Review - Fables 111

On the topic of long running series. Fables is certainly getting up there. 111 issues is nothing to sneeze at in the sort of comic climate we live in. What with all the relaunches, retcons, and general numbering tom-foolery that goes on at the big-two. Issue 100 was a big milestone (and a big issue for that matter), but it lead into the... questionable Super Team arc. In truth the entire Mr. Dark storyline had felt a little off. Running for seemingly forever, and the pay-off wasn't exceptional. Though the rug-pulling of issue 100 was an interesting twist, if not for leading to Super Team, who's ending felt more of like a cop out then anything. But, interestingly, what spun out from that has been really good. Inherit the Wind has been a truly good arc, bring back much of the magic series has needed for the last year or so.

Inherit the Wind has the six children of Snow and Bigby Wolf going through a series of trials to determine who among them will be the new North Wind. Meanwhile former Fabletown Head Office clerk Bufkin the flying monkey has found himself as the self-appointed resistance leader against the Empire of Oz. Things are not going very smoothly in that regard.

The main story, sees the return of Bellflower (Totenkinder) and her new squeeze Dunster after their ordeal helping the old North Wind defeat Mr. Dark. Their picked up by Winter (one of Snow's daughters) who has some how blundered into the homeland of the North Wind. A place from which there is no return. Unless you know the dangerous winds that guard it that is. Meanwhile in Oz, Bufkin is to be executed for crimes against the Empire.

This storyline has had a chance to really flesh out the Snow and Bigby's kids, who by and large have never fully been in the spotlight (except Ambrose a handful of times). Given that chance, and the crowning of one of them as King of the North Wind, and how one of them reacts.  I still don't feel we've been given a good chance to get to know them individually beyond fairly simplistic archetypes. That being said, Snow and Bigby are in rare form, Snow her usual headstrong leader self, and Bigby seemingly out of his element for once.

All that being said, I'm seriously curious when the story will get back to reestablishing Fabletown. And dealing with what Mr. Dark left behind in the ruins of the last one. With Werewolves of the Heartland OGN delayed/cancelled again, I'm seriously wondering if that's still a long way off. I like the Homelands, and what they offer, but without a Fabletown to establish the Fables in our mundane world, it raises a lot of questions (like, why do they continue to stay here now that the Adversary is long out of the picture?) Really hope the series gets to that soon.

Next: NEAR DEATH.