Fables is one of DC's Vertigo comics, which tends to include fantasy and science-fiction intended for adult readers; most of the titles, including Fables have nothing to do with the DC Universe.
The review contains spoilers only for the basic premises of the series, and of the stories contained within; there's also a minor spoiler as to the identity of one of the villains in previous volume, Animal Farm, but as I recall that was revealed pretty early in.
The Story
Fables is a story with a fun premise. It centers on the Fables, who are every character you've ever encountered in every children's novel or fairie tale. The main stars are classics, like Jack (of the beanstalk), Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf, and Prince Charming, but anyone is fair game. One of my favorite (one-panel) cameos in a previous collection was by Aslan of Narnia fame, while this book also features a story about the Lilliputians. In any case, a while ago the Fables were driven out of their homelands by a creature named the Adversary, and settled in New York where they've created their own community.
StoryBook Love contains four different stories which really show the breadth of this concept.
The first is "Bag o' Bones" (issue #11) which is a classic story of Jack set in the American Civil War. It's adapted from the Mountain Jack tales, a group of American folklore that I'm not familiar with, and is a fun romp in the tall tale vein.
The second is "A two-part Caper" (issues #12-13) which depicts what happens when a reporter catches on that the unaging Fables have been living in New York for ages, and how they pull off a caper to put him in his place. This one features Jack, Bigby Wolf, Little Boy Blue, Bluebeard, and Briar Rose. As the title suggests, it's a cute little caper/thriller.
The core of the book is "Storybook Love" (issues #14-17). It's a more serious story, a sort of action/adventure, but as the title suggests, it's got romance too. This one centers on the relationship between Vice Mayor Snow White and Sheriff Bigby Wolf, as Goldilocks attempts her revenge based on the results of Animal Farm.
The book closes off with "Barleycorn Brides" (issue #18), which was my favorite story in the book because it really outlines what Fables is about. It creates a new Fable about what happened when the Lilliputians ended up in America with no women, and how they quested to resolve this issue. This combination of old Fables and the new world, bearing the fruit of new stories, is the heart of Fables, and well-presented here. And, it shows a HeroQuest! (More on that in a bit.)
The Continuity
I'd generally suggest starting Fables off with the first book, Legends in Exile, though this isn't a terrible jumping-on place because it offers so much variety and shows how the concept can really be used.
Beyond that, Fables of course depends on the continuity of every faerie tale you've ever read.
The Storytelling
The heart of Fables is superb characterization. If you've read my description thus far, and envisioned the stereotypical one-dimensional leads from your favorite tales of yore, forget that. The Fables who are the leads of these stories are very well detailed.
There's a rivalry between Bluebeard and Bigby Wolf detailed in these books, as well as a possible romance between Bigby Wolf and Snow White and a slow evolution of Prince Charming from worthless leech to contributing member of society (maybe), and they're all meaningful and real.
Beyond that the strength of Storybook Love is really in expanding the tales we remember from our childhoods. The stories of Jack really seem part of a continuum, as does this new story of the Lilliputians.
The plotting in Storybook Love is all right, though not particularly notable. Mostly we see advancement in character interactions, as already discussed. Beyond that, plot points are fairly minor, and mostly center around how the characters get along together (or don't).
Overall, Fables: Storybook Love is a very enjoyable read, though not an extraordinary one. I give it a "4" out of "5" for Substance.
The Artwork
Mark Buckingham is the main artist of this volume, having penciled the four-part "Storybook Love" story. He has a clean style that depicts unique characters well, though it's often pretty light on backgrounds. He also ventures out to some interesting, though not extraordinary, framing and bleed techniques.
Bryan Talbot (Bag O' Bones) and Lan Medina (Caper) have fairly similar styles: clean, with detailed characters, though Talbot's style is slightly cartoony at times.
Linda Medley, who pencils Barleycorn Brides, is unfortunately very out of place. Her style is very stylized, filled with simple lines and cartoony characters. On its own it's nice enough, and perhaps even a good match for the story, but as part of a trade paperback collection, it really clashes.
The Presentation
The book is presented as a normal-sized trade paperback, printed on non-glossy paper. The original covers are interspaced with the issues, providing chapter dividers.
Overall, based on Buckingham and Medina's artwork as the core of this book, the Style is an above-average "4" out of "5". I enjoy the artwork and it helps illuminate the stories.
Usage in RPGs
Fables is about mythical stories, and how those myths interrelate to a real existence. It's a great read for anyone who enjoys fairie tales, and incorporating them into their games. I would have particularly enjoyed this, for example, when I was running Ars Magica, as fairie tales, or original variants thereof, occasionally wended their way into our sagas.
However, it was the last story in this volume that particularly struck me, as a HeroQuest contributor and fan. As I already mentioned, it tells the story of how the Lilliputians found new women in the New World. And it shows how the Lilliputians continue to re-enact that original myth to this day. It's exactly how HeroQuests work in Glorantha; the ancient myths of the God's Time are re-enacted every year in the rituals of their people.
If you're a Glorantha-phile, at least sneak into a comic shop and read the last chapter in this volume--but I personally think it's worth buying entirely, because of its focus on myth and history.
Conclusion
Bill Willingham's Fables continues to be a great comic. This volume isn't as epic as some of its predecessors, instead focusing on smaller stores. However, in doing so it shows the breadth of the concept.
If you like myths, faerie tales, and tall tales, give Fables a look.
