Fábulas: Edición de Lujo, Libro 14

Fables: The Deluxe Edition

by Bill Willingham (guion), Andrew Pepoy, Barry Kitson, Mark Buckingham, Russ Braun, Steve Leialoha (dibujo)

Este decimocuarto tomo de Fábulas: Edición de lujo incluye la trascendental saga Camelot y las historias Junebug y Los chicos de la banda, correspondientes a los números del 130 al 140 de la premiada serie de Vertigo. Además, contiene una nueva introducción del incisivo ensayista y antiguo presentador de MTV News Kurt Loder, así como una sección especial de bocetos de los dibujantes Mark Buckingham y Russ Braun.

EDICIÓN ORIGINAL: Fables Deluxe Edition Book 14 (Fables núms. 130-140 USA)

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

264 pages, Hardcover

Published December 1, 2017

About the author

In the late 1970s to early 1980s he drew fantasy ink pictures for the Dungeons & Dragons Basic and Expert game rulebooks. He first gained attention for his 1980s comic book series Elementals published by Comico, which he both wrote and drew. However, for reasons unknown, the series had trouble maintaining an original schedule, and Willingham's position in the industry remained spotty for many years. He contributed stories to Green Lantern and started his own independent, black-and-white comics series Coventry which lasted only 3 issues. He also produced the pornographic series Ironwood for Eros Comix.

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

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when you think Rose Red finally has her act together, she does the one thing to cause a rift between her and Snow White. It's just inevitable that these two will always be at odds. I do like how even as Rose tries and start Camelot, the characters realize they are going to be trapped in the roles of the originals. I know a lot of people don't like the one off stories, but I always enjoy them. It's nice to see what's going on with the other Fables, plus it's a good way to give Mark Buckingham a break so he can keep illustrating the main story.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Windup to the end of the series is starting in this volume. Lots of dangling plot threads getting wrapped up. Very recommended

[El Tapiz de Fionavar · Rating 4 out of 5]

La tensión se ha hecho insoportable, todo parece negro para nuestras queridas fábulas protagonistas y al parecer las y los villanos son más astutos de lo que creíamos al comienzo.

Como ya nos tiene acostumbradas Willingham, nos encontramos con otro tomo con una trama excelente y unas ilustraciones que no se quedan atrás.

En esta historia se va a recrear Camelot pero con otras y otros protagonistas. Ha sido una vuelta de tuerca a la clásica y mítica historia artúrica muy interesante y que puede llevar a un final que no queremos. A sólo un volumen del cierre, todo parece indicar que el autor no va ceder a nuestros deseos y que no pretende interceder a favor de nuestras y nuestros personajes preferidos. 

El guión principal es ágil, nos reencontramos con fábulas que pensamos que no aparecerían más pero tienen un último rol que jugar ya cerca del clímax. 

También hay una historia corta en el medio del tomo que tiene un homenaje (o latrocinio ejem) a Tolkien. En el prólogo no se aclara la cuestión así que creo que fue una expropiación con todas las letras; expropiación que, para ser justas, todas y todos los escritores de fantasía han hecho alguna vez sobre la obra del escritor sudafricano. 

Corro al siguiente episodio pues quiero saber cómo será el broche de cierre que Willingham ponga a esta "fabulosa" historieta.

[Arie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always forget how much I enjoy the world of Fables - and only one more Deluxe Edition worth to go, too.

But. It's glaringly obvious how plain white and straight the whole thing is. There was a brief speck of a moment where that wasn't the case, but these latest volumes...

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so enchanted by the random "Oh Danny Boy!" antics toward the end, but what is happening between Snow, Red, their extended family and the scheming of Leigh Duglas are all still fascinating.

[Tawfek · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
another amazing volume totally spoiled by the filler stories
i like the whole idea of bringing the legend of Camelot into this
and i like where this is heading even if the fables literally destroy each others once and for all
if the boy of the band story is any indication does it mean the end of fable town that fables don't feel related to it anymore because of a fall in order and leadership perhaps?
i hated the story of gepetto we don't have enough time in the series for a new gepetto invasion and the first quarter of the story we had already seen before
and as cute as the story of june bug was i didn't like it as well a lot of fillers and a lot of stretching to the long time running series and for what? cant we keep things professional and stop milking people for money?
so fast updates on every character
bigby wolf looks like he will be a puppet in the hands of leigh douglas (aka nurse spratt)
rose red has brought up the idea of Camelot again and its gonna bring everything that comes with Camelot from betrayals to death
lance how the hell is lance alive right now i have no idea
snow white is keeping watch on her children restricting them from making touch with rose red
winter cute fierce little winter is amassing the forces under her hand for a possible confrontation with rose red circle of knights
the three winds all ran away from powerful winter and i doubt we will see them again

[Skip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Artwork still strong, but the interlude stories are too weak in this penultimate book in this series. The main story is Rose Red gathering knights for her new version of Camelot's Roundtable. As Rose Red's character rises, we see her sister Snow White fading somewhat as she deals with: (1) her now fully mature daughter, (2) the shattered remains of her wolf husband, Bigby, and (3) the continuing specter of Prince Brandish. I did like Bigby and Boy Blue finding each other in an alternate space.

[Saif Saeed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I'm more a fan of the deluxe editions and Mark Buckinghams amazing art than I am a fan of Fables. It's an ok story at this point. It had a rocky start, some good moments up until around issue 100 and its just been 'ok' since then. I care about these characters so I'm invested, its a testament to how well they were written before. The writing now however is nothing of note.

The next volume of the deluxe edition will be the last and I will be glad to get some closure on a story which should have ended long long ago.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, the momentum is built, the board is set and the pieces are ready to do their final moves. To be honest, i didn't expect that it would come down to those two characters (not spoiling anything), but it's surely an interesting turn.

Off to the last volume, the last 10 issues and towards the end of a truly excellent series and one of the best rides i've had with comics in a long while.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this makes me sound like the world's biggest & most unappreciative jerk, but it's completely sincere: I'm begging you, team Fables, to create as fast as you can & release the next deluxe edition because I'm straight-up addicted & I *need* to know what's next!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the first one of these I've ever been disappointed in. I've never liked Rose, and almost a whole book about her grated on me. Team wolf pack all the way.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

You would think, by now, that some questions would be answered but you would be wrong. So many questions!! So many villains! So much strategy! So many storylines! So many characters from beloved stories.

My favourite part was the meeting between Boy Blue and Bigby Wolf and then Bigby Wolf and Dare in some form of the afterlife. Partings are bittersweet, indeed.

[Cee Sturdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm interested in where the Camelot story could be going, but it's taking its sweet time getting there and all of the 1 and 2 part stories interrupting it aren't helping matters. I'm going to keep reading because I'm invested now, but this series really needed to end a while ago.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are winding up but also not? This installment focuses primarily on the attempts to retrieve Bigby and Rose Red's formation of a new Camelot, which seems like the series might not end very happily, so uh we'll see. Gepetto's also got some movements in the works, which seems good.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Junebug (130). Occasionally WIllingham writes a story that's too light and cute to have any substance, and that's the case with this short, which is fine but unmemorable [3/5].

Camelot (131-137). I was surprised how much this story was a transitional tale: a denouement for the frantic events of the last two volumes and also a setup for things to come. Nonetheless, it's wonderful to see Rose Red take center stage again, and the story really begins to strengthen in the last couple of issues as it delves deeper into the Arthurian legends [4+/5]. However the real joy of this arc is the interlude, "Deeper into the Woods" (134), which is a beautiful and touching look at some absent friends [5/5].

Root & Branch (138). It's nice to check in with Gepetto, and this story has a good sense of foreboding, but it's another short that's ultimately pretty shallow for what it conveys [3+/5].

The Boys in the Band (139-140). An interesting story about an obvious consequence of the end of the war with the Adversary that had too often been glossed over. The story has too many undeveloped characters, but otherwise is interesting [3+/5]

[Johan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fables is a fantastic series, but all good things come to an end and this series should have ended a book or two ago.

[Jinji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fables Deluxe Edition Vol. 14!!! Boy, I’ve been following this series for a long time huh? Anyway, last time we left our favorite bunch of fairy tale characters, Bigsby was turned into glass by Prince Brandish, and was shattered, just before Snow White stabbed Prince Brandish with a sword, through the heart. Now with Brandish incapacitated (come on, this is comics, he’s not dead), the Fables continue with their unpacking in their regained Fabletown. There is a bit of caution though, since Bigsby is also out of action (again, comics folks!), so the powers are shifting. Being the new avatar of hope, Red Rose takes the lead and tries to recreate the Knights of the Round Table, by gathering formidable and noble warriors from every corner of the Homeland. This, however does not sit well with Snow White, since her sisters attracting all sort of attention towards Fabletown, including Brandish himself.

Going back to Bigsby, the reconstruction of the glass statue was nearly complete, except for 1 piece that they could neither find nor summon. Find out in the next issue what would happen to our band of Fables!!! Great story, and can’t wait for the next installment! Though I think it may be the last volume since the series has already ended. Can’t wait to see how this wonderful tale ends!

[Chr*s Browning]

Oh Bill, just when you had me back, you let me down again. Problem this time I think is that Willingham loves writing women, but he's oppressed by the need to make them either bad asses or evil hotties - see the generally reductive framing of Nurse Spratt/Leigh throughout (she was mean and fat and ugly...then she got hot and evil!) or making the alluded-to canon and making Snow White's badassery originate from being repeatedly raped by the seven dwarves until she finally killed them (really? c'mon). Although the Wolf Kids Prophecy constitutes a more interesting arc, as we come to a close, we're back on a Rose Red fucks everything up plot, assisted by a final big bad that's neither a magical Adversary with an army of millions or the elemental force of Darkness, but rather a garden variety misogynist. Maybe that ties into his whole project and how he views the story he's telling (bad-ass abused women fight back and win, apologies to the abused women who were too abused to be saved) but it never quite fits together. And yeah, it's funny that he gives his self-insert OC a hot wife that stands as the literal embodiment of fate. Comics, man! They're great.

[Petra Valković · Rating 4 out of 5]

U pretposljednjem, 14. broju Bajki Crvena Ružica kao predstavnica Nade pronalazi svoju svrhu u obnovi Camelota te šalje glasnike u potrazi za junacima i junakinjama koji će pripadati novom viteškom redu. Protiv želja svoje sestre Snješke Bijelić, oslobađa krivca za sve nevolje u Bajkogradu dok se njen suprug Vuk još uvijek zbog njega nalazi rasprsnut u komadiće kristala. Ružica vjeruje u druge prilike, ali ipak nije naivna te krivac odrađuje kaznu po potrebi. To stvara jaz između sestara čiji odnos kroz cijeli serijal nije previše stabilan. Javljaju se naznake potencijalnog građanskog rata između Bajki.
Ovaj nastavak mi je bio dobar nastavak prethodna dva broja u kojima je Neprijatelj napokon pobijeđen i mora se uspostaviti novo kraljevstvo. A i pokazuje se da zlo u biti nikada ne nestaje, samo se pritaji i vreba trenutak nepažnje i opuštanja.
Neke epizode unutar ovog toma su mi ipak bile malo nepotrebne. Znam zašto su tamo, ali nekako mi se rasteglo na prevelik broj panela.
Ali bilo je super ponovno se vratiti u ovaj svijet izvrnutih bajki jer su mi likovi postali baš dragi, a da o crtežima da i ne govorim. Mala remek-djela ❤️

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot going on in this collection. So much so that I actually forgot the beginning and the surprises it hints at by the end. Speaking of the end, if the last edition hinted at the darkness to come this collection repeatedly assures us that the literal end of the world of Fables is in sight. Also there is a good chance that everyone we know and love, or at least most of them are going to die. The most important issue here is 134 in which a tragedy is confirmed. It also has a cover that rivals my all time favourite. It’s a tie or a close second I would have to see them side by side. The irony of them being my favourites it not lost on me. The inside art of this issue also shows all of Buckinghams’ skills. Much of the book has a plain white background and it is simply beautiful. It is some of his best work.

I mentioned the literal end of the Fables world. There are so many levels to this statement tucked in these stories it is almost meta. If nothing else this book may have the the most long term and complex world building of any series ever. It is amazing.

[Lucardus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Auch wenn sich zu Anfang die Handlung ganz ordentlich entwickelt hat, ist man nach diesem Band irgendwie immer noch unschlüssig, ob die Handlung derzeit leicht gestreckt wird, um die 150 Bände vollzukriegen. Die Episode, in der "die Band" sich eine ganze Ausgabe lang mit einer Antagonistin herumprügelt bzw. deren merkwürdigen Hundewesen, ist irgendwann doch langweilig, auch wenn immer mal wieder interessante Details auftauchen oder sich zukünftige Dinge ankündigen. Es wirkt in den letzten Bänden tatsächlich ein wenig so, als sei Willingham erschöpft. Es kündigt sich so viel an, dass man wahrscheinlich am Ende mit einer einem Riesenabgang belohnt wird oder einer Riesen-Seifenblase.

[Ernesto Jun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a hodgepodge before the final act.

Fill-in stories such as the Junebug issue and The Boys in the Band weren't exactly demanded.
The fill-in artists for Bucky weren't distracting.
The Bigby Wolf interlude was poignant and it was great to see Boy Blue and Dare again.
Seeing Dr. Swineheart's arrogance, Rose Red's selfishness, and Prince Brandish's past of psychopathy make them more interesting to read.
There were also plot developments for some of Snow White's kids.

So even though it felt like the calm before the storm, there was still enough to sink my teeth into.

[Nate]

This whole "Rose Red creates her own Camelot and gets superpowers and now she and Snow are fighting" thing comes out of nowhere. Maybe Willingham is harkening back to "Legends in Exile," when Rose was the problem child that Snow was ashamed of? I don't know. But he seems to be setting this up as the series finale.

The best part of the book is the interlude issue featuring Boy Blue and Bigby. Willingham's writing here is uncharacteristically subtle, with just the right touches of emotion. This issue also has possibly my favorite cover of the entire series, which is saying something.

[Yersey Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este volumen una mezcla de grandes momentos, decisiones cuestionables y relleno, pero en conjunto sigue siendo una lectura buena. Me gusta mucho cómo se retoma la leyenda de Camelot a través de Rosa Roja y el inevitable caos que esto va a desatar en la historia de cara al último libro.

Mi parte favorita es la del más allá, con encuentros muy emotivos que no quería que terminasen. Lo que no me ha gustado tanto, y me ha pasado a lo largo de la serie, son las historias de relleno, como la de Gepetto (que a estas alturas aburre).

[Tiina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had been a while since my last Fables, but I'm slowly moving towards the end. The stuff going on with Rose and Snow was a bit weird, but maybe that will make sense in the next book. However, something I did like were the bit between Bigby and Boy Blue - not just the story but there were some really worthy pictures too.

The last story seemed loose and unnecessary, until at the very end it wasn't. If I'm reaching towards the end of the story, the story does seem to be doing the same.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is getting more epic as we gear up for the final volumes. Do the rats even come up again?

N.b.: This is a fancy hardcover version of Fables, Vol. 20: Camelot.

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los últimos tomos recuperan el buen ritmo de la primera mitad de la colección.

La historia que lleva al final recupera algunos temas que se han ido dejando caer desde el principio, aunque parece algo repentino en ocasiones.

Un buen repunte tras los tomos algo decepcionantes con la llegada del Señor Oscuro. :)

[Molokov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again the art is fabulous, the world is engaging, and Fables is always a top notch story. However, this volume feels more like setup towards the final story arc, rather any form of complete story in and of itself. So finishing this is rather unsatisfying, unfortunately.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is the build up to the finale of the Fables series. Lots of pieces in motion in this one and all the major storylines are addressed. Great art and a great piece of the story before the final volume of this epic series.

[Mashiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first Fables Deluxe that I've read through in one sitting in a while. In a way, it felt like going back to the beginnings, with stories centered around our faves and stories that touched on the heart more than they depicted epic battles.