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Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham #1-6
Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham
After a series of murders that leave Batman stumped, the streets of Gotham are buzzing with the rumors of a werewolf. Batman finds himself left with no choice but to face off against the famed Fables wolf in Batman Vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham, collecting Batman Vs. Bigby! A Wolf In Gotham #1-6!
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2022
32 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Bill Willingham
993 books2,817 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
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
June 18, 2022
DC needs to put out another Batman title to make up their quota of 20 Batman books a month and Fables is relaunching because nostalgia-bait, so why not bundle up the two in one crappy crossover - it’s time for Batman vs Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham.
I didn’t care for this one at all mostly because Bill Willingham’s story was unimaginative rubbish. Bigby gets transported to Batman’s world because magical explosion. They fights because that’s what happens in Vs crossovers. Some Villain wants some MacGuffin. What’s that - the two stop Vs-ing and team up to stop Some Villain?? Didn’t see that coming! It’s a lazily-conceived book full of predictably rote garbage.
Brian Level loves chunky clouds because he draws thick smoke on every page of this book for no reason. It’s such a weird aesthetic. He also makes some odd panel choices. In one scene featuring the GCPD, the panels are awkwardly shaped into the letters “GCPD” but it’s not immediately apparent - what is though is an incongruous white stripe on Batman’s forehead from this panel shape!
Willingham’s story is really quite basic but it’s structured in a convoluted way so there’s flashbacks and flashforwards throughout - not that this matters a whole lot mostly because it’s so damn boring, you probably won’t notice.
A sloppy, forgettable and unentertaining mess from start to finish, whether you’re a Batman or Fables fan, you’ll definitely want to miss this!
I didn’t care for this one at all mostly because Bill Willingham’s story was unimaginative rubbish. Bigby gets transported to Batman’s world because magical explosion. They fights because that’s what happens in Vs crossovers. Some Villain wants some MacGuffin. What’s that - the two stop Vs-ing and team up to stop Some Villain?? Didn’t see that coming! It’s a lazily-conceived book full of predictably rote garbage.
Brian Level loves chunky clouds because he draws thick smoke on every page of this book for no reason. It’s such a weird aesthetic. He also makes some odd panel choices. In one scene featuring the GCPD, the panels are awkwardly shaped into the letters “GCPD” but it’s not immediately apparent - what is though is an incongruous white stripe on Batman’s forehead from this panel shape!
Willingham’s story is really quite basic but it’s structured in a convoluted way so there’s flashbacks and flashforwards throughout - not that this matters a whole lot mostly because it’s so damn boring, you probably won’t notice.
A sloppy, forgettable and unentertaining mess from start to finish, whether you’re a Batman or Fables fan, you’ll definitely want to miss this!
August 5, 2022
Well, that was disappointing. I've been looking forward to this from the time it was announced. It's set on an alternate Earth where Batman has Dick training an army of Robins. Stephanie and Tim are also Robins in addition to some new kids. Bigby has traveled here from the Fables Earth to find a spellbook that Bookworm is looking for. The flashbacks make this confusing going into the series. It's really just a way to put Batman and Bigby at odds.
The art isn't very good either. Level has a way of drawing lumpy faces. And then there were the weird panel structures like the ones that spelled GCPD for no reason. I didn't even realize that was what was happening until I wondered why there were these white holes in the middle of each panel.
The art isn't very good either. Level has a way of drawing lumpy faces. And then there were the weird panel structures like the ones that spelled GCPD for no reason. I didn't even realize that was what was happening until I wondered why there were these white holes in the middle of each panel.
June 19, 2022
I was a big fan of Fables back in the day, so I was looking forward to the chance to revisit some of the characters, but boy did this crossover with Batman miss the mark.
First up, I was confused where this was set in continuity because Dick Grayson is Robin again and training an army of Robins for Batman. I guess its an Elseworlds thing, because I don't think that was the plot of the We Are Robin series that I dropped after the first volume.
But I didn't dwell on that long because my mind quickly became numbed by the silly fights and long droning scenes of talking heads. The main villains were visually boring and had an overcomplicated and stupid plot to find a single book. The injured Batman fighting on despite the pain trope was taken to satirical levels and yet seemed to be played straight. The majority of the book felt like filler, and the big reveals in the end just left me thinking, Who cares?
A big waste of time.
First up, I was confused where this was set in continuity because Dick Grayson is Robin again and training an army of Robins for Batman. I guess its an Elseworlds thing, because I don't think that was the plot of the We Are Robin series that I dropped after the first volume.
But I didn't dwell on that long because my mind quickly became numbed by the silly fights and long droning scenes of talking heads. The main villains were visually boring and had an overcomplicated and stupid plot to find a single book. The injured Batman fighting on despite the pain trope was taken to satirical levels and yet seemed to be played straight. The majority of the book felt like filler, and the big reveals in the end just left me thinking, Who cares?
A big waste of time.
April 27, 2022
Disappointing read! Was really looking forward to this one for the longest time as someone who's a big fan of both Fables and Batman. I remember playing The Wolf Among Us and being like "wouldn't it be cool if Bigby met Batman?". You do get that here, but it just sadly wasn't that interesting. The artwork wasn't really my cup of coffee, as it fit Fables but not really Batman. The story overall is the standard comic book crossover formula. There was also another really weird thing where Dick is Robin but so is Stephanie, and bunch other random kids, so Batman has a whole Robin army which was very weird. They could have just had Dick or Stephanie and it would have been fine. I guess I was just expecting more from this one but it sadly was a bit of a let down.
July 11, 2023
Big Bad Wolf comes to Gotham City, looking for something that was never (at least as far as I can remember) mentioned in his canon, teaming up with Batman to fight one of the latter's villains I've never heard of. Like in all the crossovers with "Vs." in the name, they fight a bit for reasons no one in their right minds would fight, far more aggressive than either character should be, and the ultimate resolution is left vague regardless. Why do they call them "Vs." if they just tussle for a bit and never - or almost never - throw down properly? What's even the point if we'll never learn who'd win in a fight, and the whole thing's basically waste of time in the grand scheme of things?
Not that that time could have been spent too much better: the story itself was lackluster and never went anywhere interesting, nor revealed any new intriguing aspects of either title character. Then in the end they come to some understanding, and whoever has the home advantage gets to drop the mandatory "I never want to see you here again" -line. Then it's off to the next adventure or whatever.
Not my thing.
Not that that time could have been spent too much better: the story itself was lackluster and never went anywhere interesting, nor revealed any new intriguing aspects of either title character. Then in the end they come to some understanding, and whoever has the home advantage gets to drop the mandatory "I never want to see you here again" -line. Then it's off to the next adventure or whatever.
Not my thing.
June 15, 2023
Pretty good. Big Bad Bigby arrives in Gotham from the Fables universe, bringing magical mayhem with him. Batman gets involved because of course he does. The art was okay and the story was cool.
November 3, 2022
I was expecting something . . . better? You have Bigby fucking Wolf on the cover and it feels like he's barely in the comic. I was expecting more; I'm a huge fan of the Fables comics so I was looking forward to this and it disappointed me. I don't think it's terrible or anything, it's just not what I was expecting.
June 14, 2022
Nice to see Bigby again, but Bill Willingham writes a weird Batman. I like that this is established to be some alternate reality where rather than having one Robin at a time, Batman is collecting an army of them led by a particularly grim Dick Grayson.
But Dick feels weirdly written, he's like a drill sergeant screaming at all the younger Robins and at one point Batman says "Woah" which took me out of the story completely. He's written more like a teenager cosplaying as Batman.
Aside from the weird dialogue and teenage-sounding Batman I mostly liked the story. Bigby and Batman clash in the way you'd expect before teaming up. And Bigby feels in-character, so that's fun.
But it's difficult to move past the oddly written Batman and Robin.
But Dick feels weirdly written, he's like a drill sergeant screaming at all the younger Robins and at one point Batman says "Woah" which took me out of the story completely. He's written more like a teenager cosplaying as Batman.
Aside from the weird dialogue and teenage-sounding Batman I mostly liked the story. Bigby and Batman clash in the way you'd expect before teaming up. And Bigby feels in-character, so that's fun.
But it's difficult to move past the oddly written Batman and Robin.
August 15, 2022
Very mid book that made my husbands fight for no reason. They looked good tho
August 12, 2022
Great art can't make up for a bad and unnecessary crossover. Bigby follows a mysterious spellbook to Gotham, where he crosses paths with a very out of character Batman. Also, Batman is training a team of Robins? That sideplot was nonsense.
The Bookworm wants the spellbook - but who is the Bookworm really? Bill Willingham attempts to insert some traditional Batman detective work into the narrative, but the whole thing simply falls flat. The saving grace is Brian Level's detailed artwork. I'd say, skim the art and skip the words.
The Bookworm wants the spellbook - but who is the Bookworm really? Bill Willingham attempts to insert some traditional Batman detective work into the narrative, but the whole thing simply falls flat. The saving grace is Brian Level's detailed artwork. I'd say, skim the art and skip the words.
November 14, 2022
This volume gets off to an off-kilter start. For some reason we're in an alternate DC universe where Batman is leading a battalion of Robins. (Why? Does that somehow add value over it being the main universe rather than confusion?) Then we have an inevitable set of issues where Bigby and Batman fight.
Things improve somewhat in the back half of the volume, where the two team up, but inevitably it's a small story that doesn't feel like it takes much advantage of the historic crossover.
Things improve somewhat in the back half of the volume, where the two team up, but inevitably it's a small story that doesn't feel like it takes much advantage of the historic crossover.
November 17, 2022
It's fine enough as crossovers go, but nothing special, and if you aren't already deeply familiar with Fables you'll be quite lost.
July 20, 2022
Read this review and hundreds more at The Quill To Live.
Well, that does it. Batman Vs. Bigby is my second-favorite piece of Wolf-Bat media, closely following The Legend Of Korra’s pro-bending Wolf Bats. Bill Willingham returns to pen a story that pits Batman vs. Bigby wolf. Willingham’s troubled protagonist is somewhat of a detective himself, making for loads of entertaining crossover potential. This story is every bit as hoaky and formulaic as you might expect, but it’s also wonderful. I had so much fun devouring the pages of the six-issue crossover, and I’m proud to display it next to my full Fables collections and handful of Batman comics.
There’s a terror loose in Gotham, rending rare book collectors in half with its toothy maw. Batman and his squadron of Robins investigate with some help from Jim Gordon and his mysterious new recruit. Things get complicated when Bigby Wolf arrives and neatly fits the killer’s MO. Batman and Bigby squabble until they realize they share a common enemy, at which point they team up to take down the evil force wreaking havoc on Gotham City.
Chances are you’ve seen this plot before in many a crossover. Two characters are at odds, only to realize they’re on the same side, leading to a reluctant team-up. Willingham isn’t breaking new ground here, but he doesn’t need to. He meets the requisite requirements for story structure, giving readers fan service. Bat-fanatics and Fables fans alike will enjoy this story because it puts two famous comic book detectives with incredible powers in the same corrupt playground. Willingham addresses the question of Bigby’s presence in Gotham with a quickfire explanation, and that was plenty for me. Get these characters together and let them loose. I don’t need some drawn-out exposition telling me why they’re occupying the same world. In short, Willingham doles out plot details as necessary, leaving plenty of room for these two protagonists to exist and move around in the world. The story isn’t bogged down by lengthy justifications for its existence, and I appreciate that in a good crossover.
Along those lines, Willingham proffers a few villains that earn their page count but don’t bloat the story too much. The primary antagonist is an interesting character and one I haven’t seen before. He fits the lore of the crossover and adds to the gory noir pastiche.
Batman vs. Bigby surprised me most in Willingham’s understanding of the Dark Knight. He’s written in this orbit before and has clearly done hands-on research to ensure his Batman feels as batty as you might expect. This bleeds into the worldbuilding, too. The Batman of this crossover has an entire training complex dedicated to teaching talented youth to become Robins. Batman has multiple Robins at his disposal, cementing his status as an experienced caped crusader who’s seen some shit. That plays into the crossover itself because Batman has indeed seen some shit. But he hasn’t seen a man who can turn into a giant wolf. The result is a confident and capable cadre of superheroes contending with a challenge they simply couldn’t fathom until it actually happened.
Bigby, meanwhile, is so Bigby I couldn’t stop smiling. Gruff, blunt, and singularly focused on his goal, the big bad wolf is in full form here. My one major gripe? Willingham kinda sorta nerfed Bigby. His wolf form seems small compared to what we’ve seen him do in Fables. I’d chalk it up to Batman having less-than-superhuman strength, but we’ve seen the guy fight Superman. Still, Bigby brings a lot of life to the page. Whereas Batman considers all the implications, civilian lives, and further implications of his actions, Bigby strives to accomplish his goal and return to his world. They’re allies, but the dynamic feels off-kilter and tense due to their unique approaches.
One final note here: holy art, Batman! The entire team involved in Batman vs. Bigby deserves all the praise. The Gotham depicted in this book is tinged with oranges and blues and greens. It still feels dark and corrupt in the way Gotham should, but the colors bring it to life in ways I’ve rarely seen. Batman vs. Bigby is an artistic triumph, conjoining two amazing comic book worlds into a cohesive final product.
Bottom line: if you like Fables and you know who Batman is…give this book a read. It’s fast and fun, but you’ll smile the whole way through. Not a Fables fan? There’s plenty of Batman stuff you might enjoy, but I recommend you skip this one. Now I’m hankering for more Fables, so I may start a reread…see you all in 150 issues.
Well, that does it. Batman Vs. Bigby is my second-favorite piece of Wolf-Bat media, closely following The Legend Of Korra’s pro-bending Wolf Bats. Bill Willingham returns to pen a story that pits Batman vs. Bigby wolf. Willingham’s troubled protagonist is somewhat of a detective himself, making for loads of entertaining crossover potential. This story is every bit as hoaky and formulaic as you might expect, but it’s also wonderful. I had so much fun devouring the pages of the six-issue crossover, and I’m proud to display it next to my full Fables collections and handful of Batman comics.
There’s a terror loose in Gotham, rending rare book collectors in half with its toothy maw. Batman and his squadron of Robins investigate with some help from Jim Gordon and his mysterious new recruit. Things get complicated when Bigby Wolf arrives and neatly fits the killer’s MO. Batman and Bigby squabble until they realize they share a common enemy, at which point they team up to take down the evil force wreaking havoc on Gotham City.
Chances are you’ve seen this plot before in many a crossover. Two characters are at odds, only to realize they’re on the same side, leading to a reluctant team-up. Willingham isn’t breaking new ground here, but he doesn’t need to. He meets the requisite requirements for story structure, giving readers fan service. Bat-fanatics and Fables fans alike will enjoy this story because it puts two famous comic book detectives with incredible powers in the same corrupt playground. Willingham addresses the question of Bigby’s presence in Gotham with a quickfire explanation, and that was plenty for me. Get these characters together and let them loose. I don’t need some drawn-out exposition telling me why they’re occupying the same world. In short, Willingham doles out plot details as necessary, leaving plenty of room for these two protagonists to exist and move around in the world. The story isn’t bogged down by lengthy justifications for its existence, and I appreciate that in a good crossover.
Along those lines, Willingham proffers a few villains that earn their page count but don’t bloat the story too much. The primary antagonist is an interesting character and one I haven’t seen before. He fits the lore of the crossover and adds to the gory noir pastiche.
Batman vs. Bigby surprised me most in Willingham’s understanding of the Dark Knight. He’s written in this orbit before and has clearly done hands-on research to ensure his Batman feels as batty as you might expect. This bleeds into the worldbuilding, too. The Batman of this crossover has an entire training complex dedicated to teaching talented youth to become Robins. Batman has multiple Robins at his disposal, cementing his status as an experienced caped crusader who’s seen some shit. That plays into the crossover itself because Batman has indeed seen some shit. But he hasn’t seen a man who can turn into a giant wolf. The result is a confident and capable cadre of superheroes contending with a challenge they simply couldn’t fathom until it actually happened.
Bigby, meanwhile, is so Bigby I couldn’t stop smiling. Gruff, blunt, and singularly focused on his goal, the big bad wolf is in full form here. My one major gripe? Willingham kinda sorta nerfed Bigby. His wolf form seems small compared to what we’ve seen him do in Fables. I’d chalk it up to Batman having less-than-superhuman strength, but we’ve seen the guy fight Superman. Still, Bigby brings a lot of life to the page. Whereas Batman considers all the implications, civilian lives, and further implications of his actions, Bigby strives to accomplish his goal and return to his world. They’re allies, but the dynamic feels off-kilter and tense due to their unique approaches.
One final note here: holy art, Batman! The entire team involved in Batman vs. Bigby deserves all the praise. The Gotham depicted in this book is tinged with oranges and blues and greens. It still feels dark and corrupt in the way Gotham should, but the colors bring it to life in ways I’ve rarely seen. Batman vs. Bigby is an artistic triumph, conjoining two amazing comic book worlds into a cohesive final product.
Bottom line: if you like Fables and you know who Batman is…give this book a read. It’s fast and fun, but you’ll smile the whole way through. Not a Fables fan? There’s plenty of Batman stuff you might enjoy, but I recommend you skip this one. Now I’m hankering for more Fables, so I may start a reread…see you all in 150 issues.
October 4, 2024
Story was mid and the ending weak, art was great tho
February 20, 2023
Mais uma história do Batman que é um desperdício de papel e, o pior, além disso foi publicada em capa dura. Mais triste mesmo é saber que se trata de um crossover do Cavaleiro das Trevas com o universo de Fábulas, representado pelo seu personagem mais famoso, Bigby Lobo. Esse último ganhou até um jogo de videogame em que era o protagonista. Poderia rolar um encontro interessante, já que tanto Batsy como Bigby são exímios detetives. Mas não é o que acontece. Temos uma história confusa, com desenhos confusos, num universo alternativo do Batman em que existe uma escola de Robins. Já Bigby perde todo seu lado investogador e dá vazão à fera bestial que domina praticamente toda a narrativa. O vilão, o Traça, é muito ruim e sua motivação também. Notamos que Bill Willingham estava no automático aqui, ou então aconteceu muita interferência editorial nessa minissérie. Acredito que tenha sido um pouco de cada. Os desenhos de Brian Level não me agradaram também.
May 20, 2022
Fables is one of my all time favourite graphic novel series, so I was really excited to see how this crossover translated to Gotham!
It's action packed and intriguing with great art style and a pretty good storyline. I'm not sure if I would have benefitted from reading more Batman as I've only read 3 or 4 Batman comics, I felt like the villain "Bookworm" needed more backstory, but again this could be my lack of Batman knowledge. I really enjoyed reading it and seeing Bigby and Batman together was great - I also loved that Cindy made an appearance- but I did figure out quite quickly who was behind the evil plan from the original Fables universe.
All in all an enjoyable read. 3.5 ⭐
It's action packed and intriguing with great art style and a pretty good storyline. I'm not sure if I would have benefitted from reading more Batman as I've only read 3 or 4 Batman comics, I felt like the villain "Bookworm" needed more backstory, but again this could be my lack of Batman knowledge. I really enjoyed reading it and seeing Bigby and Batman together was great - I also loved that Cindy made an appearance- but I did figure out quite quickly who was behind the evil plan from the original Fables universe.
All in all an enjoyable read. 3.5 ⭐
June 25, 2022
I missed Fables and Willingham’s writing, the imagination and dry humor, as well as the art filling almost every nook and cranny of the page.
October 14, 2022
My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/V5T6kJD2ntU
Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/V5T6kJD2ntU
Enjoy!
October 16, 2022
Ever since this last movie came out earlier this year I’ve found myself back on the Batman bandwagon. Now with it being almost Halloween I was intrigued with the idea of Batman fighting a werewolf so gave this a shot. I thought it was a lot of fun. The art and storytelling was fantastic although it got a little confusing towards the end. Four stars for a solid Batman read.
September 24, 2023
Great art, but unfortunately uses tited crossover tropes (first they fight each other, then - get this - they work together against the real villain!)
And the dialogue is often uncharacteristically silly for both Bigby (making pun jokes) and Batman (“puh-lease”)
And the dialogue is often uncharacteristically silly for both Bigby (making pun jokes) and Batman (“puh-lease”)
April 1, 2022
This was the final story I had to read to finish Fables (until it comes back with issue 151 in May). I enjoyed this one a bit, I thought the first 3 issues were better than the last 3 but for the most part I enjoyed seeing Bigby and Batman teaming up. This definitely was not the best spinoff in the series nor the worst. My only complaints are, they kinda rushed the last 3 issues especially the last one and I think this story was way to one sided with Batman. This whole story felt like one big nerf to Bigby: Bigby in his Big bad wolf form looked smaller than usual, not as powerful, and he seemed to be tossed around quite easily in the end fight with Grendels mom (I'm still unsure if Bigby won that fight on his own or with Batman's assistance since I couldn't really tell with the final page of the fight) and the actual two fights with Batman vs Bigby, Bigby easily had the advantage, but out of nowhere Batman pulls random bullcrap to win.
I do like how they brought back one of my favorite characters from the dead especially the way it was presented. They brought another character back from the dead which I'm very glad they did, I just don't like the way did it at the end, although I am excited for her role in Fables. I did enjoy this one, just a few complaints. Overall 7.5-8/10
I do like how they brought back one of my favorite characters from the dead especially the way it was presented. They brought another character back from the dead which I'm very glad they did, I just don't like the way did it at the end, although I am excited for her role in Fables. I did enjoy this one, just a few complaints. Overall 7.5-8/10
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June 25, 2022When two good properties are combined to make something much less than it's respective parts. Overly complicated yet basic and even worse boring.
July 18, 2024
So I love both Batman and Fables which led me to be excited about this crossover, but I wanted a little more lore!
We get the story, we get the plot, we get the characters, but there’s not much info about how they got where they are or why, or how it concerns our intrepid heroes. Not to mention some heavy leaning on Batman’s half. Bigby’s daughter barely got a mention. Some Cindy lore. That was about it.
I don’t know, I guess that’s why I rate it what I do. Also some of the panels for me were hard to follow but maybe that’s my issue (no pun intended).
Also, totally was reading Salinger in Jimmi Simpson’s Hemlock voice (Star Wars: The Bad Batch).
We get the story, we get the plot, we get the characters, but there’s not much info about how they got where they are or why, or how it concerns our intrepid heroes. Not to mention some heavy leaning on Batman’s half. Bigby’s daughter barely got a mention. Some Cindy lore. That was about it.
I don’t know, I guess that’s why I rate it what I do. Also some of the panels for me were hard to follow but maybe that’s my issue (no pun intended).
Also, totally was reading Salinger in Jimmi Simpson’s Hemlock voice (Star Wars: The Bad Batch).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2022
I’m not really sure why this was necessary. It felt more Batman (I assume) than Fables and did just didn’t add much to me. I liked the use of some of the Fables characters (trying not to spoil), especially in the last issue, but again there just didn’t feel like much purpose to the story. Still, Fables is so consistently good overall that I’ll always give it a shot and I’m interested to see if the new run coming out this summer can capture any of the old magic.
June 9, 2022
So good!
November 27, 2022
Take Bill-fucking-Willingham (yes, that Bill-fucking-Willingham; you know, creators of a little masterpiece called … what was it again? Oh, yeah, Fables!) and have him write Batman. Have him also throw in Bigby Wolf, one of the greatest comic book characters of all time, and what do you have? Something unfortunately boring.
I am a huge fan of Fables—it is my favorite graphic novel series of all time—as well as the Dark Knight, having read more Batman comics than I could count or recall, but this one wasn’t a hit for me (personally).
Mind you, it wasn’t a miss either. While the storyline was a bit mediocre (Bigby is in Gotham because of a magical explosion/he has to find a magical spell book from one, Bookwurm, a low-on-the-food-chain Batman villain), the art was fantastic, and Bigby was written well. Batman, on the other hand, not so much. It felt like a really good Batman impersonator playing Batman in a comic book about Batman (makes sense?).
Despite the storyline, I’d give it a read. Hell, you might love it if you are into Fables and Batman, but this one didn’t live up to the hype; maybe I expected more.
I am a huge fan of Fables—it is my favorite graphic novel series of all time—as well as the Dark Knight, having read more Batman comics than I could count or recall, but this one wasn’t a hit for me (personally).
Mind you, it wasn’t a miss either. While the storyline was a bit mediocre (Bigby is in Gotham because of a magical explosion/he has to find a magical spell book from one, Bookwurm, a low-on-the-food-chain Batman villain), the art was fantastic, and Bigby was written well. Batman, on the other hand, not so much. It felt like a really good Batman impersonator playing Batman in a comic book about Batman (makes sense?).
Despite the storyline, I’d give it a read. Hell, you might love it if you are into Fables and Batman, but this one didn’t live up to the hype; maybe I expected more.
January 20, 2023
Im a big Fables fan and I loved this mini spin-off - especially the resolution in perspective of the videogame The Wolf Among Us. I screamed inside when I saw Grendels mother! It's the classic Vs-comic story arch with a little fight of the titans energy in the middle, but eventually ganging up against the same enemy - no big surprises on this end. But it's a well rounded crime narrative, nice easter eggs from both fandoms and very entertaining. Also Totenkinder as the villain is always a good choice. I suspected Kai tbh!
I missed Bufkin though.
Willingham took his own turn on Batman though, not making him and his Robin-Army look all too good :D it's almost Batman-satire at some points - I feel like this is a good Fables spin-off but maybe not such a good Batman spin-off(?)
The common ground is definitly found in the art style. The two noir-comics mix very well and the graphics are re-read material! Many splinter pages, which I looooove. Everything blends very nicely by the use of smoke and fog, which fits both fandoms imo. Makes Fables dark magic almost look natural in Gotham.
All in all a perfect addition to my Fables collection! Perfect friday evening read.
I missed Bufkin though.
Willingham took his own turn on Batman though, not making him and his Robin-Army look all too good :D it's almost Batman-satire at some points - I feel like this is a good Fables spin-off but maybe not such a good Batman spin-off(?)
The common ground is definitly found in the art style. The two noir-comics mix very well and the graphics are re-read material! Many splinter pages, which I looooove. Everything blends very nicely by the use of smoke and fog, which fits both fandoms imo. Makes Fables dark magic almost look natural in Gotham.
All in all a perfect addition to my Fables collection! Perfect friday evening read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2024
As someone that loves the fables franchise and someone that loves Batman, I couldn’t help but be excited to read this after finding out Batman had a crossover with fables. Ultimately though I found it to be somewhat disappointing although there being a lot of standout factors which I liked. For starters this comic was an extremely enjoyable read with some fun writing + some super creative and stylistic choices throughout but I couldn’t help but think that it was a lousy excuse for a crossover feeling very rushed at parts that being the explanation of how bigby happened to make his way into Gotham and the whole reasoning behind it.
I guess I hoped for more from this comic although still having a blast reading it and I definitely hoped it would’ve been longer to give them the opportunity to fit in a lot more backstory and flesh out some scenes throughout. It was a fun story of 2 characters which I have grown to love and both of there characteristics work well together to make for some comedic moments between the two. Definitely worth a read for any fan of Batman but especially the fables series because you are sure to have a fun time within this story.
I guess I hoped for more from this comic although still having a blast reading it and I definitely hoped it would’ve been longer to give them the opportunity to fit in a lot more backstory and flesh out some scenes throughout. It was a fun story of 2 characters which I have grown to love and both of there characteristics work well together to make for some comedic moments between the two. Definitely worth a read for any fan of Batman but especially the fables series because you are sure to have a fun time within this story.
December 13, 2023
The funny thing about crossovers is that you'll have to know what's happened up to a point on BOTH sides.
For example, WHEN DID BATMAN HAVE A ROBIN ARMY?
2nd, WAS THERE SOME FABLES SHENANIGANS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE SERIES ENDED?
Regardless of my somewhat lostness, a fun time with two grizzled&grumpy men of action. The villains behind the new crime wave is, funnily enough, really obscure for the Batman side of things (maybe just the '66 show?) and a familiar face on the Fables side.
Hilariously, despite the fact that Bigby was framed for the brutal murders of some Gothamites, they never explain how normal villain henchmen imitated the supernatural implements of death from a wolf-god who can huff&puff houses down.
For example, WHEN DID BATMAN HAVE A ROBIN ARMY?
2nd, WAS THERE SOME FABLES SHENANIGANS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE SERIES ENDED?
Regardless of my somewhat lostness, a fun time with two grizzled&grumpy men of action. The villains behind the new crime wave is, funnily enough, really obscure for the Batman side of things (maybe just the '66 show?) and a familiar face on the Fables side.
Hilariously, despite the fact that Bigby was framed for the brutal murders of some Gothamites, they never explain how normal villain henchmen imitated the supernatural implements of death from a wolf-god who can huff&puff houses down.
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