Fables: The Great Fables Crossover (DC/Vertigo)

Fables: The Great Fables Crossover

DC/Vertigo

Written by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges; Art by Mark Buckingham, Tony Akins, Russ Braun, Andrew Pepoy, and Jose Marzan, Jr.

Feb 23, 2010 Web Exclusive By Jeremy Nisen

Fables: The Great Fables Crossover collects a storyline that ran through the main Fables series, the Jack of Fables off-shoot series, and the three-issue limited series that spun out of events from Jack of Fables called The Literals.

It has the usual Fables flavor, that combination of fun, imagination, and a little goofiness balanced with sharply developed characters, plots rife with consequence, and a healthy dose of self-awareness. Being that it crosses over with Jack Horner’s title, the goofiness and playfulness is ramped up beyond the main title’s usual levels. It’s the presence of The Literals-a class of characters that quite literally represent literary devices (i.e, “Dex” is the personification of deus ex machina; “Gary” is better known as “The Pathetic Fallacy,” etc.) that sends the self-awareness aspect into hyperdrive. And, while it results in an interesting villain and some funny moments (like Dex popping up in the middle of the story only to declare “I can only help once per story”), by the end I was more than ready to return to the non-crossover norm in each respective title.

Even so, altogether, it’s another fine read from this franchise. The art teams, while distinctive, blend seamlessly from chapter to chapter and really underscore the importance of Buckingham’s and Atkins’ pencil work in the main titles, with Russ Braun pitching in to match those impressive talents. I was glad to see that the Literals characters are likely not returning. It’s a clever idea that, in my opinion, muddles the conceit of the main titles-they served their time, purpose, and story, and now we can get back to business as usual.

If anything came out of the crossover beyond a good read, it’s that Jack Horner and his cast of associated characters deserve a look by fans of the main series. They’re a hoot (albeit I like them better when separated from the Fabletown gang.) (www.dccomics.com/vertigo)

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