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Fables
Fables, Vol. 22: Farewell
It’s the final trade paperback volume of Fables! No, wait – it’s Fables 150, the grand finale of the best-selling, award-winning comic book series! And it’s also an original graphic novel in the tradition of Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall! Yes, it’s all this and more! Join us for 150 – that’s, right, 150! – pages of new stories starring your favorite Fables, all from the mind of Bill Willingham. It all starts with an 80-page lead story illustrated by series regulars Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha, plus stories illustrated by Mark Schultz, Gene Ha, Neal Adams, Andrew Pepoy and many more!
Don’t miss the final bows for Boy Blue, Stinky, Lake and more in this once-in-a-lifetime issue that also features a foldout cover by Nimit Malavia that opens into a four-panel mural! It’s even got metallic ink!
Don’t miss the final bows for Boy Blue, Stinky, Lake and more in this once-in-a-lifetime issue that also features a foldout cover by Nimit Malavia that opens into a four-panel mural! It’s even got metallic ink!
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2015
37 people are currently reading
2508 people want to read
About the author
Bill Willingham
993 books2,822 followersIn 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 574 reviews
February 9, 2022
So it's not a bad ending, but it was what the word anti-climactic was invented to describe.
The battle was a letdown of epic proportions.
Again, the solution wasn't bad. But the build-up was so intense that to solve it with a wet fart resolution that just suddenly appeared like a light bulb over Rose's head?
Like, didn't y'all notice that little tidbit before you started to amass the armies?
Regardless. It is what it is.
If you're going into this expecting a major throwdown with a lot of twists and turns, you'll need to tamp those expectations down quite a few notches.
It was nice that Willingham took the time to write a bajillion epilogues for all the characters, but at some point, it just felt like overkill.
I really hated Dare's epilogue.
What the hell was that? Why even take the time to do that?
And another weird thing is that you never actually see Snow grieve for him. I get that she's got a lot going on, but it's almost like an oh well we have 6 more feeling about his death.
THAT'S NOT HOW THAT WORKS.
I felt very cheated by that whole storyline because while his sacrifice meant everything to him, you never see anyone in his family (other than Therese) mention it.
I definitely would suggest that you take the time to read the Fairest series because a lot of the answers to lingering questions (like what happened to Prince Charming and the statement that Snow White will die due to a sword through the heart) are in there.
This was a really cool series and even if I wasn't blown away by the ending, it still ended well enough for me to walk away satisfied.
Recommended.
The battle was a letdown of epic proportions.
Again, the solution wasn't bad. But the build-up was so intense that to solve it with a wet fart resolution that just suddenly appeared like a light bulb over Rose's head?
Like, didn't y'all notice that little tidbit before you started to amass the armies?
Regardless. It is what it is.
If you're going into this expecting a major throwdown with a lot of twists and turns, you'll need to tamp those expectations down quite a few notches.
It was nice that Willingham took the time to write a bajillion epilogues for all the characters, but at some point, it just felt like overkill.
I really hated Dare's epilogue.
What the hell was that? Why even take the time to do that?
And another weird thing is that you never actually see Snow grieve for him. I get that she's got a lot going on, but it's almost like an oh well we have 6 more feeling about his death.
THAT'S NOT HOW THAT WORKS.
I felt very cheated by that whole storyline because while his sacrifice meant everything to him, you never see anyone in his family (other than Therese) mention it.
I definitely would suggest that you take the time to read the Fairest series because a lot of the answers to lingering questions (like what happened to Prince Charming and the statement that Snow White will die due to a sword through the heart) are in there.
This was a really cool series and even if I wasn't blown away by the ending, it still ended well enough for me to walk away satisfied.
Recommended.
January 27, 2022
Fables used to be one of my favorite graphic novel series, ever, right up there with The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes. I couldn't read the volumes fast enough.
And then the Geppetto storyline ended, and it was like the series didn't know what to do with itself anymore. It really felt like the heart and soul went out of it.
Reading the final volume, I wasn't sad that it was over. I was relieved. Because now I didn't have to read every new volume looking for that missing spark. I didn't have to watch the characters that I once loved flounder and falter.
Rose Red has always been my least favorite character. And her actions in the latest volumes - her sudden and inexplicable turn into the Big Bad - just make her even more annoying. Not terrifying. Not villainous. Just annoying. She has always been reckless and thoughtless and flighty. But then she all of a sudden decides to kill Snow White? And use mind control to force her brother-in-law to kill his wife and children? Out of almost literally nowhere? And Willingham tries to handwave the sororicide as caused by some completely out-of-left-field, never-foreshadowed family curse/destiny? That is just beyond lazy writing. And then this volume - Rose Red really is the biggest flake to ever flake. She has the attention span of a brain-damaged squirrel. It's sad that she is one of the few characters who has never evolved or grown throughout this series (especially since she's a main character, so she gets an aggravating amount of screentime). She always has and always will make thoughtless decisions, and will always be forgiven, no matter how heinous her actions.
But it's done! I never have to hate-read another volume of Fables again! I can go back to the first volumes of the Geppetto arc and read this series back when it was full of charm and intrigue and a sense of wonder.
And then the Geppetto storyline ended, and it was like the series didn't know what to do with itself anymore. It really felt like the heart and soul went out of it.
Reading the final volume, I wasn't sad that it was over. I was relieved. Because now I didn't have to read every new volume looking for that missing spark. I didn't have to watch the characters that I once loved flounder and falter.
Rose Red has always been my least favorite character. And her actions in the latest volumes - her sudden and inexplicable turn into the Big Bad - just make her even more annoying. Not terrifying. Not villainous. Just annoying. She has always been reckless and thoughtless and flighty. But then she all of a sudden decides to kill Snow White? And use mind control to force her brother-in-law to kill his wife and children? Out of almost literally nowhere? And Willingham tries to handwave the sororicide as caused by some completely out-of-left-field, never-foreshadowed family curse/destiny? That is just beyond lazy writing. And then this volume - Rose Red really is the biggest flake to ever flake. She has the attention span of a brain-damaged squirrel. It's sad that she is one of the few characters who has never evolved or grown throughout this series (especially since she's a main character, so she gets an aggravating amount of screentime). She always has and always will make thoughtless decisions, and will always be forgiven, no matter how heinous her actions.
But it's done! I never have to hate-read another volume of Fables again! I can go back to the first volumes of the Geppetto arc and read this series back when it was full of charm and intrigue and a sense of wonder.
May 16, 2021
In which the creative team say farewell to their loyal readership, in a way unlike *cough* A Game of Thrones, the finale is completely reader-centric with a huge thank you to the fans, a sentiment that is further underlined by Bill Willingham's final note to all.
That's 13 years of this series written by mostly the same creative team, which is exactly why Vertigo, Image, Dark Horse and other smaller franchises create so much better books than the big two - yet they don't seem to learn anything from this and continue to switch around creative teams after short stints mostly! 8 out of 12.
That's 13 years of this series written by mostly the same creative team, which is exactly why Vertigo, Image, Dark Horse and other smaller franchises create so much better books than the big two - yet they don't seem to learn anything from this and continue to switch around creative teams after short stints mostly! 8 out of 12.
April 12, 2023
Oh man its over :(
I didn't like the ending much even though its perfect.
But i cant help but feel that this could have gone another way what if they avoided betting rose red and snow white against each other from the beginning and tried to get a different ending?
It somehow feels like they were preparing for a war that is going to happen, when someone suddenly reminded them if snow white and rose red family is cursed, that their daughters must fight to inherit the power, then how come snow white has 4 sons and then everyone was dumbfounded and they reached this outcome lmao...
I don't know but this is how it felt...
But even though the ending is epic not for the war that was never fought.
No, but for the whole series, the ending as bill have said in the afterward there is so many stories that can be told, but they will not tell them for example, who is the cosmic looking guy winter wolf is holding hands with ?
How did the magic school change the mundy world forever?
I feel the only tale that was left unfinished, or maybe i have forgotten that it was finished is the blue fairy revenge on gepetto, why did she never pursue her revenge after she found out that the wedding was a lie?
I loved the cover its a masterpiece so many characters on the cover over 170 how did they do it i don't know lol
Anyway it was a great journey loved every second of it.
The afterward made me cry :(
Seeing all the writers and inkers and pencilers and letterers faces made me so happy putting a face to each name.
Somehow we bond with these people through their art.
Somehow everyone over the ages that has read the same book has a bond with all others who have read it before or after them.
That's the magic of reading.
Its endless.
Its a fable...
I didn't like the ending much even though its perfect.
But i cant help but feel that this could have gone another way what if they avoided betting rose red and snow white against each other from the beginning and tried to get a different ending?
It somehow feels like they were preparing for a war that is going to happen, when someone suddenly reminded them if snow white and rose red family is cursed, that their daughters must fight to inherit the power, then how come snow white has 4 sons and then everyone was dumbfounded and they reached this outcome lmao...
I don't know but this is how it felt...
But even though the ending is epic not for the war that was never fought.
No, but for the whole series, the ending as bill have said in the afterward there is so many stories that can be told, but they will not tell them for example, who is the cosmic looking guy winter wolf is holding hands with ?
How did the magic school change the mundy world forever?
I feel the only tale that was left unfinished, or maybe i have forgotten that it was finished is the blue fairy revenge on gepetto, why did she never pursue her revenge after she found out that the wedding was a lie?
I loved the cover its a masterpiece so many characters on the cover over 170 how did they do it i don't know lol
Anyway it was a great journey loved every second of it.
The afterward made me cry :(
Seeing all the writers and inkers and pencilers and letterers faces made me so happy putting a face to each name.
Somehow we bond with these people through their art.
Somehow everyone over the ages that has read the same book has a bond with all others who have read it before or after them.
That's the magic of reading.
Its endless.
Its a fable...
August 23, 2015
(Pre-S (Get it? It’s like PS, but BEFORE the missive...I’M SO CLEVER!): I was fortunate enough to win a free (signed!) copy of this from the publisher in a GR giveaway…but, I had already purchased the book and read it prior to winning, and the subsequent bounty did nothing to affect this review. Huge thanks to the publisher, though, because that was awesome.)
(Pre-Pre-S: SPOILERS, people.)
(Pre-Pre-Pre-S: I am an unabashed fan of this series, and I’m pretty much just going to gush for the next several paragraphs, so if you’re allergic to treacly fawning and overt sentimentality, I’d suggest reading this review instead, wherein the depths of my backside are plumbed in an effort to save Earth’s women from deflowering at the hands of creatures who, themselves, may actually flower.)
Whether I write 300, 3,000, or 30,000 words here, there is no possible way I can do Fables justice. If this particular volume is not, perhaps, as 5-star worthy as many other volumes in the series, it merits 5 stars on the strength of the fact that it is the concluding volume of my favorite comic series of all time, not to mention the utterly beautiful Mark Buckingham artwork.
How do I review the end of 6,000 pages of story (when the wider Fables universe is added into the mix)?
One thing at a time, Sean. Let’s start with this volume.
With the exception of a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion to the Snow White v. Rose Red storyline, Vol. 22 is more of a series of vignettes that brings to a close the tales of the series’ main characters rather than a cohesive narrative. This was somewhat disappointing, as it’s sort of like concluding an epic film trilogy with a series of short films rather than a climactic and cathartic final scene, but there was also no other way to do justice to all of the characters who needed, and deserved, a little bit of spotlight before the curtain came down. In that sense, then, it was a worthy finale. It was a bit like your wedding day—you don’t get to spend nearly as much time with your favorite guests as you’d like, but you at least get a chance to say thanks to everyone who was part of the proceedings.
I’ve read a lot of comics in my life. It’s hard to compare something like Fables to, say, a superhero comic—superhero comics are amazing, and I love them (Spider-Man is, after all, my favorite comic hero of all). But, because they are corporate-owned revenue generators, their stories must, of necessity, go on for decades, and the status quo, while it can be shaken up on occasion, must ultimately be returned to. Series like Fables are not beholden to those same rules; as such, they can be grander, bigger, and bolder. There’s a shortlist of these types of series that I hold above all others, and if Fables doesn’t quite match Transmetropolitan’s perfect mix of acerbic wit and poignant emotion or the over-the-top excess and cinematic scope of Preacher, it surpasses those incredibly excellent series in terms of its world building, unique and fully realized cast of characters, and epic scale.
Not every volume is perfect—on the whole, the second half of the series is not as strong as the first, where the common cause of bringing down the Adversary allowed for a steady buildup to a wholly satisfying and dramatic conclusion while leaving plenty of room for more intimate character-building and moments of levity. The second half of the series is more divisive and meandering, not to mention darker—but, if it doesn’t quite reach the highs of the first half, then that simply means it doesn’t quite match the excellence of the greatest run of graphic novels I’ve ever read, which is hardly a criticism. The spin-off series in the Fables universe do not match the greatness of the core book, but are generally worth reading, if only to add color and context to such a wonderfully imagined and deeply conceived universe.
At the end of such an epic run, then, I feel compelled to say thank you. Thank you, Bill Willingham, for your genius concept, your generally flawless execution, your storytelling chops, your excellent characterization, and your heart. Thank you, Mark Buckingham, for your gorgeous art, your impeccable technical skill, your incredible emotional range, your consistency, and for putting such a distinct and definitive visual stamp on a world shared with many other excellent artists. Thank you to the other artists, writers, inkers, colorists, letterers, editors, and production people who enhanced the depth and beauty of this tale and helped Messrs. Willingham and Bucky realize the full beauty of their harmonious partnership.
I should probably wrap this up before I end up offering Willingham and Bucky a handy.
I hated closing the last page of this volume. But, I take solace in looking over at a bookshelf literally groaning under the weight of this series and its tie-ins, knowing that I will be able to revisit these characters and their adventures time and time again—and, someday, to introduce my children to the wonder and glory of Fables.
(Pre-Pre-S: SPOILERS, people.)
(Pre-Pre-Pre-S: I am an unabashed fan of this series, and I’m pretty much just going to gush for the next several paragraphs, so if you’re allergic to treacly fawning and overt sentimentality, I’d suggest reading this review instead, wherein the depths of my backside are plumbed in an effort to save Earth’s women from deflowering at the hands of creatures who, themselves, may actually flower.)
Whether I write 300, 3,000, or 30,000 words here, there is no possible way I can do Fables justice. If this particular volume is not, perhaps, as 5-star worthy as many other volumes in the series, it merits 5 stars on the strength of the fact that it is the concluding volume of my favorite comic series of all time, not to mention the utterly beautiful Mark Buckingham artwork.
How do I review the end of 6,000 pages of story (when the wider Fables universe is added into the mix)?
One thing at a time, Sean. Let’s start with this volume.
With the exception of a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion to the Snow White v. Rose Red storyline, Vol. 22 is more of a series of vignettes that brings to a close the tales of the series’ main characters rather than a cohesive narrative. This was somewhat disappointing, as it’s sort of like concluding an epic film trilogy with a series of short films rather than a climactic and cathartic final scene, but there was also no other way to do justice to all of the characters who needed, and deserved, a little bit of spotlight before the curtain came down. In that sense, then, it was a worthy finale. It was a bit like your wedding day—you don’t get to spend nearly as much time with your favorite guests as you’d like, but you at least get a chance to say thanks to everyone who was part of the proceedings.
I’ve read a lot of comics in my life. It’s hard to compare something like Fables to, say, a superhero comic—superhero comics are amazing, and I love them (Spider-Man is, after all, my favorite comic hero of all). But, because they are corporate-owned revenue generators, their stories must, of necessity, go on for decades, and the status quo, while it can be shaken up on occasion, must ultimately be returned to. Series like Fables are not beholden to those same rules; as such, they can be grander, bigger, and bolder. There’s a shortlist of these types of series that I hold above all others, and if Fables doesn’t quite match Transmetropolitan’s perfect mix of acerbic wit and poignant emotion or the over-the-top excess and cinematic scope of Preacher, it surpasses those incredibly excellent series in terms of its world building, unique and fully realized cast of characters, and epic scale.
Not every volume is perfect—on the whole, the second half of the series is not as strong as the first, where the common cause of bringing down the Adversary allowed for a steady buildup to a wholly satisfying and dramatic conclusion while leaving plenty of room for more intimate character-building and moments of levity. The second half of the series is more divisive and meandering, not to mention darker—but, if it doesn’t quite reach the highs of the first half, then that simply means it doesn’t quite match the excellence of the greatest run of graphic novels I’ve ever read, which is hardly a criticism. The spin-off series in the Fables universe do not match the greatness of the core book, but are generally worth reading, if only to add color and context to such a wonderfully imagined and deeply conceived universe.
At the end of such an epic run, then, I feel compelled to say thank you. Thank you, Bill Willingham, for your genius concept, your generally flawless execution, your storytelling chops, your excellent characterization, and your heart. Thank you, Mark Buckingham, for your gorgeous art, your impeccable technical skill, your incredible emotional range, your consistency, and for putting such a distinct and definitive visual stamp on a world shared with many other excellent artists. Thank you to the other artists, writers, inkers, colorists, letterers, editors, and production people who enhanced the depth and beauty of this tale and helped Messrs. Willingham and Bucky realize the full beauty of their harmonious partnership.
I should probably wrap this up before I end up offering Willingham and Bucky a handy.
I hated closing the last page of this volume. But, I take solace in looking over at a bookshelf literally groaning under the weight of this series and its tie-ins, knowing that I will be able to revisit these characters and their adventures time and time again—and, someday, to introduce my children to the wonder and glory of Fables.
July 30, 2022
At this point what else can be said about Fables, that hasn't been said? If you've gotten to volume 22, you probably love it as much as I do. The finale is something I'd come to expect from the series. You get your big battle at Fabletown, you get your resolution and little goodbyes to most of the main characters, and you get some new beginnings.
July 31, 2015
‘In which many things are resolved to an extent that the gentlewomen and gentle men who’ve been privileged to bring you these tales in years past, and who proudly present this one today, can take the opportunity to wish you a fond, if somewhat troubling, farewell.’
Fables brought to life the fairy tale characters we all know and love, placing them in a modern setting and forcing them to tackle life in Fabletown. While it has been for the most part one large story about the ongoing conflict between Snow White and Rose Red, there have been plenty of forks in the road of that story to keep it exciting. Farewell retraces its steps back to the beginning, concluding the completely fruitless conflict between the two sisters, but touches base with most of the characters whose stories were left hanging issues back. With as many concluding snippets that had to be addressed, Farewell lacks the excitement of the previous installments and instead simply feels like nothing more than a clean-up effort. Ever since the defeat of Mr. Dark, Fables has felt lacking in direction and despite this being the ‘conclusion’, as sad as it is, it still managed to feel overdue.
There were certain storylines that ended surprisingly which helped raise my overall opinion of this finale. The surprising magical clash between Frau Totenkinder and Cinderella, the battle between Flycatcher and Prince Brandish, but what I loved the most was how the ‘Summer Prophecy’ of Snow White’s cubs is readdressed, showing exactly how the Prophecy became fact.
The Fables comic series has been in production since 2002 with a total of 150 issues and it’s finally time to say goodbye. With as many long running storylines as this series has, it would be difficult for even the most accomplished writer to give proper credit to all of them. While I can’t say with sincerity that this is a perfect end (but then again what end ever is?) however this will still satisfy and leave fans with sufficient closure.
Photo Credit: DC Comics / Vertigo
I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Fables brought to life the fairy tale characters we all know and love, placing them in a modern setting and forcing them to tackle life in Fabletown. While it has been for the most part one large story about the ongoing conflict between Snow White and Rose Red, there have been plenty of forks in the road of that story to keep it exciting. Farewell retraces its steps back to the beginning, concluding the completely fruitless conflict between the two sisters, but touches base with most of the characters whose stories were left hanging issues back. With as many concluding snippets that had to be addressed, Farewell lacks the excitement of the previous installments and instead simply feels like nothing more than a clean-up effort. Ever since the defeat of Mr. Dark, Fables has felt lacking in direction and despite this being the ‘conclusion’, as sad as it is, it still managed to feel overdue.
There were certain storylines that ended surprisingly which helped raise my overall opinion of this finale. The surprising magical clash between Frau Totenkinder and Cinderella, the battle between Flycatcher and Prince Brandish, but what I loved the most was how the ‘Summer Prophecy’ of Snow White’s cubs is readdressed, showing exactly how the Prophecy became fact.
The Fables comic series has been in production since 2002 with a total of 150 issues and it’s finally time to say goodbye. With as many long running storylines as this series has, it would be difficult for even the most accomplished writer to give proper credit to all of them. While I can’t say with sincerity that this is a perfect end (but then again what end ever is?) however this will still satisfy and leave fans with sufficient closure.
Photo Credit: DC Comics / Vertigo
I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
July 30, 2015
2.5
So, here I was, expecting this big show down from the events that have been building over the last few installments, culminating in the gauntlet being downright thrown in the last book... and then fizzle. Total, complete and utter fizzle!
Goddamn, talk about anti-climactic.
And, yeah, I'm sure in time I could come around to the way of thinking that this was actually a better ending... Discretion is the better part of valor and whatnot... and how it showed maturity or something... but, I dunno, man. I was all into the set-up and then *poof*.
This series seems to have had this issue for awhile, really. Episodes of set-up and then a really weak resolution. And with the fizzle comes a lot of "well, what was the point of all the stuff that came before". I mean, they were killing off some big players left and right, and now it's all for nought.
And don't even get me started on how mad I still am at Red. I mean This is not okay!
***
So the main story is a complete disappointment.
The wrap-up stories were nice enough, in their way. At least it wrapped up some loose endings, though I'm not entirely sure it does because all the "last story of X" things didn't really resolve anything, it was more just a final glimpse of a lot of characters, but in such a way to let us know the "story continues" off the pages... which is fine, in it's way, but it's weird to do an epilogue sort-of-thing in which some instances are more just a snippet of a continuing story.
***
Anyway -
Some day I'll reread this series back-to-back, and maybe, forearmed with the knowledge of how it ends, I can more happily reconcile myself to it (much like I did with Dark Tower). But, for the time being, I can't help in being disappointed with this finale.
So, here I was, expecting this big show down from the events that have been building over the last few installments, culminating in the gauntlet being downright thrown in the last book... and then fizzle. Total, complete and utter fizzle!
Goddamn, talk about anti-climactic.
And, yeah, I'm sure in time I could come around to the way of thinking that this was actually a better ending... Discretion is the better part of valor and whatnot... and how it showed maturity or something... but, I dunno, man. I was all into the set-up and then *poof*.
This series seems to have had this issue for awhile, really. Episodes of set-up and then a really weak resolution. And with the fizzle comes a lot of "well, what was the point of all the stuff that came before". I mean, they were killing off some big players left and right, and now it's all for nought.
And don't even get me started on how mad I still am at Red. I mean This is not okay!
***
So the main story is a complete disappointment.
The wrap-up stories were nice enough, in their way. At least it wrapped up some loose endings, though I'm not entirely sure it does because all the "last story of X" things didn't really resolve anything, it was more just a final glimpse of a lot of characters, but in such a way to let us know the "story continues" off the pages... which is fine, in it's way, but it's weird to do an epilogue sort-of-thing in which some instances are more just a snippet of a continuing story.
***
Anyway -
Some day I'll reread this series back-to-back, and maybe, forearmed with the knowledge of how it ends, I can more happily reconcile myself to it (much like I did with Dark Tower). But, for the time being, I can't help in being disappointed with this finale.
February 2, 2024
I love Fables.
I love that the final issue 150 was also the tradepaperback graphic novel 22. It was well worth the wait.
Without giving away any spoilers, in a sense it was anticlimactic. And yet, for Fables, it's never about having these kind of climaxes like it's an action movie or something. It's about the charm, the logic of the world(s) at play, the creative descriptions of how it all works. The anticlimactic thing was perfect. Not to mention with all the very many "The Last ____ Story" there was much sense of closure and then some.
And the art. Mark Buckingham is a master. The perfect storytelling.
Bill Willingham's creation, a staple of Vertigo throughout the 2000s (heir to the modern fantasy legacy built up by Gaiman himself), will be sorely missed.
Okay, a 5 star review may be a bit much. But of course this refers to the series as a whole in a sense, with this conclusion speaking for the entirety more than the conclusion judged on its own. A solid conclusion though it is.
I'll miss you, Bigby and Snow White and Rose Red and all the cubs and Pinocchio and Charming and the 13th floor and Flycatcher and more!
I love that the final issue 150 was also the tradepaperback graphic novel 22. It was well worth the wait.
Without giving away any spoilers, in a sense it was anticlimactic. And yet, for Fables, it's never about having these kind of climaxes like it's an action movie or something. It's about the charm, the logic of the world(s) at play, the creative descriptions of how it all works. The anticlimactic thing was perfect. Not to mention with all the very many "The Last ____ Story" there was much sense of closure and then some.
And the art. Mark Buckingham is a master. The perfect storytelling.
Bill Willingham's creation, a staple of Vertigo throughout the 2000s (heir to the modern fantasy legacy built up by Gaiman himself), will be sorely missed.
Okay, a 5 star review may be a bit much. But of course this refers to the series as a whole in a sense, with this conclusion speaking for the entirety more than the conclusion judged on its own. A solid conclusion though it is.
I'll miss you, Bigby and Snow White and Rose Red and all the cubs and Pinocchio and Charming and the 13th floor and Flycatcher and more!
July 29, 2016
I remember when Sandman ended. It was a sad day for me, and I think Neil Gaiman recognized that it would be a sad day for a lot people. He let the story carry that mood, creating a bittersweet finale that let it speak for him, his readers, and all the people who worked together to make that series such a groundbreaking, popular, and well-liked series.
Now, I see Fables end with more pomp and circumstance than story, and I can't help but feel like Willingham tried too hard to make this an event. Half of this issue (yes, it's a graphic novel collection, and even has the volume number on the spine to indicate this, but it's also the entire issue 150) is devoted to one- to three-page stories making sure that every remaining character (and even some who aren't) gets their little finale. At best, they were just lip service to the fans of the minor characters; at worst, it was proof that Willingham couldn't find a way to wrap up the story without resorting to epilogue after epilogue. Plus, there's the four-page wall of text where Willingham tells you all about how awesome Fables was and all that they managed to accomplish during the last thirteen years.
The first half of the issue is the conclusion to the story, and to say it was a let-down is pretty generous. Willingham has spent the last two collections creating the arc that leads to the final showdown, so there was a lot riding on what would go down here. Instead of telling an interesting story, he just walks us through how all the major characters respond to the loss of Fabletown and imminent war where thousands will die, and then just walks away from it. There's no real conclusion here; it's just a matter of letting everything progress as it will, without giving any real closure to what's happened in the preceding story arcs. This could have -- should have -- been a grand finale appropriate to all that preceded it.
Stories end. It's what makes them significant. In most cases, how you write the ends of your stories captures what you wanted to say about the story overall. With this final issue, Willingham and his cohorts prove that this was all about how big they could make their franchise.
Now, I see Fables end with more pomp and circumstance than story, and I can't help but feel like Willingham tried too hard to make this an event. Half of this issue (yes, it's a graphic novel collection, and even has the volume number on the spine to indicate this, but it's also the entire issue 150) is devoted to one- to three-page stories making sure that every remaining character (and even some who aren't) gets their little finale. At best, they were just lip service to the fans of the minor characters; at worst, it was proof that Willingham couldn't find a way to wrap up the story without resorting to epilogue after epilogue. Plus, there's the four-page wall of text where Willingham tells you all about how awesome Fables was and all that they managed to accomplish during the last thirteen years.
The first half of the issue is the conclusion to the story, and to say it was a let-down is pretty generous. Willingham has spent the last two collections creating the arc that leads to the final showdown, so there was a lot riding on what would go down here. Instead of telling an interesting story, he just walks us through how all the major characters respond to the loss of Fabletown and imminent war where thousands will die, and then just walks away from it. There's no real conclusion here; it's just a matter of letting everything progress as it will, without giving any real closure to what's happened in the preceding story arcs. This could have -- should have -- been a grand finale appropriate to all that preceded it.
Stories end. It's what makes them significant. In most cases, how you write the ends of your stories captures what you wanted to say about the story overall. With this final issue, Willingham and his cohorts prove that this was all about how big they could make their franchise.
August 17, 2015
I'm not sure where to begin with this review. As someone who's read Fables since the first issue, (more than 10 years ago now!!) this is a bittersweet moment.
While the series overall was quite consistently good, I think there were time where the comic ebbed and flowed in terms of overall momentum and impetus. (For instance, I didn't much care for the "Darke Ages" storyline, but I absolutely think the "Island of Misfit Toys" arc more than made up for it.)
That said, I doubt there's any ending that would satisfy EVERYONE who read this comic through the years, but Willingham (and Co.) make a damn good effort in this final volume. An original graphic novel (doubling as the "Final Issue" of the monthly series), the love and respect for the characters in these pages is evident, and, to his credit, almost all of the characters arcs/storylines are addressed and resolved in (mostly) fitting manners; you know how the Fables reached their "Ever-after".
And I guess I can't ask for more than that. (And I will confess to tearing up over the Boy Blue pages...)
While the series overall was quite consistently good, I think there were time where the comic ebbed and flowed in terms of overall momentum and impetus. (For instance, I didn't much care for the "Darke Ages" storyline, but I absolutely think the "Island of Misfit Toys" arc more than made up for it.)
That said, I doubt there's any ending that would satisfy EVERYONE who read this comic through the years, but Willingham (and Co.) make a damn good effort in this final volume. An original graphic novel (doubling as the "Final Issue" of the monthly series), the love and respect for the characters in these pages is evident, and, to his credit, almost all of the characters arcs/storylines are addressed and resolved in (mostly) fitting manners; you know how the Fables reached their "Ever-after".
And I guess I can't ask for more than that. (And I will confess to tearing up over the Boy Blue pages...)
September 20, 2015
God damn guys.
God damn.
This was unbelievably shitty, and left a empty hole of dissatisfied disappointment that only a series I've been invested in for the past 7 years can bring.
The final story-arc can be summarized as such.
Why is there drama?
FATE
Why is fate important now?
DRAMA
It's going to take some time to recover from this, I'm not even fucking kidding.
God damn.
This was unbelievably shitty, and left a empty hole of dissatisfied disappointment that only a series I've been invested in for the past 7 years can bring.
The final story-arc can be summarized as such.
Why is there drama?
FATE
Why is fate important now?
DRAMA
It's going to take some time to recover from this, I'm not even fucking kidding.
July 29, 2015
The last chapter in the story of the Fables was a huge disappointment. I've already used to the fact that Willingham has problems ending the arcs satisfyingly but this was even more anticlimatic than the the Adversary and Mr. Dark arcs.
The story - what little there is - jumps from place to place, from character to character without a shred of motivation or logic. Things just happens because they have to happen, some people fight because we want them to fight (but let's not show the fight) while others solve their problems basically just with a handshake.
The book is over sooner than you think at least it left me empty.
This trend has been showing in Fables for a long time now, probably since issue #100 or something, probably even sooner. Maybe Willingham just got tired because that's how it seems. Although there are some very good stories in the later run, especially Cubs in Toyland and Snow White.
Well, the journey was fun. And there is a lot of very good Fable stories, almost everything from #1 to #75.
The story - what little there is - jumps from place to place, from character to character without a shred of motivation or logic. Things just happens because they have to happen, some people fight because we want them to fight (but let's not show the fight) while others solve their problems basically just with a handshake.
The book is over sooner than you think at least it left me empty.
This trend has been showing in Fables for a long time now, probably since issue #100 or something, probably even sooner. Maybe Willingham just got tired because that's how it seems. Although there are some very good stories in the later run, especially Cubs in Toyland and Snow White.
Well, the journey was fun. And there is a lot of very good Fable stories, almost everything from #1 to #75.
November 29, 2018
This was such a good series. The ending wrapped up very quickly it seemed. I think there should have been one more but that’s just being picky. I really enjoyed Fables and it’s now my second favorite graphic novel.
February 28, 2018
Mixed bag of feelings! No ending would have been Good enough.... I would not have minded a bloody big war. But I get that way the story would never have fully truly ended. I think fables was at it’s best from issue 1-50 or 70 something and then it became very mixed with Some very Good to very mediocre storylines.
March 29, 2016
Waaaaaahhh! I can't quite believe it's ended. I've been reading Fables for over 10 years and finally, it's done.
I'm sad to say I think it overstayed it's welcome a tiny bit. There were a couple of good points at which it could have stopped earlier, and finished more strongly. But having said that, I couldn't help enjoying this final comic because of the all the wrap up, which might not have had the same impact had the series not gone as long as it did.
Good points: The same as usual, really. Beautiful, stunning artwork, witty dialogue, interesting, often unpredictable storytelling, and great relationships between the characters.
Not so good points: Just what I mentioned above, really. I did care about how things turned out, but not half as much as I did when Fabletown was nearly destroyed by Mister Dark.
*SPOILERS*
A couple of favourite bits. The way things ended for Cinderella was awesome, if very sad. The exposure of Fabletown and magic to the mundy world was ace, unexpected, and very cool. The final scene in which we get to be soppy with Snow and Bigby was wonderful, much needed.
So, I would, as I have always done, heartily recommend Fables to anyone. I'm just not sure I'd push them to get all the way to the end...
I'm sad to say I think it overstayed it's welcome a tiny bit. There were a couple of good points at which it could have stopped earlier, and finished more strongly. But having said that, I couldn't help enjoying this final comic because of the all the wrap up, which might not have had the same impact had the series not gone as long as it did.
Good points: The same as usual, really. Beautiful, stunning artwork, witty dialogue, interesting, often unpredictable storytelling, and great relationships between the characters.
Not so good points: Just what I mentioned above, really. I did care about how things turned out, but not half as much as I did when Fabletown was nearly destroyed by Mister Dark.
*SPOILERS*
A couple of favourite bits. The way things ended for Cinderella was awesome, if very sad. The exposure of Fabletown and magic to the mundy world was ace, unexpected, and very cool. The final scene in which we get to be soppy with Snow and Bigby was wonderful, much needed.
So, I would, as I have always done, heartily recommend Fables to anyone. I'm just not sure I'd push them to get all the way to the end...
July 9, 2015
I can't say anything about this. Not really. If you haven't read the rest of Fables, anything I say here won't make any sense anyway. And if you have read it, well - as a curly-haired sci-fi icon often says, spoilers!
So I'll just say this - everything gets wrapped up. You'll walk away knowing what happened, and why. And it's satisfying. Sad, but satisfying. I'll miss getting new issues.
**edit**
SADisfying!
Nailed it.
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley
So I'll just say this - everything gets wrapped up. You'll walk away knowing what happened, and why. And it's satisfying. Sad, but satisfying. I'll miss getting new issues.
**edit**
SADisfying!
Nailed it.
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley
July 4, 2025
Aaaaaaaand it's done...
The final volume presents an anti-climactic ending to the build-up that has been accumulating for sometime, the actual story ends halfway through the book, and the remainder goes on with 1 or 2 pages giving 'Last Stories' for some characters.
It has been a wildly entertaining twist on the fable characters of the most common stories, but the ending was not as spectacular, although I had some struggle about the end, a sense of foreboding towards the death of Rose or Snow, but I guess it would have been better to have a more dramatic ending rather than going with the 'happily ever after' standard, that is the closing rule for all the original stories of the Fables we met here...
But, in the end, that's my personal take...
4 stars for the whole thing, 2 stars for the final book
MiM
The final volume presents an anti-climactic ending to the build-up that has been accumulating for sometime, the actual story ends halfway through the book, and the remainder goes on with 1 or 2 pages giving 'Last Stories' for some characters.
It has been a wildly entertaining twist on the fable characters of the most common stories, but the ending was not as spectacular, although I had some struggle about the end, a sense of foreboding towards the death of Rose or Snow, but I guess it would have been better to have a more dramatic ending rather than going with the 'happily ever after' standard, that is the closing rule for all the original stories of the Fables we met here...
But, in the end, that's my personal take...
4 stars for the whole thing, 2 stars for the final book
MiM
March 22, 2017
This last collection is messy as hell and too reliant on a completionist's understanding of the Fables universe. I never got into Jack of All Fables or the Cinderella comics and this book assumed not only that I have, but that I SHOULD HAVE in order to appreciate the end of a beloved series, which I kind of resent. The ending was very scattershot and inconsistent, and I find myself wishing the whole thing ended with the Mr. Black storyline. That being said, there are parts here that I liked even as I felt frustrated by them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2015
...Not with a bang but with a drawn-out fart.
I used to love this book.
I used to love this book.
December 18, 2015
I am both sad and disappointed by this last volume of the beloved Fables series. The former outweighs the latter, but not by much.
Most of the resolutions feel rushed, and a few are too open-ended to be proper resolutions, looking as if there's a window left open for continuations if the author or other hired artists ever felt like doing it. That's understandable, as most of those didn't need a conclusive The End. But the one that definitely did need one was the Snow White vs. Rose Red plot, which wasn't done optimally and so the anti-climactic impression it leaves cannot be shaken off easily, and it does affect other minor plots built up round this one, like the Totenkinder and Cinderella resolution, which seeing how the "last battle" was handled, feels weird. Overall it does make sense, but the execution wasn't good: they kept building it up and slowly escalating it for so long, and everything each camp did appeared so real and authentic, and serious, up until both sides meet. And then . . . it just ends? That last-second twist felt like it was done as a cheap surprise, not one that grew organically out of the plot. And it leaves questions hanging: if Rose knew this information, why did she keep preparing for the battle as if that was all serious?
Perhaps someday, when the disappointment subsides, I'll be able to find more things to like from the ending, and a reread might make stuff look clearer, but as an immediate reaction, that sensation is overwhelming.
Most of the resolutions feel rushed, and a few are too open-ended to be proper resolutions, looking as if there's a window left open for continuations if the author or other hired artists ever felt like doing it. That's understandable, as most of those didn't need a conclusive The End. But the one that definitely did need one was the Snow White vs. Rose Red plot, which wasn't done optimally and so the anti-climactic impression it leaves cannot be shaken off easily, and it does affect other minor plots built up round this one, like the Totenkinder and Cinderella resolution, which seeing how the "last battle" was handled, feels weird. Overall it does make sense, but the execution wasn't good: they kept building it up and slowly escalating it for so long, and everything each camp did appeared so real and authentic, and serious, up until both sides meet. And then . . . it just ends? That last-second twist felt like it was done as a cheap surprise, not one that grew organically out of the plot. And it leaves questions hanging: if Rose knew this information, why did she keep preparing for the battle as if that was all serious?
Perhaps someday, when the disappointment subsides, I'll be able to find more things to like from the ending, and a reread might make stuff look clearer, but as an immediate reaction, that sensation is overwhelming.
October 13, 2015
In a way, this is a fitting end to Fables. The characters "resolve" the contrived conflict from the last arc by walking away and hoping it never comes up again, and the rest of the issue is just a series of ideas presented as endings with an afterword telling readers to fill in the holes themselves, because they're also the authors. Given Willingham's demonstrated inability to conclude an arc (see the mess that followed the introduction of Mr. Dark, for example), this is about as much as could be expected.
Open endings are well and good, but not when the series has been trying to write out its characters and then bashing at the reset button for years. For example, how many times did we see the last of Totenkinder? Nobody even cared which name she was using by the end.
Has Willingham been trying to end it all along? The idea that this is the ending he wanted and that he planned his way to it is a bit frightening.
Open endings are well and good, but not when the series has been trying to write out its characters and then bashing at the reset button for years. For example, how many times did we see the last of Totenkinder? Nobody even cared which name she was using by the end.
Has Willingham been trying to end it all along? The idea that this is the ending he wanted and that he planned his way to it is a bit frightening.
September 3, 2015
I loved Fables for most of its run. I'm frustrated because I wanted the endings to be as epic as the stories and the only characters where they even approached that level of resolution was with Bigby and Snow. Everybody else, they received a one or two page treatment and that was it. The most glaring example of this was the wolf children. This cavalier treatment was mitigated somewhat in the full page spread of the family party, but still. Who was the guy with the universe written all over him hanging on the arm of Winter? I guess we'll never know and that is the saddest part of all.
My favorite part of this last volume was the cover where the artists drew everybody who ever made an appearance in the story. It was that fully inclusive panel that I felt more adequately embodied a fitting tribute to the massive saga that was Fables.
My favorite part of this last volume was the cover where the artists drew everybody who ever made an appearance in the story. It was that fully inclusive panel that I felt more adequately embodied a fitting tribute to the massive saga that was Fables.
September 1, 2020
The long-running series Fables has finally come to an end. (Actually, it came to an end in 2015; I just finally got around to reading the last volume last night. Heh.)
I debated whether to give an overall rating for the series, or just for this final volume. I chose the latter. Fables ran as a monthly comic series for 13 years, and I have every one of the trade paperbacks. It has had its ups and downs — some storylines were truly epic, there were moments of greatness, heartbreak, and beautiful love stories. There were also some long tedious stretches where Willingham seemed not sure what to do now that he'd ended the last great threat to the Fables.
If you are new to the series, well, obviously don't start here. Fables is about storybook characters come to life. Snow White, Prince Charming, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel, the Three Little Pigs, Pinnochio, Ozma, every character from fable and legend you can imagine (who isn't actually copyrighted), Willingham dropped into the series at some point.
From this premise, he created a complex multiverse of magic and godlike beings. At some point, the transition from Fables being "storybook characters brought to life by the power of imagination" to "Fables being magical beings of great power who are effectively deities and demigods" turned the series into a more traditional epic fantasy, sometimes taking place in our real ("Mundy") world, and sometimes taking place in the many worlds that the Fables can travel to.
Fables was most solidly grounded when we saw them interacting with New York City and figuring out how to live in a Mundy world. It was also at its most tense during the long war with the Empire that drove them out of their homelands. When that threat was eventually ended, Willingham had to create new threats, and he did come up with some pretty good new long-term story arcs, mostly centered around Snow White and Bigby Wolf and their children.
So, in this final volume, Snow White and her sister Rose Red have gathered mighty fantasy armies to wage a final battle to the death for somewhat contrived reasons introduced in the last couple of volumes. We're expecting some sort of clever resolution - the two of them just wrecking the world because of a prophecy seems kind of lame.
The resolution was kind of clever, but also disappointing. Anti-climactic, even. And the degree to which major characters handwaved away some of the major events of the last few volumes made me think the writer just didn't want to deal with it. Like, Bigby Wolf, who started his career as the Big Bad Wolf of legend, a killer feared throughout all the Fable worlds, eventually reformed and became a family man, husband of Snow White. Which I never quite bought, but okay. And then, in the last few issues, he's turned bestial again and goes on a rampage in which he kills a bunch of major characters. And then... a bit of family time fixes him, and we're all better. Well then. I guess no one cares that he's still a mass-murderer. It's well established that Fable morality is very different from ours (they are semi-immortal god-like beings, after all), but it's annoying that some characters get a complete pass because the series has designated them as heroes.
The conclusion of the Snow White/Rose Red arc was just a little unsatisfying, not that I would have preferred for them to actually slaughter each other. Then there are a whole string of one and two-page epilogues telling us "The last story" of many minor characters who have appeared over the years.
It was touching and poignant to see these old friends take their final bows. And it was probably the right time to end the series - you can only reinvent so many world-threatening Big Bads before it all seems rather repetitive. But this was a wrap-up for a series that needed to be wrapped up, and it went out with less of a bang than I was hoping for. I do still highly recommend reading Fables from the beginning. Years and years worth of stories.
I debated whether to give an overall rating for the series, or just for this final volume. I chose the latter. Fables ran as a monthly comic series for 13 years, and I have every one of the trade paperbacks. It has had its ups and downs — some storylines were truly epic, there were moments of greatness, heartbreak, and beautiful love stories. There were also some long tedious stretches where Willingham seemed not sure what to do now that he'd ended the last great threat to the Fables.
If you are new to the series, well, obviously don't start here. Fables is about storybook characters come to life. Snow White, Prince Charming, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel, the Three Little Pigs, Pinnochio, Ozma, every character from fable and legend you can imagine (who isn't actually copyrighted), Willingham dropped into the series at some point.
From this premise, he created a complex multiverse of magic and godlike beings. At some point, the transition from Fables being "storybook characters brought to life by the power of imagination" to "Fables being magical beings of great power who are effectively deities and demigods" turned the series into a more traditional epic fantasy, sometimes taking place in our real ("Mundy") world, and sometimes taking place in the many worlds that the Fables can travel to.
Fables was most solidly grounded when we saw them interacting with New York City and figuring out how to live in a Mundy world. It was also at its most tense during the long war with the Empire that drove them out of their homelands. When that threat was eventually ended, Willingham had to create new threats, and he did come up with some pretty good new long-term story arcs, mostly centered around Snow White and Bigby Wolf and their children.
So, in this final volume, Snow White and her sister Rose Red have gathered mighty fantasy armies to wage a final battle to the death for somewhat contrived reasons introduced in the last couple of volumes. We're expecting some sort of clever resolution - the two of them just wrecking the world because of a prophecy seems kind of lame.
The resolution was kind of clever, but also disappointing. Anti-climactic, even. And the degree to which major characters handwaved away some of the major events of the last few volumes made me think the writer just didn't want to deal with it. Like, Bigby Wolf, who started his career as the Big Bad Wolf of legend, a killer feared throughout all the Fable worlds, eventually reformed and became a family man, husband of Snow White. Which I never quite bought, but okay. And then, in the last few issues, he's turned bestial again and goes on a rampage in which he kills a bunch of major characters. And then... a bit of family time fixes him, and we're all better. Well then. I guess no one cares that he's still a mass-murderer. It's well established that Fable morality is very different from ours (they are semi-immortal god-like beings, after all), but it's annoying that some characters get a complete pass because the series has designated them as heroes.
The conclusion of the Snow White/Rose Red arc was just a little unsatisfying, not that I would have preferred for them to actually slaughter each other. Then there are a whole string of one and two-page epilogues telling us "The last story" of many minor characters who have appeared over the years.
It was touching and poignant to see these old friends take their final bows. And it was probably the right time to end the series - you can only reinvent so many world-threatening Big Bads before it all seems rather repetitive. But this was a wrap-up for a series that needed to be wrapped up, and it went out with less of a bang than I was hoping for. I do still highly recommend reading Fables from the beginning. Years and years worth of stories.
December 21, 2020
Well... What a disappointment this turned out to be! Fables started very interesting, fun, and enjoyable. But half way through the whole series, it just got lost. Stories and characters seemed off and forced. I don't know when this fall started but I can remember Mr dark story to be the first full disappointment for me. From then, the story just kept building huge anticipations and then ending it in the most simple and naive way possible. I felt cheated as a reader.
And then... Here comes Camelot. The most useless empire of all. What was the point of all these issues? The ending to the whole series, and Camelot, and snow and rose conflict was one of the most anticlimactic things I have ever read. So disappointing.
And then, there are bunch of "last stories"!!
I had two problems with them. How can they be the last story when characters are still alive? It didn't make any sense. And also, when you need this many short stories to fill the plot holes, there are too many loose ends in your story and that is not good... Just saying.
To sum up, Fables was a good comic which should have ended a lot sooner to remain a good comic.
And then... Here comes Camelot. The most useless empire of all. What was the point of all these issues? The ending to the whole series, and Camelot, and snow and rose conflict was one of the most anticlimactic things I have ever read. So disappointing.
And then, there are bunch of "last stories"!!
I had two problems with them. How can they be the last story when characters are still alive? It didn't make any sense. And also, when you need this many short stories to fill the plot holes, there are too many loose ends in your story and that is not good... Just saying.
To sum up, Fables was a good comic which should have ended a lot sooner to remain a good comic.
August 30, 2015
Vol 22, Farewell finished up the long running (150 issues) comic book series Fables. The volume contains the final massive issue of the comic as well as several "Last" stories, which give us a final glimpse at many of the comic's many characters.
And the result... well it's kind of mixed. I can't just help but feel that Willingham phoned it in. The previous volume seemed a little rushed and underdeveloped but there was the feeling that it was building to something really interesting. Unfortunately, while Farewell does have a handful of nice moments, the results are ultimately anti-climatic and... still pretty undeveloped. So we have all of these large events happening, but strangely lacking in bite. Beloved characters die off, but it feels like their deaths don't really accomplish much besides giving them a place in the final volume of the series. And the "Last" stories can often feel like filler to make this final volume long enough to be a proper graphic novel.
On a more positive note, there are a few things about this volume I really liked. While Willingham appears to be phoning it in, artist Mark Buckingham is clearly not at all, delivering the same quality artwork that we've come accustomed to on his 10+ years at Fables. And there are a handful of nice moments. I'd prefer not to spoil the specifics, but I did like the "Last" stories that dealt with the prophecy concerning the cubs, and the one that focused on Blue.
Series are often judged solely on their endings, which is something that would be a crying shame for Fables. For while it may not have stuck the landing, at its heights it was certainty one of my favorites. Over the course of 22 volumes, I really came to care deeply for the characters that populate these pages. It's really important that I don't let a sour end spoil that for me.
It's won't be easy, but it's still important.
And the result... well it's kind of mixed. I can't just help but feel that Willingham phoned it in. The previous volume seemed a little rushed and underdeveloped but there was the feeling that it was building to something really interesting. Unfortunately, while Farewell does have a handful of nice moments, the results are ultimately anti-climatic and... still pretty undeveloped. So we have all of these large events happening, but strangely lacking in bite. Beloved characters die off, but it feels like their deaths don't really accomplish much besides giving them a place in the final volume of the series. And the "Last" stories can often feel like filler to make this final volume long enough to be a proper graphic novel.
On a more positive note, there are a few things about this volume I really liked. While Willingham appears to be phoning it in, artist Mark Buckingham is clearly not at all, delivering the same quality artwork that we've come accustomed to on his 10+ years at Fables. And there are a handful of nice moments. I'd prefer not to spoil the specifics, but I did like the "Last" stories that dealt with the prophecy concerning the cubs, and the one that focused on Blue.
Series are often judged solely on their endings, which is something that would be a crying shame for Fables. For while it may not have stuck the landing, at its heights it was certainty one of my favorites. Over the course of 22 volumes, I really came to care deeply for the characters that populate these pages. It's really important that I don't let a sour end spoil that for me.
It's won't be easy, but it's still important.
January 31, 2022
And so it ends. Fables ends much like it began with a pretty firm, meh.
I was impressed with neither the beginning nor the end of the series, but along the way there was some real brilliance - beautiful storytelling, great victories and losses, and cleverly imagined adventures. There were also some real moments where it felt like Willingham was just trying to meet a deadline and willing to throw in some really tired and lazy plot devices to finish off otherwise promising story arcs. I think in particular of the all powerful Boy Blue and Flycatcher moments. There were also some experiments that just fell flat. The crossover around volume 13 comes to mind.
There was a great buildup to the end, and I didn't even mind the resolution, it just felt like it was delivered without any real conviction. The endless parade of tired epilogues didn't help either.
Overall there was more mediocre than great. Though the series was spectacularly uneven, it's impossible to follow along for more than five years through twenty-two volumes unless there is something compelling in the narrative. Animal Farm, the battle against the Empire, Werewolves in the Heartland, and Cubs in Toyland all stick out as very powerful stories. There were lots of minor subplots and character arcs that combined humor, tragedy, and lots of imagination, too.
Thanks for the memories and the fantastical tales, Fables, I will miss you.
I was impressed with neither the beginning nor the end of the series, but along the way there was some real brilliance - beautiful storytelling, great victories and losses, and cleverly imagined adventures. There were also some real moments where it felt like Willingham was just trying to meet a deadline and willing to throw in some really tired and lazy plot devices to finish off otherwise promising story arcs. I think in particular of the all powerful Boy Blue and Flycatcher moments. There were also some experiments that just fell flat. The crossover around volume 13 comes to mind.
There was a great buildup to the end, and I didn't even mind the resolution, it just felt like it was delivered without any real conviction. The endless parade of tired epilogues didn't help either.
Overall there was more mediocre than great. Though the series was spectacularly uneven, it's impossible to follow along for more than five years through twenty-two volumes unless there is something compelling in the narrative. Animal Farm, the battle against the Empire, Werewolves in the Heartland, and Cubs in Toyland all stick out as very powerful stories. There were lots of minor subplots and character arcs that combined humor, tragedy, and lots of imagination, too.
Thanks for the memories and the fantastical tales, Fables, I will miss you.
March 1, 2018
Sad to see it finally end. I think after such an epic series, any finale is going to be a slight let down, but this was still a good volume. We had a conclusion of the main Rose Red vs. Snow White storyline, as well as numerous shorter stories letting us know what happened to many of the supporting characters. I read this series all in order after every volume was published, and I must say it was quite a series. Some of the other Vertigo series I've read (specifically 100 Bullets and Y The Last Man) just didn't live up to the hype. While this series had a few low points, overall this was a high mark in the comic industry.
July 5, 2020
There is a war coming between Rose Red and Snow White. And a final wrap up for many of the characters.
Storylines with war are not as interesting to me, and I was happy with how this ended. I enjoyed the wrap ups for many of the characters, particularly for Snow and Bigby’s cubs/kids. There was one text section in the middle, then more wrap-up text at the end by the author, which I quite enjoyed. As always, illustrations are quite nice and I’ve always loved the extra touch of the borders. The cover actually folds out and includes many (all?) characters in the series. One of the extras at the end of the book is the “key” that shows you who is who on the cover. There is also an additional 4 page fold-out close to the end of the book.
Storylines with war are not as interesting to me, and I was happy with how this ended. I enjoyed the wrap ups for many of the characters, particularly for Snow and Bigby’s cubs/kids. There was one text section in the middle, then more wrap-up text at the end by the author, which I quite enjoyed. As always, illustrations are quite nice and I’ve always loved the extra touch of the borders. The cover actually folds out and includes many (all?) characters in the series. One of the extras at the end of the book is the “key” that shows you who is who on the cover. There is also an additional 4 page fold-out close to the end of the book.
February 17, 2021
Hm. I’ve dedicated a good chunk of time reading the Fables series and, for the most part, was satisfied with most issues. After the Gepetto storyline, my love affair with the series dwindled. And now that I’ve read the final issue, all I can say is...meh. Without spoiling anything, it all kinda fizzled into nothing. Still, I found myself feeling sad saying goodby to these characters that were so well written and defined. It’s a shame that the series had to end the way it did, but I’m happy I went on the ride.
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