For the 100th issue of Bill Willingham’s long-running Fables series, Vertigo pulled out all the stops. Over 100 pages long, this mini-graphic novel includes not only the 100th issue, but two Fables shorts, a prose story and a variety of other extras.
Note: If you have not read the issues that come between Fables: Witches and the 100th issue, then you probably want to avoid reading this review – and issue – for now!
The first 63 pages of the volume are taken up by the main story, namely, the duel between Mister Dark and Frau Totenkinder, or, as she’s now calling herself, Bellflower. It’s a tough fight, with considerable magic and wile thrown about by both sides, who seem quite evenly matched. So who wins? No one, really, but you’ll have to read the issue to find out just how things fall out. Meanwhile, proof that life endures no matter how dark the times, a bouncing baby girl is born to Beauty and the Beast, though how much she takes after her daddy remains to be seen….
“Single Combat,” as the main story’s called, is beautifully drawn and, for most of the fight, tense and exciting. The resolution, or rather, the lack thereof, is somewhat frustrating, but no doubt Willingham has good reasons for continuing this story arc beyond the duel (it certainly whets the appetite for whatever’s next!). Time will tell.
Two additional comic shorts are included in the volume, as is an 18 page prose story about Pinocchio featuring the writing of Mark Buckingham and some droll artwork by Willingham himself. There’s also a board game and a set of paper puppets and stages that can be copied and cut out.
Also included is a very tongue-in-cheek section that answers “Celebrity Burning Questions,” which were submitted by a variety of Hollywood celebs. Willingham and a handful of artists step up to answer such burning questions as “Can I have Snow White’s phone number?” and “What was Geppetto thinking when he carved Pinocchio’s mouth?” The answers are quite amusing, needless to say!
All in all, Fables 100 is a lavish and affectionate showcase for a landmark issue in a beloved series.
(Vertigo, 2010)
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