Fables, Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind

Fables

by Bill Willingham (Writer), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator), Steve Leialoha (Illustrator)

A #1 New York Times Bestseller.

The tights and capes have been stored away forever, but it remains to be seen if Haven and its refugee inhabitants have survived the onslaught of. Where do the Fables go from here? Bigby and Snow White's cubs try to move forward after learning a hard lesson about life and death. And the loveable, fan-favorite hero Bufkin the Flying Monkey gets into more trouble when he finally reaches his homeland of Oz.

Collecting: Fables 108-113

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Fables, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Graphic Novels Comics

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2012

About the author

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 years. He contributed stories to Green Lantern and started his own independent, black-and-white comics series Coventry which lasted only 3 issues. He also produced the pornographic series Ironwood for Eros Comix.

In the late 1990s Willingham reestablished himself as a prolific writer. He produced the 13-issue Pantheon for Lone Star Press and wrote a pair of short novels about the modern adventures of the hero Beowulf, published by the writer's collective, Clockwork Storybook, of which Willingham was a founding member. In the early 2000s he began writing extensively for DC Comics, including the limited series Proposition Player, a pair of limited series about the Greek witch Thessaly from The Sandman, and most notably the popular series Fables

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the name suggests, this one focuses on which one of Snow & Bigsby's cubs will inherit their grandfather's title of The North Wind.



Mr. North's servants attempt to get the kids to take tests to see who is best fitted to the role, while in the meantime the other great Winds move into the castle and try to take over for themselves.



Bufkin is still on a revolutionary crusade in the kingdom beside Oz. <--this is still my least favorite side story right now.



There's a really cool story in here about a character that was so powerful no one even noticed he was saving our world. Including himself!



And Rose Red gets a Christmas visit from a few Hopeful strangers who will try to guide her on her way to becoming a new Paladin of Hope.



Another solid volume from this team.
Recommended.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which the Farm is repopulated; Leigh prepares for the Fables' return to the former castle Dark; Bufkin and co. seek magical treasure in Ev; and a new North Wind is searched for. There is no calm after the storm as the Wolf family are obliged to get involved with the hunt for the next North Wind. A Wolf family-centric volume and not too bad with some important foreshadowing and an interesting conspiracy brewing. 7 out of 12.

[Tawfek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cubs get tested to see which of them will be the new north wind (kind of reminds me of the new dream successor of Morpheus )
Bufkin continues his revolution upon the new king of the world of oz.
Belle flower and dunster happ gets rescued from the barren land in which they helped mr.north.
Rose red gets to meet the last three agents of hope as she is the new agent of lady hope.
A few short tales about the world on the cup on a turtles back.
Lastly the tale of kadabara who helped fabletown escape the emperor's grasp for a long time i am not sure if they will be included in the main tale somehow since the witchy types have a hard time of staying dead.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main thrust of this volume is about the Wolf family. Now that the North Wind is dead, a new North Wind must be crowned so trials are concocted to determine which one of Snow and Bigby's children will succeed their Grandfather. Meanwhile, Bufkin is running around Oz trying to drum up a revolution. There's also a Christmas issue about Rose which will play in later in the final arc of the series. Your usual interesting stories from Willingham and Buckingham.

[Mohamed Metwally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preparations for the next trial of the fables is underway, with the North wind dead, Mistral is leading the discovery of his heir among the cubs. Meanwhile, Rose is on a mission of her own to become one of the agents of Hope, but it's still not clear how this will blend in with the bigger picture, or if Rose will still have another role to play as the savior? Will she be the one to stop the nurse when the time comes? And what is the monkey's adventure have to do with all this? Lastly, what is the point of the mini stories in the end?
Alot is happening in this volume, but the endgame is still not clear though...

MiM

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is really broken into three parts. In the first part the story of who will succeed to the throne of the North Wind is resolved and it may surprise you. The second part of the volume focuses on Rose Red. It reminded me of "A Christmas Carol" in its telling, not only due to the Christmas setting but the style in which her journey's enfolded. In many ways this was a Christmas volume. The final part of the volume is "Back in the days" and are several short stories set in the time of the Empire's rise. I rather enjoyed this one as it explained the foundation of Fabletown's magic and why Fabletown was allowed to exist. The Sorcerer Kadabra's tale was one I enjoyed.

Overall the quality story continues. This is one of those issues that sets the tone for the upcoming volumes. Safe to say, my interest is assured. A great series has added another good volume.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a variety of tales within, including some surprisingly good shorts at the very end, but for me the highlight is which of Bigby and Snow's children will be the new Northern Wind.

OVERALL GRADE: B plus.

[John Elbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that Fables is in the 'Public Domain', I thought it was time I read the entire series (including all spinoffs and specials) from start to finish in sequential tpb reading order. Here we go!

Fables First-to-Finale reading #31
Fables vol 17: Inherit the Wind

We learn about Ozmas' vision regarding Snow and Bigbys kids. Rose returns to the farm. Bufkin continues in Oz with the revolutionaries. 

As Bufkin looks to recruit for the revolution against the gnome king, training  continues to see which of the cubs has what it takes to be King North Wind.

Bukin finds himself captured. Winter finds herself and some lost fables along the way, making the choice for King easier. Bukin doesn't have the same luck. Here's hoping there's a loophole, right?

Next up is Christmas time, when Rose learns from Santa that she needs to decide what sort of Hope she will represent. And afterward, some short tales set in the past.

This volume was decent enough as it moved along through the various plots and repercussions from the previous volume. We'll see if things begin to pay off soon, or not, since there's still plenty of Fables to go!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume seventeen in this long-running series sees the aftermath of the death of Mister Dark, and is divided between three major storylines:

1. With the North Wind dead, one of his grandchildren must assume the title. Snow and Bigby Wolf are not thrilled, since it involves their cubs going on epic quests and/or daily scavenger hunts, the other three Winds drop by to throw their weight around, and there is a general sense that this is going to end badly for someone, especially when it turns out that there is a prophecy involved. One of the children is eventually chosen, and we see a return of Bellflower, the former Frau Totenkinder reborn in a newly hot body but just as powerful (and probably just as devious) as before.

2. Bufkin the flying monkey is leading a ragtag band of revolutionaries in the former kingdom of Oz, which is now ruled by yet another evil emperor, this time the Nome King. The Soviet-style propaganda posters are amusing, but the story drags, even with the comic relief.

3. Rose Red returns to the Farm, as the Fables prepare to migrate back from Haven to their former home in Manhattan... where Miss Spratt is waiting, vengefully.

Aside from the North Wind storyline, there were a lot of cameos by Fables old and new but not a lot of the old characters doing much. This was a decent entry in the series in that we can see setup for climactic events to come, but nothing epic, astonishing, or really funny. Also, Mark Buckingham's penciling seems lazier than usual.

Some of the short stories in the back were more interesting than the main storylines, particularly as we learn about a powerful magician, unmentioned until now, who was really responsible for protecting Fabletown from the Emperor, and Rose Red's quest to determine who she will be as a new paladin of Hope.

[Wing Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the doom and gloom of the last arc it is great to get am arc that is pure character driven...well there's Bufkin also, but everyone loves ol'Bufkin. The wolf family is front and center, especially the cubs, and it's a wonderfully light and breezy (pun intended) tale. Here are some highlights without spoilers:

1) the characterization of the cubs is done well and we really get to see the characters and personality each of them are. By issue 2 I already had a favorite and was secretly cheering for her *blossom*. Willingham is a master story teller that weaves 3 separate arcs together that at face value seems mundane but no doubt will have lasting effects to the continuing world of fables.

2) The Briar Rose tale was short and fun and it's great to visit a character that has not been talked off since a couple of arcs ago. Lumi being there was a cherry on top and I can't wait for this story to be told (I imagine in Fairest).

3) What else can be said about Buckingham's art. It's just as important as Bill's writing and I can't imagine fables without him. Character consistency not only in story but also in art has made these characters grow with the reader and it's awesome. I particularly liked the cubs border this arc as it was cute and also was a subtle way to distinguish each cub in the panels.

On to Cubs in Toyland!

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 17th book in the Fables series and picks up after the battle with Mister Dark. It was a decent installment in the series and I enjoyed it. We see a lot of little snippets of different stories here, so it is a bit of a transition book.

In this book we start to see a number of new storylines starting up. The Fables are trying to rebuild their lives. Buffkin is trying to start a rebellion in Oz. A new North Wind must be chosen, and the ex-nurse Spratt is honing her fighting skills to revenge Mister Dark.

A lot is going on in this book, it was an enjoyable read but a bit piecemeal. You get quick snippets from all the different stories. The storyline that gets the most attention is the choosing of the new North Wind. We get to meet the other winds and watch as Snow and Bigby’s children compete to be the North Wind.

Amidst that North Wind storyline we see the Fables rebuilding and Buffkin started a rebellion in Oz. A lot of time is also devoted to Nurse Spratt as she trains to take on a new identity and revenge Mister Dark. It seems like she will be playing a large role in future installments.

There is also Christmas special in which Rose tries to decide what type of Lady of Hope she will become.

As with previous books the illustration was wonderful and in keeping with the story.

Overall a solid addition to this series. I enjoyed the North Wind storyline and am curious where the storylines featuring Buffkin and Nurse Spratt are going. Recommended to fans of urban fantasy graphic novels.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I would call a quiet installment in Bill Willingham's long running series. With the passing of The North Wind in the conflict with Mister Dark, a new North Wind must be selected. As Bigby had long since renounced any intention of his becoming the North Wind, it develops that the new North will be chosen from Bigby and Snow's children. No spoilers here, but yes one child is selected.

Willingham also lays the seeds for a story line that will be resolved some day down the road. The South, East and West Winds appear all wanting a say in who the new North will be, while at the same time plotting their own rise to a higher standing in their pantheon. It appears that North was not the nicest person (nor are his companions winds) and he had been the top "dog" for some time.

Stand alone stories include how a turtle ends up bearing a world in a teacup on her back, and Red's own Christmas Carol tale, for lack of a better term.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad to finally see more of the Wolf cubs! The fallout of the confrontation with Mister Dark leaves the family with some major challenges ahead and it was interesting to see how they dealt with them. The story with Buffkin was just okay but it was still good to see him having his own adventures. A good addition to the series and definitely worth reading!

[Tanabrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume in cui si fanno i conti con la morte del Vento del Nord (scoprendone i fratelli, una famiglia davvero squisita, e scoprendo le dure leggi del loro mondo, e quindi la necessità impellente di un nuovo Re scelto tra i nipoti). E poi abbiamo Rosa che viene portata a riflettere sulla Speranza in stile Canto di Natale, e la rivolta a Oz che pare finire male.

A parte la trama dei venti, la mia parte preferita è stata il racconto del potentissimo mago delle terre dell'ovest che all'insaputa di tutti (sé stesso compreso) ha protetto le fiabe e consentito la nascita e la prosperità di Favolandia.

[Gaia✨️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨️
Bo... si?
Mi sembra chiaro che gli autori avevano in mente fin da subito il destino di Bigby e Snow (ovvero farli figliare) e hanno arronzato il resto per poter arrivare direttamente alla famiglia Wolf al completo. Ora è arrivato il momento di raccogliere i profitti narrativi.
Mi sono piaciute le storie brevi messe alla fine e tutte le avventure di Bufkin a Oz (sarà anche che sono reduce da Wicked, quindi al momento adoro tutto cioè che è Oz-correlato).
I fatti della terra del vento invece mi hanno lasciata abbastanza indifferente, se non contiamo che i cuccioli iniziano a starmi un po' sulle scatole.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was ready to give up on the Fables comics, because to me they started to get meandery, but Inherit the Wind, despite not falling into a main storyline, delivered some wild surprises and reminded me why I fell in love with the comic in the first place. This series focuses on the children of Snow White and Bigby and thank god they finally did because these have so much personality and depth, I’m so surprised there’s no Fables Cubs spin-off!

[P. Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The problem with killing off archetypes like The North Wind, aka, Bigby Wolf's dad, is that they must be replaced. There are supposed to be four cardinal winds after all. Following the death/incarceration of The North Wind in the service of getting rid of Mister Dark, Bigby, Snow and their little monsters are summoned to The North Wind's icy keep for the purpose of choosing a successor. Snow, as any mother would be, is less than enthusiastic about the idea. Especially since it seems to involve putting her young children through various tests. Meanwhile, the other four winds arrive, South, West, and East. Of course, they've got their own nefarious plans.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Fables return to the Farm, finding that the facility has survived untouched by Mister Dark. Rose Red begins putting plans in motion to retake their home in Manhattan. But first she must undertake a kind of Christmas Carol-esque quest to find her purpose as the newest agent of hope.

Back in Manhattan, Miss Spratt--the now very lean Miss Spratt and former acolyte of Mister Dark--is planning a nasty surprise for the returning Fables.

Bufkin, the flying monkey (former, as he lost his wings in a previous outing), continues his exploration of the land of Oz, finding himself the semi-reluctant leader of a revolution against the emperor. Yeah, you know that'll end well. Not.

This volume ends with several short vignettes which include a story about the long forgotten founder of the Fables' home in Manhattan. The rest don't seem to have a connection to any overall story arc, but giving the Fables' writers previous pattern, they probably do. My fave being the story about a porcupine cursed to desire the affections of only human women.

In general, the overall feel for this volume is that it's again setting things up for bigger stuff to come. Which is totally cool. Bufkin's arc provides the only significant cliffhanger. Rose Red's decision, what hope she will represent, uh, is left to (hopefully) be revealed in the next volume. She will also be dealing with the consequences of an unintentional (and bad) bargain that she made on her winter's night adventure.

A surprising new North Wind is chosen, and Bigby and family temporarily go on with life as usual (though one of the children ponders the meaning of a strange Christmas gift).

Miss Spratt's arc is the least satisfying, consisting largely of her hanging out with her new boy toy/trainer and making ominous noises about her plans for the Fables.

Not the most emotionally challenging or adventurous Fables volume, but good fun nonetheless.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet another pointless entry in a series caught in a troubling downward spiral. Characters barely discussed and treated with distant, meandering attentions come center and vie for the spotlight, but, really, who cares about the seven kids of Snow White and the Wolf? They've been barely a presence and the "final battle" leading to their vying for the mantle of North Wind was so lame as to elicit eye-rolls, shrugs, or ass-scratchings at best. And Nurse Sprat? Another A.D.D.-seizure sparked character who wanders in and out of things. Put another way, this series has suffered from too many characters who get treated in a haphazard, random way, appearing sporadically and without purpose (E.g. Rose Red, who literally spent scads of issues in bed, here gets the Dickens Christmas treatment, again reminding us of her "special destiny" that we've been promised for years but which has led to her being the most annoying out of a brood of annoying characters).
Why do I keep reading this comic?!?

[Bry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just an ok installment in the fables series. It was full of POV changes - sometimes as often as every 3 pages which made for an an extremely jumpy storyline that spanned weeks at a time. No one specific story was ever focused on for a good amount of time as in past installments so it was really hard to care about all that was happening. Like I said - this was just a filler novel. But then again I am hoping that means the next couple will be outstanding and crazy action filled!

The best part that happened in this installment though was the prophecy surrounding Snow and Bigby's cubs. It definitely set up a LOT and makes me excited to keep up with the series for them alone.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume focuses on the search for the new North Wind and also Bufkin ends up in Oz (or at least near there) and his fate is unknown at this time. There's also a Christmas story and a few shorter tales including one that explains why Fabletown was able to hide from the Adversary for so long. Mrs. Spratt is still hanging around too, and probably soon to be at least a minor problem.

The art was great as always. I'm not liking the series quite as much as I did in the beginning, but still very entertaining.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an in-betweener, a volume that serves as denouement to the story of Mr. Dark and introduction to the next conflict. I don't mind that a bit. A couple of balls that were juggled through the last collection are still in the air. Bufkin, the flying monkey, is off on his own adventure to Oz, which was entertaining enough. I really enjoyed the interlude with Bigby & Snow White and the cubs: any time spent with the well developed long-term characters is time well spent, in my book.

[Cristhian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buenas noticias:
-tenemos a un nuevo Viento del Norte
-regresó Frau Totenkinder (bueno, Bellflower)
-Red Rose es una personificación de Hope
-aprendimos algo de Kadavra (sort of)

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great edition in the best graphic novel series ever written.

All kinds of Spoilers....
The main plot of this one concerns who will be the next Great North Wind. After the last one died in defeating Mister Dark. It looks like it will be one of the grandchildren (the cubs) but they must go through a bunch of tests.
Also at the end of the book there are a bunch of short (2-3 pages) stories gathered together that were quaint and well written.

I really enjoyed this. I did give it a rare four star rating if only because things have been on a epic scale for so many issues that this felt a little bit like a lull in the storytelling.
The artwork if amazing as always and the storytelling is without compare.

Like the previous 16 volumes that I've read & rated...this gets the highest, most emphatic recommendation.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did we need to switch stories every ten seconds?!

Rose Red checking out the farm. Flycatcher in Haven. Oz. Next North Wind? Oz. Next North Wind? Oz. Mrs. Spratt/Leigh Duglas. Next North Wind? We've only made it to page 25 at this point.

Luckily, I'm interested in ALL of these. I just wish I wasn't being jerked around every three pages. And then an abrupt halt with xxxxxxxx being hanged?! Talk about a cliff-hanger (aha hahaha hahaha snort snort)!

FOUR STARS

[Tiffany Lynn Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

More interesting new developments, however some of the side events detracted from the bigger story.

[Siegfried · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK. So...
The right meme is "I mean... it's allright"
Liked some of the litter. Fucking hate a certain someone, but ok.
What I kinda disliked is all the Rose Red stuff with Hope...
But ok, I guess

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a little hard to get through as the plot kind of jumped around a lot making the pacing incredibly slow and disinteresting. It's still a Fables comic, though -- so take that for what it's worth. I think this is the longest it's ever taken me to read one of these volumes. It was slow as a turtle with a world on its back.

[Svetlana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inherit the Wind (108-111). With the abrupt end to the Dark Man plot, the question was whether there were any more stories to be told. The answer is happily "yes" and Willingham kicks right in by putting Snow and Bigby's children center stage. More widely, this decision was somewhat controversial, because Willingham was shifting the focus away from the classic Fables, but I quite enjoyed it, because it allowed him to create new Fables and fables of his own.

"Inherit the Wind" does a good job of really differentiating the kids and putting the question of the North Wind center stage, as a nice spin-off of the super-team arc. The story is never that deep, and stops pretty quickly, but it's a nice one nonetheless.

The Bufkin plot that shares pages with "Inherit the Wind" is a little less successful, mainly because it ends on a cliffhanger without having gotten much of anywhere. Still, it's enjoyable while we see it, and it promises goodness in the future [7/10].

All in a Single Night (112). An excellent advance of Rose's plot, told in the style of the three Ghosts of Christmas, but totally twisted. It's feels important, like we've got a major new element of the plotline starting up, so the frustrating thing is that the final shoe, of which Hope Rose will be, doesn't drop. Still, this is an enthralling, sometimes touching issue [8/10].

In Those Days (113). An OK set of stories, though the long story of Kadabra feels like it undercuts the agency of all of Fabletown, and is best forgotten [5/10].

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume alternates between 3 main story lines and each is pretty interesting. One features Bufkin in the land of Oz, the second shows the Wolf siblings being tested to see which should become the North Wind, and the last reveals Nurse Spratt's plan for when the Fables return to Mister Dark's castle to reclaim it as Fabletown.

I love that we jump around to each story as they all bring something slightly different to the table. The Nurse Spratt storyline is setting up things to come and also offers a great dose of dramatic irony.

The Wolf children storyline begins to finally dive deeper into these characters that up until this point were just a conglomeration of kids. It is revealed that Ozma had a vision and shared a prophecy about the fates of each of the 7 children and we see that with one of them becoming a King, the prophecy is already starting to unfold. The downside of course being that the prophecy includes death.

Lastly, the whimsy and excitement of Bufkin's journey provides a great window into yet another Homeland world. I love seeing Oz!

There is also a standalone story, a Christmas Carol type story, featuring Rose Red meeting some of figures embodying Hope and leaving Red with the task of figuring out what aspect of Hope she will represent.

The final few stories were a low point of the volume, a series of shorts featuring some fables about minor Fables.