Although, I'm sure there are others who've known about this long before me.
Last year, I picked up the first trade paperback collection of "Fables", a comic book series published by DC's Vertigo imprint. Basically, it's about the lands of all our favorite fairy tales and nursery rhymes being conquered by someone known as The Adversary. Many died, those that managed to escape wound up in our world. Some live in a section of New York City, others, who can't pass as human, live in a place called The Farm in upper New York State. They form a community called Fable Town.
So far, I've gotten the first five trade paperback collections plus one hardcover graphic novel, and haven't been disappointed.
Well, how this is relevant to Steelhead, the Big Bad Wolf is a main character. Sometime, during the big escape from the homelands, I think, he was given the option to take on human form. Due to his bad reputation, he wasn't going to be welcomed on the Farm. So, he did, and took the name Bigby. He can transform into a large wolf, and sometimes Lycan style. And at the beginning of the series, and until Old King Cole lost the Fabletown mayor election to Prince Charming, Bigby was in charge of security amongst the Fables and had the title of sheriff.
During the reading of the second trade paperback, I thought, "Bill Willingham's gonna sue my ass."
Other interesting characters, so far: Snow White, who, until Cole lost the election, was the deputy mayor of Fabletown. The hardcover graphic novel, 1001 Nights Of Snowfall, had a story that more or less hinted about her time with the seven dwarves.....and it ain't pretty. She also has a relationship with Bigby, and gives birth to his children......seven at once.
Flycatcher- The Frog Prince. Lost his family during the invasion. Bigby has him doing community service to keep his mind focused, or else he'll go find a way back to the homelands and find his family.
Jack aka Jack Of FAbles. Jack Frost, Jack B. Nimble, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill......Jack was all those. Eventually got his own series. Haven't started reading that, but heard that in his series, he meets some of the American folklore like Paul Bunyan.
Rose Red- Snow White's sister. Bit of a rebel, so far, and I'm not caught up with recent events, she's in charge of the Farm.
Frau Totenkinder- The witch from Hansel and Gretel.
There's many more. Like I said, there are others who've read the series from the beginning and are more up to date than I am. But, this is a very interesting read.
2 comments:
I've read these. A young naval officer kept pressing them on me, saying "you.. YOU of all people, will get this.." I thanked him and threw the first three of them in a box. Read them about three months ago on a whim and was floored how good they were.
I particularly liked the bit about Rose Red being a revolutionary. :-D
There's some cool visual references to some older stories in there, not just Mother Goose. I like Fables.
Try something called TOP TEN sometime. Fuzzball always reminded me of Duane from that series.
Not having read the series myself I can only guess, but with the tie in to fairy tales I'd think The Adversary might refer to the leader of the Unseelie Court. It was one of his common titles and since the stories seem to be dealing in fairy tales that would go along with the theme.
Which is something I've tied into this story that I really must get around to finishing.
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