[Books] Fables: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha

[mylescorcoran]

The second trade pb collection of Bill Willingham's vision of fairy tale characters hiding in the modern world. Fun Orwellian and revolutionary antics at Animal Farm, the hidden second Fabletown in upstate New York where the non-human fables hide away from the mundane gaze. Revolution is in the air, and Snow White has her work cut out for her confronting doctrinaire pigs, armed bears and a violent Goldilocks.

This was a birthday present from my brother and his wife, after sammywol and I both enjoyed the first volume, which I bought as a Christmas present for sammywol. The series is good so far, and at least a couple of steps above Ironwood, the last Willingham comic I read. I'm glad to see there are something like 10 or more trade paperbacks available too, so there's more fun to be had when the finances allow.

Comments

[brianrogers.livejournal.com]

Having just finished volume 10, I can assure you that they're all worth reading.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Seconded. This is far and away the best stuff that Willingham has ever done, partly because it has been so sustained.

[sammywol.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. Now I just have to find the cash to buy another 8+ TPBs.

[mylescorcoran]

D'oh. That was me posting as sammywol. I'm doing that a lot now it seems.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Over here in Canuckistan, Amazon is generally cheaper than the local comics shop. Also, some comics places have used TPBs, which, to me, make a heck of a lot of sense, actually.

[shannon_a]

Yup, I agree with that. Some of Willingham's other writing leaves me cold, but these are brilliant all the way through. Jack of Fables is good too, though not great. It spins off around volume 6 or 7.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Not sure I ever said it to you Shannon, but thanks very much for recommending Artesia (apropos of it being comics; not very much like Fables or Willingham though, except maybe in its unabashed and sensible treatment of some adult themes). If you're looking for summat else to put on your comics buy list, Myles, Artesia should prolly be there... 8)

[mylescorcoran]

Hah! I have the first three collections already, probably after recommendations online. Good stuff indeed.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

By co-incidence this appears on my friendslist just below someone linking to a piece that suggests that whatever you think of his work (I consider Fables wildly over-rated for what it is) he probably shouldn't talk about them.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

I'm still enjoying Fables, though I buy it in pamphlet form, not graphic novel form. I don't think I love it as much as some, but it's generally at least a good read.

[mylescorcoran]

Agreed. I didn't enjoy Fables quite as much as I enjoyed Castle Waiting, for example, but it's pretty good for a Vertigo serial.

I think I read Castle Waiting at least in part on your recommendation. Bloody good stuff, I thought.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

I believe that I, too, am in that boat... 8)

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

It is. It looks so easy, and it's one of the hardest kinds of writing there is.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

And for those who want to revel in the current controversy that is Bill Willingham, we present this interview at the Onion's AV club along with this post by Willingham himself at Big Hollywood decrying the current grim-n-grittiness of comics...

[mylescorcoran]

Wow, Fabletown = Israel, who knew?

This only reinforces the rule: never read about writers, just read their writing. Sigh.