Dan Porter
May 14, 2004, 08:58 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0504/FablesCVR25.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0504/FablesCVR25t.jpg" align="left" alt="Fables #25"></a><b>Reviewer</b>: Daniel F. Porter, dan@jpporter.com
<b>Quick Rating</b>: Excellent!
<b>Story Title</b>: "March of the Wooden Soldiers, Chapter Six: Our Right to Assemble Issue"
<b>Suggested for mature readers.</b>
There's a storm a-brewin'...
<b>Written by</b>: Bill Willingham
<b>Pencils by</b>: Mark Buckingham
<b>Inks by</b>: Steve Leialoha
<b>Colors by</b>: Daniel Vozzo
<b>Letters by</b>: Todd Klein
<b>Cover Art</b>: James Jean
<b>Assistant Editor</b>: Mariah Huehner
<b>Editor</b>: Shelly Bond
I know there's a name for this type of issue, but I can't, for the life of me, think of what it is. It's sort of along the lines of "Okay, there're the bad guys. Let's go bust some ass!" but more of "Okay, there're the bad guys... Lord, we've really screwed ourselves over this time, haven't we?" than anything else. We've seen this type of thing dozens of times, notably in Mark Millar's <b><i>Ultimates</i></b>, towards the end of the second arc (issue #11? Don't quote me on that though; I could be wrong). Most often this "Ready, set..." cliffhanger is a horribly miscalculated effort to try and get everyone to buy the next issue. In this case, though, the <b><i>Fables</i></b> team of Willingham, Buckingham, and Leialoha pull it off masterfully, transcending the usual boundaries created by need to fill up an issue with something.
<b><i>Fables #25</i></b> ties up a lot of the loose ends in <i>March of the Wooden Soldiers</i>, like what the citizens of Fabletown are going to do to prepare for the coming battle. Readers are treated to an especially funny scene with Beauty, her husband the Beast, and Prince Charming, as well as a friendly wager of sorts between Grimble the security guard and Hobbes, servant of the late Bluebeard.
We also find out just what Jack's been up to, in addition to where Rose Red and everyone up at the farm has been for the last couple issues (aside from having Baba Yaga's hut go super-crazy-insane last issue). We're treated to an impressive spread showcasing the wooden soldiers' "recruiting station" that gives an indication (did we need one?) of just how good Buckingham's pencils are.
The man is truly a master of art; each month he turns in work that makes my head spin from its supreme awesomeness. The only way I can think of to describe this artist is: <u>What God gave the Italians in wine, the French in love, the Brits in humor, and the Asians in fodder, He condensed into a shining ball of pure creativity and imagination to bestow onto Mark Buckingham</u>. The man truly is blessed (and I'm not a religious person, either); he has a unique style that is of the caliber that all comic book artists should hope to have, whether they do already or not.
And what Buckingham has in that department, Bill Willingham has in his writing ability. As a fan of good stories and as a fiction writer myself, I can say without a doubt in my mind that Bill Willingham always has the best ideas in his head. It's a damned good thing that he decided to write them all down, too! Actually, I like to think of the situation like this: Maybe Willingham pulled a Wonder Girl and did some under-the-table dealing with the right dieties. I wonder if he can put me in touch with someone upstairs? ...1-800-GOD-CELL (Ha!)
Back to reality for a moment... There's not a single wasted panel in this issue; every page has something special going on that either pertains to the story of somehow enlightens us as to the gravity of the whole situation. You can really see the tension on the final page, as Buckingham's facial expressions do their magic. And the dialogue throughout the issue does several things of importance: 1) It shows us just how in control of everything Prince Charming really is - he's stressed, to be sure, but Willingham gives him the strength and insight to help everybody else through it all. 2) The terror and despair of the lesser Fables and Snow's formidability come through brightly; you don't need to look hardin order to see where these characters are coming from emotionally.
Because it's so easy to relate to the characters here, the impact of the final page is even more profound. Even if Fabletown emerges from the coming slaughter unscathed (which, as solicitations have told us, is not very likely), there will still be any number of ways we as readers can appreciate the pressure and sense of doubt that plagues us all in times of stress.
This issue exemplifies everything I love to see in comics. We readers are lucky to have such an incredible team of creators working together; such an opportunity only comes once in a lifetime.
And finally, I'd lke to extend a personal thank-you to Bill Wilingham himself, for being an inspiration to me as a writer and for indirectly giving me the courage to submit my crappy short stories to the college admissions people for a scholarship. Damn good thing I did, too - I got $1500!
STORY:<br />
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg" border="0" alt=""><br />
ART:<br />
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vhalf.jpg" border="0" alt=""><br />
OVERALL:<br />
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vhalf.jpg" border="0" alt=""><br />
<a href="http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=121&cat=FABLES" target="_blank">Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save!</a>
<b>Quick Rating</b>: Excellent!
<b>Story Title</b>: "March of the Wooden Soldiers, Chapter Six: Our Right to Assemble Issue"
<b>Suggested for mature readers.</b>
There's a storm a-brewin'...
<b>Written by</b>: Bill Willingham
<b>Pencils by</b>: Mark Buckingham
<b>Inks by</b>: Steve Leialoha
<b>Colors by</b>: Daniel Vozzo
<b>Letters by</b>: Todd Klein
<b>Cover Art</b>: James Jean
<b>Assistant Editor</b>: Mariah Huehner
<b>Editor</b>: Shelly Bond
I know there's a name for this type of issue, but I can't, for the life of me, think of what it is. It's sort of along the lines of "Okay, there're the bad guys. Let's go bust some ass!" but more of "Okay, there're the bad guys... Lord, we've really screwed ourselves over this time, haven't we?" than anything else. We've seen this type of thing dozens of times, notably in Mark Millar's <b><i>Ultimates</i></b>, towards the end of the second arc (issue #11? Don't quote me on that though; I could be wrong). Most often this "Ready, set..." cliffhanger is a horribly miscalculated effort to try and get everyone to buy the next issue. In this case, though, the <b><i>Fables</i></b> team of Willingham, Buckingham, and Leialoha pull it off masterfully, transcending the usual boundaries created by need to fill up an issue with something.
<b><i>Fables #25</i></b> ties up a lot of the loose ends in <i>March of the Wooden Soldiers</i>, like what the citizens of Fabletown are going to do to prepare for the coming battle. Readers are treated to an especially funny scene with Beauty, her husband the Beast, and Prince Charming, as well as a friendly wager of sorts between Grimble the security guard and Hobbes, servant of the late Bluebeard.
We also find out just what Jack's been up to, in addition to where Rose Red and everyone up at the farm has been for the last couple issues (aside from having Baba Yaga's hut go super-crazy-insane last issue). We're treated to an impressive spread showcasing the wooden soldiers' "recruiting station" that gives an indication (did we need one?) of just how good Buckingham's pencils are.
The man is truly a master of art; each month he turns in work that makes my head spin from its supreme awesomeness. The only way I can think of to describe this artist is: <u>What God gave the Italians in wine, the French in love, the Brits in humor, and the Asians in fodder, He condensed into a shining ball of pure creativity and imagination to bestow onto Mark Buckingham</u>. The man truly is blessed (and I'm not a religious person, either); he has a unique style that is of the caliber that all comic book artists should hope to have, whether they do already or not.
And what Buckingham has in that department, Bill Willingham has in his writing ability. As a fan of good stories and as a fiction writer myself, I can say without a doubt in my mind that Bill Willingham always has the best ideas in his head. It's a damned good thing that he decided to write them all down, too! Actually, I like to think of the situation like this: Maybe Willingham pulled a Wonder Girl and did some under-the-table dealing with the right dieties. I wonder if he can put me in touch with someone upstairs? ...1-800-GOD-CELL (Ha!)
Back to reality for a moment... There's not a single wasted panel in this issue; every page has something special going on that either pertains to the story of somehow enlightens us as to the gravity of the whole situation. You can really see the tension on the final page, as Buckingham's facial expressions do their magic. And the dialogue throughout the issue does several things of importance: 1) It shows us just how in control of everything Prince Charming really is - he's stressed, to be sure, but Willingham gives him the strength and insight to help everybody else through it all. 2) The terror and despair of the lesser Fables and Snow's formidability come through brightly; you don't need to look hardin order to see where these characters are coming from emotionally.
Because it's so easy to relate to the characters here, the impact of the final page is even more profound. Even if Fabletown emerges from the coming slaughter unscathed (which, as solicitations have told us, is not very likely), there will still be any number of ways we as readers can appreciate the pressure and sense of doubt that plagues us all in times of stress.
This issue exemplifies everything I love to see in comics. We readers are lucky to have such an incredible team of creators working together; such an opportunity only comes once in a lifetime.
And finally, I'd lke to extend a personal thank-you to Bill Wilingham himself, for being an inspiration to me as a writer and for indirectly giving me the courage to submit my crappy short stories to the college admissions people for a scholarship. Damn good thing I did, too - I got $1500!
STORY:<br />
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg" border="0" alt=""><br />
ART:<br />
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vhalf.jpg" border="0" alt=""><br />
OVERALL:<br />
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vhalf.jpg" border="0" alt=""><br />
<a href="http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=121&cat=FABLES" target="_blank">Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save!</a>