#fables comic book

[adarkrainbow]

I will say this: the mini-series The 10th Kingdom, the comic book Fables, the book series The Sisters Grimm and the TV show Once Upon a Time are for me part of a same "set" of fairytale media.

More specifically, despite their differences, considering their similarities, these four media that mix the "fairytale-crossover world" with "fairytale urban fantasy" are also tied together, outside of the time context which makes them close to each other, by their very... "American-ness" I will say? Each one of them is VERY, very American, in their own different way.

It doesn't help that some of them literaly "feed" off each other (like Once Upon a Time out of Fables), but, while they are very different (and in fact it is interesting to compare where these works differ), they still kind of feel to me as part of a same specific whole, born out of a same time era, a same cultural context, a same American view of fairytales, and a same... "worldbuilding purpose" I will say?

I'm not going anywhere with this but for me these are somehow "linked" into a chain.

[gameraboy2]

"A Financial Fable" by Carl Barks, 1951

[lonesomenecromancer]

mothiva gains a new fan (well kind of)

[momachan]

Paraphrasing John Steinbeck: "I guess there are never enough 'comic' books."

[balu8]

Fables #4

by Bill Willingham.Lan Medina,Craig Hamilton,Todd Klein and Sherilyn Van Valkenburgh

DC/Vertigo

[comicartarchive]

Fables 1 Cover by James Jean

[bodycatcher]

The Tower

Story & Art : Luke Toth

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 5/24

How are there only 2 weeks til June???

Ava’s Demon: Book One: Reborn GN -  Michelle Fus

When a young, shy girl named Ava discovers that the demon who haunts her is actually the spirit of an ancient alien queen named Wrathia, the two form a dangerous pact. But in exchange for a better life, Ava must help Wrathia seek revenge against TITAN...the most powerful being in the universe.

Black Mass Rising GN -  Theo Prasidis & Jodie Muir

One year after Vlad Dracul's death, hope is returning to the lands of Transylvania. As the shadow of 100 years of darkness begins to fade, a young peasant girl dares to dream of a better future. But when a mysterious Healer drifts into town, a new evil begins to stir among the ruins of the lord of the undead's former castle... A titanic and darkly fantastical reimagining of and sequel to Bram Stoker's sanguine classic, Dracula.

Briar TP Vol 1 -  Christopher Cantwell & German Garcia

What if Sleeping Beauty never got her happily ever after... and had to save herself instead? One-hundred years after Briar Rose first fell into her slumber, the sleeper has now become the sleepwalker, and she must face a brutal, bleak world ruled by a tyrant from her past. Burdened by prophecy and betrayal, it will take everything Briar and her band of misfits have to survive the wasteland where magic went to die. As they journey through a land of untold terrors, Briar nurtures a burning pledge of vengeance. But will it be enough to bring some semblance of a happy ending to the land... and her heart?

Constellations GN -  Kate Glasheen

A debut graphic novel about a queer teen living in the margins who is determined to find their way ahead. Are you supposed to be a boy or a girl? It's a question that follows Claire everywhere. Inescapable on the street, in school, and even at home. A black hole forever trying to pull them in. But as long as they have ride-or-die best friend Greg at their side and a drink in their hand, everything will be okay. Right? Except, Claire can never have just one drink. And when harassment at school reaches a fever pitch, Claire begins a spiral that ends in court-ordered rehab. Feeling completely lost, Claire is soon surrounded by a group of equally messed up, equally hilarious new friends and, with the help of a patient counselor, finds a space to unpack all the bad they've experienced. But as Claire's release gets closer so does the question: Can Claire stay sober and true in a world seemingly never made for them?

Elden Ring: The Road To The Erdtree GN -  FromSoftware & Nikiichi Tobita

The epic and foreboding world of the hit video game Elden Ring gets turned on its head in this absurd comedy adventure! Follow Aseo the Tarnished as he struggles his way through the Lands Between. What he lacks in strength, speed, intelligence, charisma, skill, experience, intuition, and common sense, he makes up for in...uhhh...  

Even Dogs Go To Other Worlds GN Vol 1 -  Ryuuou & Hana Ichika

Ordinary salaryman Takumi works a grueling job, but he can get through it because he has Leo, his beloved puppy-sized Maltese, waiting for him at home. One day, Takumi wakes up in a fantasy world... and right in front of him is an enormous wolf! Wait, could this gigantic creature actually be the once-little Leo?! With the help of a mysterious new magic skill, Takumi will do his best in this world to make a better (and more relaxed) life for himself and his furry best friend!

Far South: Crooks, Pimps & Gauchos #1 -  Rodolfo Santullo & Leandro Fernandez

An arid and wild land, cut off from the world. Tough and hot blooded men. Crime. Alcohol. Revenge: This is where the taciturn Montoya runs a bar. A bar where the worst scoundrels in the area come to settle their differences or talk about their setbacks. What happens in the FAR SOUTH stays in the Far South!

Girl Juice TP -  Benji Nate

Welcome to the Girl Juice House, home of only the hottest gang in town. Benji Nate's stylish and rambunctious sense of humor lovingly takes digs at the young and tragically hip-reserved and introspective Nana, comically hypersexual Bunny, fledgling U-tuber Tula, and Designated Mom™ Sadie-as they navigate life, love, and the pursuit of a good time.

Hitomi TP -  H.S. Tak & Isabella Mazzanti

In Feudal-era Japan, a drifter with no prospects begins training in secret under Yasuke, a once-famous and now-disgraced warrior, as she struggles to find her place in a society entrenched in discrimination and violence. Combining the historical sweep and elegance of Kurosawa with the visceral action of Tarantino, this saga follows the trials and tribulations of a young female warrior who travels the country-side unendingly working to gain the rank of Samurai, a title no man, monster, or myth can give to her, but one that she will have to take.

Magical Girl Incident GN Vol 1 -  Zero Akabane

As a little boy, Sakura Hiromi once dreamed he could be a hero. Now...he's simply your everyday office worker, toiling away for the sake of his company. Though he longs for his childhood dream, it seems so far out of reach-until he decides to step up and save a child one fateful day. Suddenly, fantasies become reality as Hiromi finds himself transformed into...a magical girl?!  

Manner Of Death GN Vol 1 -  Yukari Umemoto & Sammon

When the skilled coroner Dr. Bunnakit is called to examine the body of his childhood friend after her "suicide," he soon determines that she was actually murdered. That night, a mysterious stranger threatens him, telling him to rule her death a suicide-and after he confides in his prosecutor friend about this incident, his friend suddenly goes missing. But all hope is not lost, as a young lecturer named Tan offers to help him get to the bottom of all this-which would be more reassuring if Tan weren't the prime suspect... 

My Dear Agent GN Vol 1 -  Ebino Bisque

Professional bodyguard Riichi is employed to protect the son of the leader of a large conglomerate and takes his work incredibly seriously. One day, he's tasked with coaching Tachibana, a rookie new hire, who unfortunately has no money and no place to go. Opening his home to the new employee, Riichi is taken aback by Tachibana's brashness... and his endless flirting! Just who is this mysterious new coworker and what's his problem? 

Puella Magi Suzune Magica Ominbus Ed GN -  Magica Quartet (A) Gan

Suzune Amano lives an extraordinarily normal life as a middle school student by day and...magical-girl assassin by night?! When a group of four magical girls begins investigating the serial murders in their city, they soon find themselves Suzune's next targets! But what motivates Suzune to hunt both witches and magical girls alike?  

Red Tag TP -  Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone & Roger Cruz 

Lis (aka Lisa), Lu (aka Luciana) and Leco (aka Leandro)-three friends bonded by their love for Brazil's unique street art "pixo," also known as pichação or pixação, a distinctive style of tagging unique to Brazil-strive to be good in a place where corruption still thrives. After Lis witnesses injustice and abuse of power on the streets of São Paulo, she enlists her friends to take matters into their own hands. Their plan works until they realize they've become privy to sensitive information belonging to holdovers from the country's brutal dictatorial past who are plotting against the movement for reform and an upcoming election. Armed with a can of spray paint and the help of a journalist, can they escape the dangerous and life-threatening plot they've mistakenly become entangled in?

Tegan & Sara: Junior High GN - Tegan & Sara Quin & Tillie Walden

Before the indie-pop duo Tegan & Sara took the world by storm, Tegan and Sara Quin were identical twins trying to find their place in a new home and new school. From first crushes to the perils of puberty, surviving junior high is something the sisters plan to face side-by-side, just like they always have. But growing up also means growing apart, as Tegan and Sara make different friends and take separate paths to understanding their queerness. For the first time ever, they ask who one sister is without the other. Set in the present-day, this fictionalized autobiography offers a glimpse at Tegan and Sara before they became icons, exploring their shifting sisterhood, their own experiences coming out, and the first steps of their musical journey. A prequel of sorts to their New York Times-bestselling adult memoir High School, it's the story of the people they are now, and how so many of the trials they faced in their youth not only brought them to music stardom, but to a rock-solid relationship with each other.

Tsugumi Project GN -  ippatu

In the western Pacific Ocean floats an island archipelago, cut off from the world and full of mysteries: scientific secrets that some believe are best forgotten, decaying monuments to an era of human decadence two centuries gone, and strange, radioactive monsters that tear apart any human beings foolish enough to set foot there. Its name, spoken only in whispers: Japan. It's illegal to go near this dangerous place-but, after being torn from his family and convicted on a false charge, that's exactly where Leon has been sent. An experienced soldier of fortune, Leon is tasked with retrieving a powerful weapon called Tsugumi. Can they stay alive long enough to find this Tsugumi? Just what the hell is it, anyway, if that's even the right question? And does it have anything to do with the quiet, brutal girl with taloned feet who swoops in to save Leon's life?

Yokohama Station Fable GN Vol 1 -  Yuba Isukari & Tatsuyuki Tanaka

All Hiroto has ever known is a life on a tiny coastal speck of Japan. Much of the country has been swallowed by Yokohama Station, a mysterious, ever-growing series of buildings that's been around for as long as anyone can remember. The few who live outside its many entrances have never seen Inside and know only rumors and legends of the station's interior. That all changes when Hiroto is given an 18 Ticket, a mysterious item that lets him enter the massive complex for five days. The young man has always sought a purpose, but the one he finds may not be the sort he'd hoped for...  

[hiddenramen]

the absolute "bernie with a steel chair" ass move of bill willingham just releasing fables comics into the public domain as a fuck you to dc for trying to railroad him out of his creator-owned intellectual property contracts...

[coolcomicbookcovers]

[adarkrainbow]

So, the thing I have been hinting at since a few posts is that - if you are not aware, Bill Willingham, the creator of the big DC comic book franchise "Fables" (a landmark in the history of both fairytale media and urban fantasy), decided to make "Fables" public domain. And everybody is losing their mind.

I am not sure of the details of the matter, but from a quick glimpse around the boiling Internet, Willingham was fed up with how DC handled their ownership of Fables and kept reinterpreting the contract Willingham had with them, ranging from DC chosing cover artists Willingham had not approved of, to him receiving apparently no money for the video game adaptation "A Wolf Among Us". So, tired of having to constantly battle with a DC company that apparently wasn't "playing fair", he decided to "cut the grass under their feet" as we say in France, and to make Fables public domain so that now everybody can make Fables work and sell them legally.

I am not sure if this will actually be happening since I am fact-checking my info while writing, and DC Comics has published a response explaining they will do everything they can to prevent this from happening - so this seems to be the beginning of another legal battle between Willingham and DC.

I also see a lot of posts heralding Willingham as some sort of hero for standing up against the "big company" that is DC and all that, I'll take a minute to remind you how before this all happened, Willingham had gotten a more ambiguous, if not unsavory reputation. I do like Fables (or at least I like the core of it, after a moment it really dragged on too much and tried to live way past its natural lifespan), and I am thankful it exists - but it doesn't change the fact Bill Willingham hasn't proven to be the greatest guy. His most recent dark note being his rudeness at the "Writing Women-Friendly Comics" convention, where he participated as a member of the panel, but apparently kept interrupting, mocking and disagreeing with all the women participating in a very rude and stubborn way. The guy certainly had cool ideas - but it doesn't mean he is a good guy, and given the series of accusations against him, and bad behavior incidents he got into, the whole "public domain" thing doesn't surprise me. Willingham has been giving off "petty diva" vibes these recent years, and this "public domain" move can be read in this direction.

I already highlighted how when it comes to actual variety in genders and sexuality, we have to wait for the spin-offs of Fables rather than the comic itself, spin-offs not written by Willingham - and there is also the whole thing of how he wrote one of the most perfect and heart-touching metaphors in Fables for the experience of being a trans person (the story of the wooden soldiers who wanted to become humans of flesh), but from what I heard he actually is not at all a trans-ally in real-life, not to say he might be transphobic? (Note: as I am writing this I discover he might also be doubtful, if not actively denying, climate change? Really?)

I am not sure of it all, again there's a lot of drama going on I have not spent my life documenting. But all of that to say... if Fables ever becomes public domain I would be so happy, because the original Fables truly exhausted its run in Willingham's hands (the recent revival has proven to be very disappointing, furthering my point), and only got breaths of fresh air within other writer's hands so far, so I would be very happy to see the franchise being explored and remade by other people. Again, Fables is a great concept and has been a big influence on so many things - it deserves to exist without the shadow of Willingham's dramas behind it.

At least that's my personal opinion. And with DC making all it will can to prevent the entering in the public domain, it might as well not happen...

[smashpages]

Out this week: Fables #162 (DC, $3.99): 

Ah, Fables … the series whose ending comes twice. The long-running Vertigo series originally came to an end with issue #150, but was revived in 2022 for another 12-issue run that kept the original numbering. Then at some point during the production of it, things broke down between writer Bill Willingham and DC, and Willingham decided to declare that Fables is now in the public domain. I guess, like in Fables, there's no happily ever after here.

See what else is arriving in comic shops this week.

[gunkbaby]

free comic book day but none of these were free 😔🫢👹

[nfcomics]

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall • Bill Willingham • James Jean [2006]

[balu8]

Fables #122: The Destiny Game

by Bill Willingham; Gene Ha; Art Lyon and Todd Klein

DC/Vertigo

[mattzerella-sticks]

I wonder if Mother Timothy Goose's book acts as a portal to 'paradise' in which the stories are transported to a heaven-type dimension and granted a greater immortality however are trapped in a happily ever after.