Fables: The Wolf Among Us, Volume 1

Fables: The Wolf Among Us

by Lilah Sturges, Matthew Sturges, Dave Justus (Writer)

Even before the first issue of Fables, there were stories to be told, shadowy avenues to explore, and lives hanging in the balance! Bigby Wolf has seen plenty in his time as Sheriff of Fabletown...but nothing can prepare him for this...

It all starts with a simple domestic disturbance. But when Bigby learns that his old nemesis, the Woodsman who has an axe to grind, is part of the scene, things go downhill fast. And how will Bigby and Snow White keep their heads long enough to crack the case when they get caught up in a grisly murder mystery?

Fables: The Wolf Among Us is a gripping adaptation and expansion of the smash-hit video game from Telltale Games, and an official prequel to Bill Willingham's bestselling Fables ! Written by Fables alum Matthew Sturges ( Jack of Fables ) and Dave Justus ( House of Mystery ), with art by Stephen Sadowski (JSA), Shawn McManus (Fables, Fairest), and Travis Moore (JSA ALL STARS)!

Collecting: Fables: The Wolf Among Us #1-7

Contains chapters #1-24 based on first digital editions.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Fables, Adult

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 3, 2015

About the author

Lilah Sturges is an American writer of comics and fantasy novels. She is best known for co-writing with Bill Willingham the Eisner-award-nominated Jack of Fables, and other comics published by Vertigo Comics / DC Comics.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got Fables withdrawal symptoms? Have no fear The Wolf Among Us is here! In which we get to see Ichabod Crane's ruled Woodlands where most haven't got used to Bigby yet and his yearn for Snow White is secret. A murder mystery wrapped with conspiracies, some of which go back to their original fables. Typical Fables adult themes with prostitutes, drugs, violence and murder and our Big Bad Wolf trying his best to be a sheriff and get to the bottom of it all. 7 out of 12. This series was originally published weekly!

2019 and 2016 read

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as good as the ongoing series. Sturges is no stranger to the world of Fables as he also wrote the Jack of Fables books. This is a prequel of sorts taking place about 20 years before the ongoing series and is based on the Telltale video game. It features Bigby and Snow and you get some appearances from Fables we haven't come across before like Mr. Toad, the Woodsman, Grendel, Tweedle Dee, and Georgie Porgie.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can freely admit that I was just happy to have more Bigby and Snow, and that's a huge part of my generous rating. But this was genuinely good. It's very dark and noir. There is some bad language and sexual situations, and the killer is really depraved. Convincing as a murder mystery set in Fabletown can be. The examination of class distinctions and the vulnerabilities of certain groups in society is prescient and delivered in a way that is far from preachy.

I liked the flashback to when Bigby first goes 'straight' and ends up on a little village called Salem during a very important time of history. Sturges interjects content from The Crucible, including John Proctor, and gives a plausible look into the situation and someone who might have helped engineer the situation. Ichabod Crane is the temporary acting mayor. A nastier little bureaucrat couldn't be possible. His hands are dirty since way back. Unfortunately, Bigby has to take orders from him. Bigby's only friend and secret love Snow expects him to play nice, when 'nice' isn't really his thing, and certainly not 'politics'.

I love how this series takes popular and lesser-known fairy tales and integrates them into an ongoing story. The sad tale of Donkeyskin takes on an even deeper poignancy in this story when it's related to a missing persons case that Bigby takes a personal interest in. There's even Mister Toad from The Wind in the Willows and so involved in the mystery.

I am Team Snow/Bigby for reals, and so even though this is a prequel and it's not written as a romance, I can see the spark and the chemistry between them from a mile away. But also that they respect each other. Frankly, Snow seems more open and friendly with Bigby than she did in the first Fables episode, Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile.

I'm absolutely thrilled my library had this, and I'm hoping they continue to get it! I should try to get a copy of the video game.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

[Sad Sunday (Books? Me?!? NEVER!!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Played the game. Read the comic. Fell in love.

Really, Bigby Wolf is one of my favorite comic characters.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable murder mystery.

[erigibbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo fumetto è basato sul videogioco Telltale Games. I personaggi – principali e secondari – arrivano dal mondo delle fiabe e dei miti (considerate che il protagonista è il lupo di Cappuccetto Rosso; ma troviamo anche Biancaneve, Belle e la Bestia, lo Specchio delle Brame, Grendel – del poema epico Beowulf, Barbablù, ci sono troll, ci sono personaggi di Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie e così via). Se avete visto la serie tv Once Upon a Time diciamo che questo fumetto un po’ ve la può ricordare.
In questo primo volume la vicenda si basa su un mistero (un assassinio) da risolvere.
Il fumetto in sé è molto carino. Mi sono piaciute le tavole, e ammetto che avere personaggi delle favole e dei miti trasformati in umani che per necessità vivono nel nostro mondo sotto mentite spoglie, è un’idea che mi piace e mi intriga. Però non so se acquisterò gli altri volumi della serie (penso che il numero totale sia 7, ma non ne sono sicura al 100%) perché è una spesa che al momento non potrei sostenere.

[Helix · Rating 5 out of 5]

This makes me want to replay the game. I know the story and I know how things would turn out, but the comic manages to keep me on edge and adding new details and backstory without overloading me with unnecessary information. I also love the characterisation of Bigby, which...I'm actually sort of concerned about, at first, since game!Bigby's character depends on how you play him, and I'm sort of afraid that the writer would screw it up. But turns out he's in really good hands. I love the comic incarnation of him even more, and I definitely love Snow too. Ichabod Crane is still a sleazy fucking asshole who deserves what's coming to him. And Fabletown looks good on the pages of the graphic novel.

Overall, this is a great read: I love the art, love the added stuff, love the characterisation and everything. Now I can't wait to get my hands on Vol 2. I definitely think I should replay the game, too.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of the really inconsistent art style, but I loved the story whilst playing the game of the same name and its good to revisit it with more depth and see the canonical options. I think I just love spending time with these characters and the dynamic between Bigby and Snow is really compelling.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Telltale's The Wolf Among Us game was recommended to me by my brother, as he knew how much I enjoyed their Walking Dead game series. And just like those, I absolutely loved The Wolf Among Us. So when I saw that the game had been made into a two-part graphic novel series, I could not resist it. In addition, as the game allows you to make choices that alter the narrative, I thought it would be interesting to see how the events of the graphic novels differ from my game.

The story follows the events of the game while also adding to them, through character backstories and extra dialogue. As I loved the game, I also loved getting more information about the characters and their world. To my surprise, the choices made by Bigby in this volume were actually pretty similar to the choices I made when I played the game, which did mean that I did not get to see what the other options would have led to, but that is something I could investigate if I replayed the game.

The backstory of some of the characters was revealed in this volume, which I was not expecting but enjoyed nevertheless. Bigby Wolf is one of my favourite video game characters and now one of my favourite graphic novel characters too. His internal monologue throughout the story was absolutely hilarious and something I especially loved. Snow White could be a little irritating at times, often arguing and blaming Bigby when it was usually not his fault. I felt a little sorry for the Woodsman on occasion, which was pretty unexpected and I am interested to see how his character will develop, if he appears in the next volume. Both Colin and Bufkin were absolutely hilarious. Jack Horner was one character that I never got to interact with properly in my playthrough of the game, so it was quite interesting to see him in this. He was actually quite helpful at times, although he goes about it in the wrong way. On the other hand, there were plenty of characters that I disliked, specifically Gren, Dee, Dum and even Holly. But the worst character was Georgie, who was just incredibly irritating all of the time.

I loved The Wolf Among Us volume 1 and I am looking forward to reading the second volume. It has also encouraged me to replay the game at some point in the future, choosing different options to see what the outcomes will be.

Rating - 5/5
★★★★★

There is also a link to this review on my blog here!

[Marsha Altman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had just finished the video game "The Wolf Among Us" and I thought this was further stories, but it was in fact just the game's plot, laid out in graphic novel format. There was a fun but confusing plot about Salem that was new, but it took up very few pages. The rest was not new material.

[pan pan · Rating 2 out of 5]

When you're too lazy to replay the game so you reread it.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

review later

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comic is based on the videogame of the same name, The Wolf Among Us, which itself is a spin-off prequel to the long-running comic series, Fables. Like the original comics, this version is focused on a community of Fables, who's stories we all know, but live in secret in our mundy world. Bigby Wolf is the sheriff and he was sent to cease a domestic dispute between the Woodsman and a prostitute. However, immediately after believing he stopped the conflict, the woman's head turned up on his doorstep. Murdering a Fable is a very rare incident, and now the community is on alert for the murderer. Bigby teams up with Snow White to both identify the unknown Fable and to solve the case of her murder, but the more they investigate, the bigger the rabbit hole they are falling into. It becomes clear that an underworld network has been seeping their way into the heart of the community and even into their government. And there's something bigger that is going on and Sheriff Bigby must make a break in it soon before the criminals start taking more power under their influence.

I had watched gameplays of the Wolf Among Us back during its initial release, I loved the story it told and the characters, even when I knew nothing about the Fables comic. It brings up the theme of systematic abuse and corruption within a neo-noir crime story. One major unique thing about the game was that almost every action a player makes will affect the outcome of the story, and the creators claim that whatever happened in the comic version of the game is considered canon. So it is kind of exciting to see the official choices made in the story. So far in Volume 1, the choices made, are not a disappointment. Now it may seem repetitive to read the comics when you have already either played or watched a playthrough of the game itself, but this adaptation also brings a few new features in here. Since Bigby Wolf is the main character involved, we get to hear his thoughts much better than the game, and he is shown to be empathetic but also very jaded from the treatment he receives from his fellow citizens. A few sections also show how snarky he could be as well! Also, the comics delve a little bit more into the backstory/background of its leading characters, so far flashbacks have shown how Bigby attempted to assimilate into acting like a human rather than a wolf.

Additionally, the comic was released on singular issues at first, and there is a rotation of different artists with each chapter, which is very cool on its own too, some are associated with the original comics as well. Though, because of the various illustrators, the art style can vary in quality. Here's a quick glimpse: one makes it look similar to early Fables comic, another has them younger looking while a little cartoony, another is very polished and resembles the designs from the videogame the most, and another makes them look real gritty in tone. I like them all enough. So while Volume 1 ends on a cliffhanger, I know that Volume 2 will pick up the remaining segments and show more twists and turns in this adventure. All the while, The Wolf Among Us is an enjoyable read of your not-so normal fairy tale characters take on living in the modern world while juggling their place in society in this crime noir mystery.

[R. Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wolf Among Us is a comic based on the Choose-Your-Own-Path game by Telltale, which is in turn, based on the comic book series Fables. I started Fables this last week after binging The Wolf Among Us video game and, not to diss Fables, but I found myself craving the themes the game discussed, which aren’t as center stage in Fables (although, I’ve only read the first 30 or so issues, so maybe I’m not far enough in yet). Regardless, I found out there’s a comic book companion to the video game, and decided to read it.

The comic all in all, isn’t too bad! I really like how you hear Bigby’s internal dialogue, which only solidifies the subtext in the game, especially the conflict between good/bad and lawful/chaotic. There is SO much nuance to Bigby’s position as (a now more or less human) Sheriff and former murderous wolf. I think with some basic interpretation you can understand most of that from the game, but it’s a nice addition to hear the character arc in Bigby’s words. The flashbacks give additionally interesting context and leave plenty of room for narrative as well.

The one thing that unfortunately doesn’t work with this comic is the fact it adapts a Choose-Your-Own-Path game. Investigation scenes come off as bland because the engaging part was based on player input, which doesn’t exist here. Equally so, the comic seems to try to clip the best dialogue from different paths of the game, and have to unnecessarily add or change scenes to blend these different paths together. Most of the additions aren’t bad, but some of them feel wildly out of place. Plus, while Bigby is still a very neutral character (as seen in his internal monologue), the great thing about the game is that Bigby can be played a variety of ways, whether it be good or bad. But again, trying to collage together the different paths you can take in the game can make the narrative a bit messy in the end.

Additional comments:
- I really like both Moore and Nguyen’s art in this series. Both really go for the blocky and sketchy art which the Telltale games have, and it fits very well.
- There were like 7 different Ichabod Cranes working at my high school, iykyk unfortunately

Overall, I like most of the additional scenes added which further develop characters, but I felt a little annoyed with some of the minor plot changes that came from trying to adapt the game itself.

[Amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

When I found out one of my all-time favourite games had a comic book (which is also based on the comic book series before it 💀), I was ecstatic.

Do I know every little thing about the game and franchise? Yes. Did I still eat this comic up? Yes, yes I did.

It was refreshing to had more backstory on Bigby and other characters which wasn’t really in the game. Only negative side of this was the artists drawings - although I appreciate versatility in the artwork, it just wasn’t that… good. Travis Moore was the only artist that I thought had great work, kinda sucks that’s the case but oh well.

1 book down, 10 more to go to finish my goal for this year!

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first half of this story was always my favorite part of the Telltale game, and this comic remained pretty accurate to that so this is my favorite volume. I enjoyed Bigby's narrative voice, as well as the glimpses of his (and Crane's) backstory, which made the story a whole lot darker.

The alternating artstyles aren't that "extreme" in this volume (unlike in the 2nd) and I got used to them, but I still preferred Travis Moore's the most, especially his depiction of Bigby.

[charlie butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5/5] Really enjoyable and captivating comic. Loved the dialogue, and adore all the artwork. It got a little confusing towards the end but i think that’s more my fault than the book’s. The crime noir feel was awesome.

[Bruna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - I loved this so much! The game was addictive as hell but reading the comic was far better than I expected. The plot, characters, art style, everything worked for me and I can't wait to read the next volume.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

More big fun, in a kind of prequel to Fables. Much talent in art here, but my favorite are chapters/sequences drawn by Shawn McManus.
Mildly recommended.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being so disappointed in how the main series ended, this spin-off was a pleasant surprise. Just a creepy murder mystery being solved by the Big Bad Wolf. No big deal.
Bouncing back in time to pre-requited Snow and Bigby reminded me of how much I liked the original series when I started it. I’m on board for more Bigby-centric tales.

[Annarella · Rating 3 out of 5]

me lo feificaron, me carga q no tenga un estilo de dibujo fijo 😭😭 no ven q es mi crush d ela infancia
dentro de todo es igual al juego + otra historia q le entrega más profundidad a los personajes, espero terminarlo

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

More please?!??

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Wolf Among Us is a prequel of sorts to the Fables series. It takes place roughly 20 years prior to the events of the books, and fills in some of the gaps that later get explored in volumes such as From Fabletown With Love, which is satisfying. However, The Wolf Among Us could easily be enjoyed without any background in Fables, and vice versa, which is largely the strength of the book.

My interest in this was piqued largely by how much I enjoyed the TellTale game that brought about this series in the first place. The book borrows heavily from both the game's dialogue and art style, enough to be boring in the first 'chapter' or so, though the cheesy noir monologue is amusing. It comes into its own more as the story begins offering up flashbacks that differ from the gameplay and shakeup the pacing of the story.

If later volumes offer up more new content I will call this series a success. The art is strong, if reminiscent of the Sleepy Hollow comics, and the story entertaining. It was far better than Werewolves of the Heartland, which I found far more difficult to get through.

So, while not as good as the Fables series that spawned it, I'd still call this a decent start to TWAU spinoff. Later volumes will reveal if it can manage to be as strong a comic series as it was a game.

Consider it a weak 4 stars so far.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

So apparently Bigby's a softer, gentler wolf than I thought. I played through The Wolf Among Us, and I remember choosing harsher conversational tacts than I normally would to be more in line with by image of Bigby. But in this adaptation, I can see him making choices I turned down as being too soft. So official Bigby has a softer side than I expected...
That being said, this does a good job of recapturing the look and feel of the Wolf Among Us game, in a narrative form. It helps that the game is fairly linear, so it's just a matter of changes in conversation for the most part, but the art does a good job of capturing the characters from the classic series and interpolating it through their presentation in the game.
And there's a bit more to the story here than there was in the game - the backstory of Bigby and Crane gets some explanation, with a rather odd crossover with the Crucible, and I think a couple other corners get fleshed out a bit as well. This is only the first volume, so it leaves a lot of the tying together unsaid, and I'm not seeing hints that point to the actual big bad from the game. Still, this is a nice revisit for people who played the game, and a good way for people who can't or won't to get the same story.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first volume of stories featuring Bigby Wolf from the Fables graphic novel series.

I read the complete series but I wasnt too happy with the way the series ended. It just felt kind of rushed, somehow incomplete and a bit messy with so many different story lines which actually didn't come together in a comprehensive way.

With this new series we kick off with a strong focus and great story lines starring Bigby as the main character. I hope we get more stories like this with a clear main character and other Fables popping in as needed. I read the whole series of Jack of Fables and I think that worked well because of a strong character leading the adventures.

I really enjoyed this strong focus on Bigby and Snow. We get to understand a bit more about Bigby's past, see him in rough and tumble action, and also see his early feelings for Snow. And of course we still get to see Snow and a host of other Fables characters old and new. I will definitely be following this series. I do hope it will continue with the strong Bigby lead and not go haring off into a million other directions.

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wolf Among Us is the first volume in a new series set in the world of of Fables. Luckily for me, this prequel volume revolves around my very favorite Fables character, Bigby Wolf.

In The Wolf Among Us, Bigby is sheriff of Fabletown, serving under acting mayor Ichabod Crane and secretly pining for his beloved Snow White. Bigby continually finds himself in one sticky situation after another (a.k.a., violence and mayhem), and is soon drawn into a murder investigation that seems to be hitting awfully close to home.

Meanwhile, we're treated to Fables-flavored retellings of some classic fairy tales, as well as a visit to Salem just in time for the witch trials, and even a taste of Beowulf just for kicks.

Fables fans should love The Wolf Among Us, and while I'd always recommend starting with the main series, this could be a good entry point for someone who wants just a taste of the Fables world.

The story is left open-ended, and I'm looking forward to volume 2.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

More comic book than graphic novel, The Wolf Among Us, takes fairy tale characters out of their realm and places them in a macabre and gritty part of New York. Forced to use glamours (think magic potion spells) to disguise their true selves and blend with humans, readers follow Bigby (yep Big Bad) Wolf who is the town sheriff and his quest to solve grisly murders of beheaded exotic dancers. The storyline is far from original and follows the idea of gritty porn (ala old Sopranos episodes) and voyeuristic moments in strip clubs--this collection would be a little boy’s fantasy were it not for the literary-esque storyline. Obviously inspired by a video game, this could have been so much more than predictable pap and 14 year old boys’ ideas of what woman should be like.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comic book version of the PC game with some extra content to make it worth reading, even if you've played the game. It follows the "correct" path through the story.

I'm digging it. The art's good, the story's good. My only complaint is that it's dense. It took me a while to read. It's worth it, though. :)

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Vi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old Noir feel. And the origins of the Bigby/Snow battleship. I love it.