This is a guide to getting into Fabletown and Beyond for those new and potentially new Fables readers. Especially those coming over from The Wolf Among Us, who may be refugees seeking additional time in Fabletown (welcome to you all).

There are many ways to read Fables, from inexpensive to more expensive.

By far, the most inexpensive way to read Fables is at your local library. Many libraries now carry comics and Fables is popular there.

Next in order of lowest expense is buying digital copies, from online places such as ComiXology, for a buck or two per issue. Or, if you prefer to have printed copies, your local comic store has Fables, for only a couple of bucks more per issue.

If you don’t want to spend the time tracking down the more than 140 back issues individually, I recommend the soft cover collections. The collections comprise full Fables stories, of six to twelve issues each, and priced to be the best overall value. There are twenty or so soft back collections in print now, and most comic shops, and many bookstores, keep them in stock.

And next up are the deluxe hardback collections, which are pricier, but the definitive version, if you want to hold onto your Fables. I believe there are nine of those by now, and more to come. All versions are numbered, so no worries about reading them out of order.

The final, and most pricey way to get Fables is to pay me sixteen thousand dollars, to have me fly to your house and tell you the complete story in person. For an extra 20k I bring along an out of work Hollywood actress to act out all the female parts. Please note that all of the Fables collections are kept in print, so there’s no worry about being able to start from the very first issue.

Apologies if the next little bit appears at all overwhelming. It’s a complete list of everything Fables, including the spin-offs, original graphic novels and more. Don’t feel compelled to get all of it, it’s just here as a guide to what’s available if you’re new to the franchise.

Click on any of the links below to be taken directly to the Amazon page.

Fables Soft Covers:

Vol. 1: Legends in Exile
Vol. 2: Animal Farm
Vol. 3: Storybook Love
Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers
Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons
Vol. 6: Homelands
Vol. 7: Arabian Nights (and Days)
Vol. 8: Wolves
Vol. 9: Sons of the Empire
Vol. 10: The Good Prince
Vol. 11: War and Pieces
Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
Vol. 13: The Great Fables Crossover
Vol. 14: Witches
Vol. 15: Rose Red
Vol. 16: Super Team
Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind
Vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland
Vol. 19: Snow White
Vol. 20: Camelot
Vol. 21: Happily Ever After (due after March 3, 2015)

The issue breakdown for each volume of the softcovers can be found here.

If you’re overseas, you can buy the Fables collections at your local comic book shop, bookstore or online at Amazon via this link.

Fables (hard cover Deluxe Editions):

Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Book Four
Book Five
Book Six
Book Seven
Book Eight
Book Nine

The issue breakdown info on additional content for each volume of the Deluxe Edition hardcovers can be found here.

One-off original graphic novels and novel novels:

Fables: The Last Castle (included in the Vol. 2 Deluxe Edition)
1001 Nights of Snowfall (included in Vol. 4 Deluxe Edition)
Werewolves of the Heartland
Peter & Max

Fairest:

Vol. 1: Wide Awake – By Bill Willingham. It focuses on Sleeping Beauty, Lumi, the Snow Queen and Aladdin. This arc takes place after Fables #74. It’s not necessary to have read Fables to jump into the book.
Vol. 2: The Hidden Kingdom – By Lauren Beukes (last name rhymes with muckus) It focuses on the adventures of Rapunzel in Japan. No previous Fables knowledge is necessary to enjoy.
Vol. 3: Return of the Maharaja – By Sean E. Williams and tells the story of Nalayani
Vol. 4: Of Mice and Men – By Marc Andreyko
Vol. 5: Clamour for Glamour – By resident Fables artist Mark Buckingham

Fairest One-Offs:

Fairest In All The Land

Cinderella:

From Fabletown With Love – By Chris Roberson
Fables Are Forever – By Chris Roberson

Another Cinderella story is available in Fairest Vol. 4: Of Mice and Men.

Jack of Fables is written by Matt Sturges. You can jump onto this series anytime but it’ll make much more sense to you if you read up to where Jack disappears in Fables. You’ll know where and when. The series is available in soft cover editions.

Jack of Fables:

Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape
Vol. 2: Jack of Hearts
Vol. 3: The Bad Prince
Vol. 4: Americana
Vol. 5: Turning Pages
Vol. 6: The Big Book of War
Vol. 7: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack
Vol. 8: The Fulminate Blade
Vol. 9: The End

Also available:

Fables: The James Jean Covers
The Fables Encyclopedia by Jess Nevins

Other Fables Goodies:

Snow White and Bigby Statue
Rose Red and Shere Khan Statue (pictured on the right)
Snow White Bust
Bigby Bust Statue
Fables Bookends
The Wolf Among Us Video Game by Telltale
Blue Boy Scarf (rare and not available for sale anywhere other than maybe eBay)
T-shirts by Graphitti Designs including this Rose Red baseball shirt
Escape to Wolf Manor (Fables 100) poster
Fables Postcards (you can get one by sending Bill a letter via good ol’ fashioned snail mail. Details here)

Note: The links to the statues are mostly just through Amazon, but they might be available cheaper elsewhere if they are something you wind up wanting to pick up.

Awards:

And if awards mean anything to you, Fables has won the following awards (as of 2012):

Best New Series in 2003
Best Serialized Story in 2003, 2005 and 2006 (“Legends In Exile”, “March of the Wooden Soldiers” and “Homelands”)
Best Anthology in 2007 (Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall)
Best Short Story in 2007 (“A Frog’s Eye View,” by Bill Willingham and James Jean, in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team in 2007 (Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (Interior) in 2007 (Jill Thompson)
Best Cover Artist in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 (James Jean)

While Fables only advertises winning fourteen Eisner Awards on their covers, the following Eisner awards have also been won by members of their staff for their work on Fables:

Best Writer in 2009 (Bill Willingham)
Best Lettering in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011 (Todd Klein)