Fables Vol. 21: Happily Ever After

After 13 years of story, Fables is finally drawing to an end. Unfortunately, the series jumped the shark a while back, with Fables #13. The recent issues have seen a pick up in quality, but I'm afraid not enough to redeem itself completely.

This collection covers the return of Bigby (though in a form unrecognizable from who he's been in the past), the failed attempts to stop him and who's behind him. It then quickly morphs into a "doomed conflict" scenario between Rose Red and Snow White, with a reveal involving who their mother is, and why there's inevitable conflict between the two sisters.

Along the way, we get many digressions (it seems as though Willingham had to feed each issue with a mini story to keep stringing us along), but those are minor, with only a few pleasant ones. Fables is at its best when the reveals are of the "of course, that's how it would work" variety, but the story is getting so very meta that sometimes it feels like more of a cliche than an epiphany.

I'll pick up the last collection, of course, but go read Fables #1-12 instead.

So sad to see it ending. Happily ever after is a great fate for a fable... but not so great for the faithful followers of the series. As the fables saga winds to close, I know that I will miss spending time with childhood favorites newly revealed as complex characters.

Good read. The cover shows Snow White and Rose Red, the two main characters heading towards a complicated story. Much going on. Few apparent final stories of characters, even some comic relief. Some deaths. Some explanations. This is is not the final story, several plots are not resolved.

I have to say, I disagree entirely with all if you who say that the series lost its way after vol.#13. The Great Fables Crossover and Super Team ard the only two misfires I think that this series can claim! Pertaining to this volume, I do think that certain plot elements are being rushed through, but not enough to derail enjoyment of it.

Collects Fables 141-149
Everything is progressing to a final showdown between Rose Red and Snow White. Bigby has been put back together, but with a piece missing. Winter takes her mother's side. Brandish (the heartless bastard) duels Lancelot to the... er, death. Also...the truth about Rose Red and Show White's mother! (You didn't know that was even an issue, did you?)

Each issue has a brief "The very last so-and-so story". Most of them don't involve death. There are a few deaths in the main story (and they might stay dead this time - even though Fables are hard to kill).

Most of the art is by the usual team of Buckingham (pencils), Leialoha and Pepoy (inks), with guest artists on most of the "very last" mini-stories.

According to Amazon, the final volume 22 (which will also be issue 150, and 160 pages long) will be out July 28, 2015.

Great.

Great introduction into graphic novels. Read them in order.

A good entry into the series, but a shocking number of character deaths.

While I enjoyed the series as a whole very much, this may very well be the worst ending I have ever encountered in any form anywhere ever.

The Fables epic is starting to show its age. Bill Willingham knows when it's time to wrap up the story. (Now if he would only go back and finish the Elementals ... !)