Let's talk about the Comics (SPOILERS, duh)
I have recently started reading the comics (yesterday, actually), and I am currently on the 16th issue and hyped for more.
The series has been truly entertaining so far, and I have been laughing my ass off at some parts. Like when Bigby offers Colin some "ham'n eggs", or when Snow keeps shutting Bigby's flirtations down, or the time Bigby made Bluebeard cry. Let's not forget about needy Pinocchio either (guess he is all out of morning wood).
I created this post so people can talk about anything related to the Comic Books freely, sharing their thoughts on things you like or not, things that make you laugh, things that could be used in the games, etc. Anything really.
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Comments
I have found odd the fact that the switch of artists is so sudden and radical. Its really noticeable when they change illustrators because the art style shifts entirely (for better or worse). I usually find myself incapable of reading any comicbook when the art is too funky (although Fables hasn't disappointed me thus far like that).
Reading the first pair of issues I actually noticed where the game-makers managed to take that "pink/colorful Noir look" from. It's from the flashback scenes where Snow is telling King Cole about what Bigby and her had been up to during the investigation.
It has also surprised me the excellent accuracy for which the artists can draw all of those animals in the Farm, it was really anatomically correct and pleasurable to read -I found myself just staring at some drawings. On one hand its clear that they did use references to copy from sometimes (I noticed this since when they are static, they look correct. But when they move and make angles-that-you-won't-find-in-a-photo, then things get wonky), but that doesn't change the fact that it was still awesomely neat drawing skills.
Funny you should post this. I was just about to post how I hope they do a continuation of the comic adaption of Wolf. Ive been rereading it and really enjoying it. It gives the game so much texture with being able to read Bigby's thoughts (which are often pretty funny) and seeing so much of the backstory on characters that we didn't get in the game.
The change in drawing styles can be a bit jarring at first, but you get used to it. I actually enjoy seeing the different interpretations of the characters. There is one artist that I really liked that has a bit of a "messy" style with his lines that really appealed to me. The comics are very well drawn, I agree. I'm glad you have gotten into them, they are very excellent.
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who decided to read the comics after playing the game. The main Fables comic is fantastic. It get's really good once the start digging into the whole exodus and The Adversary backstory. It's really interesting. I also like how it helps to rap up lose a lose end from the game; namely what happened to Crane.
Crane got his walls decorated with brains, lol! I am currently in the issue #38 and I gotta say it feels boring without Bigby. I wouldn't be reading the comics if it weren't for him.
Its not just this comic I do this to, though. I don't read batman comics without the joker in it, and I don't read x-men comics without wolverine in them. I prefer my loved characters over whatever story could be shown. However I will still make an effort to read blue boy's adventures without skipping too much.
Later in the series, there is a "default" artstyle for the main storyline while different artstyle are usually given to side-stories. Although occasionally the main plot will have a different artstyle too before changing back to default.
I will take that into account to pinpoint the side-stories, thanks man.
Don't Skip his adventures at all. His story line is one of the better ones that early in the series. Definitely don't skip Flycatchers arc. Or the ones that follows Bigby's children.
Won't skip anything related to Bigby of course. I will do my best on the rest. I have been reading more on Boy Blue's though, right on the part where he met Pinnochio's creator.
The comic series is amazing, enjoy reading them. I read them once after Wolf Among Us was over (and kept up to date with the series till it's ending) but I would like to reread them soon
What were your favorite issues? I wanna keep them in mind.
I can't remember which specific issues I really enjoyed, just that I loved the comics as a whole. I'm sorry. Like I said I want to reread them because I can't really remember much, just like a faint summary of certain things.
Don't worry about it man. So far my favorite issues have been the First ones, the ones about Rose's death. I am reading slowly and currently at issue 40, so still much more to read for me.
The first arc with Roses' death is the closest to the game the comics get in my opinion. It was a great story arc and introduction to the universe
I know i'm going to get a lot of flack for this but the only issue i really enjoyed was the first couple (the first arc). I really enjoyed the mystery and sense of investigation in looking into, "Rose's death". It felt similar to the Telltale game, "The Wolf Among Us" because of the mystery but it felt grounded and not too overboard which later issues deal with, to a greater extent (which i understand). I also loved the art style in the first couple of issues a lot more than the later ones which i really disliked. However, the later issues are not horrible, they're just not too "fun" or "eventful" i think. I'm on issue 40 now and i'll keep on reading. I hope it picks up
I'm on issue 40 too! And yeah man, I think the same. The art and style of the fist couples were nicely done, nice story, really explored mystery and Bigby's detective work. Hope there are similar things lying ahead.
I'm re-reading the comic series for the second time. It's awesome and well illustrated. the only down-side in my opinion is how fast Bigby and Snow get together and have kids. Having Bluebeard set a spell on them where they think they're in love just made it all feel really forced and rushed. I think Willingham could've done that differently, but other than that, it's so good.
I'm not gonna spoil it for you, but get ready to laugh, cry, and cry some more. Have fun
Exactly my damn thoughts! Wished they had milked his Detective-ness way more before heading into child-making and war. I'm currently at the 77th one, right after the war and curious as of what's next.
That's not entirely true, after the children were born, Bigby and Snow werent together and they weren't a couple. Snow and their children were forced to move to the Farm and Bigby wasn't allowed there, he couldnt convice her to run away with him so he exiled himself. It took years for them to be together.
I meant "together" as in the fact that they weren't anywhere near romance before that pregnancy, but after it they were. Even if they weren't together for years (mainly for fillers I think, since it wouldn't be all that entertaining to see bigby changing diapers, and the writers waited til the kids had a minimum entertaining age) they still wanted to be together. And as soon as they met again they got married so. Even when they were apart they still wanted to be with each other.
I mean that I wish they had milked that passive-romance thing way more than just some issues before deciding on uniting them. It could have been way more interesting that way in my opinion.
Fables was never about mystery and detective work, that's just the first arc. I'm glad the game took inspiration from the first arc but if you expect the comics to be like the game then you'll be very disappointed. Aside from the side stories the comics get less and less grounded, going from refugees living in hiding to a full scale war to a near immortal entity that wants to kill everyone in fabletown. And the final arc is just complete madness.
Oh man, true that.
I honestly wish they keep up the detective noir style for the comics.
I kinda wished that it stayed grounded. That's why I usually consider a certain point in the story to be the real ending.
Exactly.
Besides, only reasons the mystery/detective storyline worked was because of the following:
In the first arc (Legends in Exile) and TWAU, they keep the conflict small and compact. The whole mystery storyline would have never worked in the larger scale, with Bill (Willingham) wanting to branch out, expanding his Fables universe and mythology
The first arc (Legends in Exile), and TWAU, the central focus is almost entirely on Bigby, whereas from second arc onward in the books, the focus is shifted more and more on other characters (if first arc and TWAU is Bigby-centric, I'd say from second arc onwards, it becomes more and more of ensemble piece).
I'm actually rather happy with how the comics turned out. Perhaps part of the reason is because I actually read the comics first before playing TWAU, and never had any expectations thinking 'I want the comics to be more of the same.', but besides that, I just love the expanding of the universe, and going more in depth of the mythology, rather than rehashing more of the same over and over again (maybe same can be said about TWAU, but what's different about Wolf is that its an interactive game rather than a book, and Bigby and Snow are basically my favorites, so....)
On sidenote, Willingham did mention in one of the interviews (I think this was when he decided to end Fables' run) that he did consider ending Fables at the point where Geppetto signs the Fabletown Compact.
I'm actually glad he didn't - so much more story and mythology (through both main and side stories) was told, that I am pleased with.