At last, a resolution to an ongoing storyline. I wish I could say I was satisfied; I feel like they tied it off, but they didn't knock it out of the park. Too much was glossed over, and some important issues between two characters weren't really explored. Problems with the script were made worse by the art; the facial expressions of the characters lacked subtlety, and a favourite character ended up looking ditzy.

Then I read the script for the issue, which was included as an extra in the TPB, and I didn't feel much better. The 'stage directions' for a pivotal panel cheapened the effect further. What, only girls like romance? Jane Austen characters squeal and faint a lot? Dude hasn't read his Jane. Come on, Willingham, focus.

Mowgli is off looking for the missing Bigby Wolf in a bid to free Baghera from a cage on the Farm. The problem is Bigby is excellent at hiding himself when he doesn't want to be found and now is definitely one of those times. A wild goose chase ensues leading Mogwli through Russian when he realises the reason the lead goes cold. Bigby is not being recognised by humans because he is using his other allies, the wolves. Luckily for Mowgli he was raised by wolves and knows their language and their ways.

There is a mission for Bigby that involves Jacl's beanstalk beans. Wolves are not natural climbers, but he has a mission that needs him to go into the Cloud Kingdoms to pull a massive hit and run on the Adversary. He is just the man/wolf for the job and if he suceeds in his mission he will be able to be reuinted with Snow and his children.

My favourite in the series so far as it has some great closure. Bigby and Snow are two of my favourite characters and it was great to advance their story so much. I can't wait to see what trouble their brood get into and I hope Rose Red has a greater part to play in later stories. ( )

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1285829...

This was not so bad, though again I found the politics rather dodgy and it seems to be getting easier and easier to penetrate the Adversary's domain. Lots of quite good character moments, rather stalling on plot. Also rather thin - only four issues of the comic here, bulked out by maps and the script for one of the issues. ( )

Where is Bigby? Will Mowgli be able to find him? If he does, can he get him to come back? Those are the questions driving this volume of Fables which includes newly-created maps of Fabletown and the Homelands illustrated by Willingham and, as a special bonus, Willingham's complete script to the double-sized issue #50. Now you can see how an issue goes from story to comic. Interesting in an intellectual way, but after just reading the same story in comic format, it lacked a little something for me. Maybe it's because the tandem that is Willingham and Buckingham worked so well for this entire series that I find myself definitely missing the other half.

In the first issue "Wolves," Mayor Prince Charming needs Bigby back as he is the only one capable of carrying out the plan against the Adversary. He has Mowgli (for a price) try to track down the whereabouts of Bigby, after all, it takes a wolf to find a wolf. It came as a surprise that like his father, the North Wind, Bigby also needs the distraction of a relationship in order to bring some sense of change in his life.

And what of the fate of Snow White and her seven cubs? Whatever happened to the aberrant zephyr cub of Bigby and Snow's; the one that kills living creatures because it feeds on their breath? Bigby's family has to stay on The Farm and Bigby is not allowed to go there (blame his pre-amnesty actions as the big, bad wolf). Well, we find out just what can lure Bigby back and what loophole the Mayor has found in the rules. Such a brilliant masterstroke on Prince Charming’s part--both of how to hit the Adversary where it’ll hurt the most and of how to enable Bigby to be reunited with his family.

Snow and Bigby's seven children are a rowdy, unpredictable bunch of hybrids that seem to have inherited abilities from all facets of their heritage. They all can fly. At first uncontrollably so, flight having been their natural state and they needed to be taught how to ground themselves, courtesy of the North Wind, their paternal grandfather. They can transform to wolf form as well as any other form.

In "Happily Ever After" we get to trace the steps taken by Bigby in order to complete the mission which will enable the freedom of the panther Bagheera and more importantly, his reunion with Snow and their cubs (they're just too cute for words). I have never seen Bigby scared before, but like he said, he isn't descended from monkeys like us humans (if you believe in Darwin's theory) so he doesn't have climbing hardwired to his genes.

I simply love this issue not only because it is indeed a happily ever after for my two favorite characters in this series, but because they truly deserve it, after all the trials and tribulations that each had to go through. Maybe it is the idealist romantic in me but I couldn't help but be giddy and sigh at what has happened.

Bigby: "I'm certainly no handsome prince, come to steal you away from all the cares of the world. I can never offer you riches and palaces or any sort of luxury. But I think you've had your fill of such things by now. What I can offer you is a home in our valley, where we can raise our kids. And I'm old-fashioned enough that I think we should be married to do it." And so the wedding preparations were made with all those in Fabletown pitching in to make this the wedding of the century for their kind; King Cole officiated the wedding, Boy Blue as the Bestman & Rose Red as the Maid of Honor.

There's the stand alone story, "Big and Small," involving that sexy spy, Cinderella; who is like a female James Bond, and so much nicer than that psycho Goldilocks (whom we're sure to meet again one day--even though she had an axe buried in her head last time we saw--courtesy of Snow White). Cinderella may be perceived as a bratty store owner of The Glass Slipper by most of the other Fables, but in reality, she is a very accomplished off-the-books spy employed by the Sheriff's office who undertakes missions for the safety of Fabletown. Her latest mission is a diplomatic trip to the Cloud Kingdoms, which is where Jack had visited when he planted his magic beans back in the Homelands, in order to legally bind the two allies. But what of those who Cinderella inadvertently offended in the course of her mission? Will that one day come back to haunt the Fables? And how exactly is Frau Totenkinder going to be repaid for that favor Cindy asked of her? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

It's great bedtime literature and if, like me, you grew up with fairy tales, it's a resolution and a homecoming of sorts.

Book Details:

Title Vol. 8: Fables: Wolves
Author Bill Willingham
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )

Merideth says: Oh! Bigby! I'm so happy to see you again!

My love for Bigby Wolf, the former sheriff of Fabletown is almost absolute. In the world of comic book crushes, Bigby is only second to Nightwing and Christian Walker. So any book that focuses on him is going to be A-O.K. with me.

I do want to praise Willingham and company for the elegant way that Bigby returns to Fabletown. It manages to incorporate a trip back to the Homelands, Bigby doing what Bigby does best and the sentimental reunion with Snow, all without breaking the previously established laws of Fabletown.

I also enjoyed the Secret-Agent Cinderella at the end of this volume. The Giant Kingdoms are a trip, and watching Cindy manuever in this environment is wonderful. (cross-posted from MeriJenBen) ( )