice was that a-zon dot com has an average rating of three for this and that means there must be quite a few unhappy reviews out there. I won't read any until I'm done my own review, but what can I say. I love Fables! I guess I'm a pushover and not that hard to please because I thought this issue was great; the only storyline I don't like is the one of Rose Red. Otherwise, this volume felt special and the balloons on the co...more
I'll warn you right now. This isn't really a continuation of the Fables story from the previous volume. While there are a few mentions & hints in this volume, this book mostly ties up the loose ends from the Jack series. If you were hoping for some big showdown between the Fables & whatever the heck that pale skinny guy is, then you'll be disappointed.
I can't really give a decent synopsis of this because well... you really have to have read the Jack series to keep abreast of what is goin...more
I can't really give a decent synopsis of this because well... you really have to have read the Jack series to keep abreast of what is goin...more
Fables is one of the few comics that survived the Great Pull List Purge a couple of years ago, and it's been consistently great since halfway through Volume 3. Volume 13: The Great Fables Crossover is the closest Willingham has come to a misstep, pre-empting an intriguing new storyline while reversing one of the best editorial decisions he ever made in jettisoning the obnoxious Jack from the main series into his own title.
It's the first volume that could be considered for hardcore fans only (aka...more
It's the first volume that could be considered for hardcore fans only (aka...more
WOW. What can I say about this that will do it justice?? It's the greatest thing associated with Fables that I've ever read (though I haven't finished the main series yet). Kevin Thorn is out to unwrite the world... and his characters have to stop him. Could there be a better concept?? Ever??? I swear to God the parts with him in it were EXCELLENT, top-notch storytelling and deserve a hearty round of applause. I couldn't get enough of the Literals and Kevin Thorn. The scene in the park--I got th...more
I usually love Fables, and I absolutely loved "Peter and Max." But like other readers have mentioned, there's a reason why I stopped reading "Jack of Fables" - so to see it absorb the story so much without necessarily knowing much of the backstory was a little frustrating.
I surprised myself with how much I disliked this particular collection - I kept waiting for the action to get back to something interesting. Similarly, I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for Kevin Thorn or any of the Literals. I...more
I surprised myself with how much I disliked this particular collection - I kept waiting for the action to get back to something interesting. Similarly, I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for Kevin Thorn or any of the Literals. I...more
This volume collects #83–85 of Bill Willingham's Fables, #33-35 of Jack of Fables and #1-3 of The Literals.
I have previously written about the brilliance of Willingham's Fables , but also noted my disappointment with his and Matthew Sturges' spin-off Jack of Fables . In this context, it is worth noting that while my sentiment that I will probably check out more of the series later on probably holds true, I have not read any of the issues between #5, which ends the first collection, and #33, whic...more
I have previously written about the brilliance of Willingham's Fables , but also noted my disappointment with his and Matthew Sturges' spin-off Jack of Fables . In this context, it is worth noting that while my sentiment that I will probably check out more of the series later on probably holds true, I have not read any of the issues between #5, which ends the first collection, and #33, whic...more
This is the thirteenth book in the Fables series. It was an interesting and amusing read, but still one of the weakest books in the series so far.
This book features Jack (I guess he is supposed to be crossing over to Fables from his own series). Jack shows up at the farm and is mistaken by Stinky to be a reborn Boy Blue. Meanwhile Jack introduces the Fables to the Literals...a group of genre based characters and their creator Kevin Thorne (The Storymaker). Fables and crew have to stop Kevin Thor...more
This book features Jack (I guess he is supposed to be crossing over to Fables from his own series). Jack shows up at the farm and is mistaken by Stinky to be a reborn Boy Blue. Meanwhile Jack introduces the Fables to the Literals...a group of genre based characters and their creator Kevin Thorne (The Storymaker). Fables and crew have to stop Kevin Thor...more
Jan 23, 2013
Kerry
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
NO ONE
Shelves:
fromthelibrary,
graphic_novel
This was completely terrible.
The "crossover event" is strewn across a few issues of Fables, a few of its spinoff Jack of Fables (so that's where that character went,) and three issues of a new comic called Literals. It is all terrible.
I honestly can't remember if Jack was such a fucking dick when he was in Fables way back when, but he sure is a dick now and I have no interest in watching him treat people like shit over and over again. Stay in your own book, thanks.
And the characters he brings wi...more
The "crossover event" is strewn across a few issues of Fables, a few of its spinoff Jack of Fables (so that's where that character went,) and three issues of a new comic called Literals. It is all terrible.
I honestly can't remember if Jack was such a fucking dick when he was in Fables way back when, but he sure is a dick now and I have no interest in watching him treat people like shit over and over again. Stay in your own book, thanks.
And the characters he brings wi...more
This wasn't one of my favorite Fables, mostly because Jack is such a big part of it and I've never liked Jack, which also means I've never read the Jack spin-off, which made it feel a little like playing catch-up since the main villians in this story are from that book and not from Fables. But they did a fairly good job at recapping everything, so it's not like we were left completely in the dark. That said, I didn't find the Literals all that interesting, and Mr. Dark, our Fables villian of the...more
A great number of people have seemed particularly grumpy about this one, especially since it largely pauses the storyline present in 12 (which is then resumed in 14) to follow the Jack of Fables series that broke off [rightly so] from the Fables universe. On one hand, I understand this, as having to wait for the continuation of plot can be annoying and it takes a while to fully understand the "Literals" plot line from Jack of Fables.
On the other hand, this story arc made me laugh out loud while...more
On the other hand, this story arc made me laugh out loud while...more
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Out of all of the issues combined into this volume, the first one was my favorite and I feel like they all went down hill after that. As usual the art was great, but the story annoyed me this time.
(view spoiler)...more
(view spoiler)...more
This was my reaction the entire book:
What is this, I don't even.
It wasn't terrible but it definitely was not what I was expecting when I read "crossover" on the cover. I was expecting an actual crossover with other comic characters (I never read the Jack series), not the writer referencing his own (?) writer's block. I did like how it kind of connected with what Frau, Stinky and others were talking about in a previous volume, about how there might be a storyteller out there creating all the Fab...more
What is this, I don't even.
It wasn't terrible but it definitely was not what I was expecting when I read "crossover" on the cover. I was expecting an actual crossover with other comic characters (I never read the Jack series), not the writer referencing his own (?) writer's block. I did like how it kind of connected with what Frau, Stinky and others were talking about in a previous volume, about how there might be a storyteller out there creating all the Fab...more
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1745874...
The 'crossover' of the title is between the Fables of the series (Snow White, Jack Horner, Bigby Wolf) and a new group of characters, the Literals, led by the powerful Kevin Thorne who can alter the world simply by writing it. The story was originally published as part of three different lines (Fables, Jack of Fables and The Literals) so this is one case where compiling the narrative within a single set of covers is definitely helpful to the reader. There...more
The 'crossover' of the title is between the Fables of the series (Snow White, Jack Horner, Bigby Wolf) and a new group of characters, the Literals, led by the powerful Kevin Thorne who can alter the world simply by writing it. The story was originally published as part of three different lines (Fables, Jack of Fables and The Literals) so this is one case where compiling the narrative within a single set of covers is definitely helpful to the reader. There...more
Genre: Comic book, modern fantasy
I’m not sure if my review is fair – I adore the Fables books but I have no interest in reading the spin-off Jack books. This entire storyline is a cross-over between the two series. I think the idea of the “Literals” was very interesting, but not nuanced enough – and the ending is very deux ex macina. (Saved only slightly because it’s quite self-aware of this fact)… There doesn’t seem to be any character development for the characters who were familiar to me – in...more
I’m not sure if my review is fair – I adore the Fables books but I have no interest in reading the spin-off Jack books. This entire storyline is a cross-over between the two series. I think the idea of the “Literals” was very interesting, but not nuanced enough – and the ending is very deux ex macina. (Saved only slightly because it’s quite self-aware of this fact)… There doesn’t seem to be any character development for the characters who were familiar to me – in...more
I really am a fan of Fables, in spite of how it would appear by looking over my Goodreads history to this point, but I absolutely hated The Great Fables Crossover. I didn't enjoy the Jack of Fables spin-off series much, and so didn't follow it past the first volume, which left me a little lost when this one started up. That said, I don't think I would have liked it anyway. It was more than a little too meta for my tastes, and I didn't like Kevin Thorn or most of the Literals. I'm not a big fan o...more
Looking again just now, I realize I haven't read a regular FABLES volume since late 2009. I was quite surprised to find it had been that long. In the meantime I've read a few volumes of JACK OF FABLES, but of course when Jack was kicked out of Fabletown and his own series was spawned, the implication was that the two would never cross paths again. That sure didn't last very long after all! Anyway it was tight to sorta go back and forth between volumes of JACK and FABLES for this story. I'm sure...more
Jack of the Fables tries to warn the Fables at the Farm about the threat posed by the Literals, particularly one called Kevin who could literally rewrite the universe. We also meet Jack's son, who has inherited his Jack Frost powers and who decides to meet his father.
We meet the literals in this story - the genres such as Horror, Mystery and Literature, who try to help Kevin with deciding how the universe should be rewritten. Bigby get rewritten as a chimpanzee, mule, elephant,and very pissed o...more
We meet the literals in this story - the genres such as Horror, Mystery and Literature, who try to help Kevin with deciding how the universe should be rewritten. Bigby get rewritten as a chimpanzee, mule, elephant,and very pissed o...more
I love Fables, but there is a reason I dropped the spin-off Jack of Fables and this book is absolutely smothered in it. The sad thing is that, even with a number of elements I'm not particularly fond of, it still clocks in as pretty good.
Throwing Jack, who's been dealing with the self-professed creators of all the fictional worlds, onto the Farm is fun if only to see how bad things have gotten through how everyone reacts. Sending Snow White and Bigby after the author of everything, who's rather...more
Throwing Jack, who's been dealing with the self-professed creators of all the fictional worlds, onto the Farm is fun if only to see how bad things have gotten through how everyone reacts. Sending Snow White and Bigby after the author of everything, who's rather...more
Feb 01, 2012
Doreen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in the workings of literarature
Shelves:
the-only-book-club-worth-joining
It's hard to give this book the 5 I think it really deserves, because if you haven't followed both the Fables and Jack Of Fables titles to get to this point, it loses a lot of its punch. As the culmination of important storylines, it definitely deserves a 5, but as a standalone trade paperback, I have to give it a 4 (oh, the perils of the genre.)
That said, the content itself is extraordinary. Bill Willingham pokes fun at contemporary fiction, both the reading and writing of, in a clever, witty m...more
That said, the content itself is extraordinary. Bill Willingham pokes fun at contemporary fiction, both the reading and writing of, in a clever, witty m...more
I hate Jack's spinoff series, and here it is rearing its ugly head in my Fables series!
I'd tell Fables readers who don't read and don't care to read Jack of Fables to leave this one alone, but I know you won't because we loyal readers will sit through it to make sure we don't miss a thing from our Fables series. This is a perfect demonstration of why Crossovers are such a brilliant marketing tool.
Also, the story is all very meta for my taste, taking the Personification of the writing process to...more
I'd tell Fables readers who don't read and don't care to read Jack of Fables to leave this one alone, but I know you won't because we loyal readers will sit through it to make sure we don't miss a thing from our Fables series. This is a perfect demonstration of why Crossovers are such a brilliant marketing tool.
Also, the story is all very meta for my taste, taking the Personification of the writing process to...more
I suppose the crux of the matter is that I didn't really miss Jack Horner at all. While this volume possesses some clever dialog, several intriguing theories, as well as many literary references (which as a bookseller and book lover should endear me, right?), it just didn't live up to my expectations based on the dozen before it. Blue is still dead, Rose has hit rock bottom, and Jack comes back to town— not exactly the combination likely to keep my enjoyment level up to what it has been previous...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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