Broken Frontier

Boy Blue continues his quest through the Homelands and infiltrates the Imperial City with a little treason on his mind.

Somewhere in the mystical realms of the Homelands, the people have flocked to the grand Imperial City for an event called Petition Day. This is that most glorious occasion when their Emperor steps down from on high to hear the grievances of the peasants. Strict protocol is enforced and the Emperor’s Honor Guard stands ready for trouble. Yet something troubles the Snow Queen, one of the Emperor’s trusted advisors. There is an assassin in their midst. Boy Blue is disguised somewhere among them, seeking vengeance for all the exiled Fables who fled the Homelands. Can his quest be achieved?

Fables is consistently one of the most engaging series in the Vertigo line, and as such, among the finest titles in mainstream comics. Bill Willingham’s scripts are almost always entertaining and the world he has created brilliantly merges the fantastic and the mundane, honoring both the dark and whimsical roots of fairy tales while creating something fresh and modern. That is not to say there aren’t a few missteps here and there. The misdirection in this issue was an effective storytelling tool but felt a little obvious at times. I also found myself slightly confused at first on whether the Emperor was the series’ arch-villain, the Adversary (though perhaps this too was misdirection, toying with reader expectations).

In the long run, these concerns are outweighed by the compelling and often humorous story. The use of the Snow Queen in this issue, for instance, was inspired. The Queen’s frequent presence in the city interrupts the summer months and signals the immediate onset of winter, much to the dismay of the gentry. This is the kind of ingenious take on the everyday realities of a fantasy world that makes this series so appealing to me.

Mark Buckingham’s clean and assured line-work on the art is always a treat and does much to foster the believability of the magical elements. The vaguely medieval style of the city and the characters’ mode of dress produces an interesting mish-mash of cultural influences. Greco-Roman pillars combine with Byzantine domes and clothing styles from across history in Buckingham’s vision of the Homelands. There are also a few clever sight gags, such as a pair of twins running rival shops that administer and remove curses, respectively. Aided by Steve Leialoha’s inks and Daniel Vozzo’s colors, the art on the series remains as strong as ever.

Fables continues to be a wonderfully unique comic for lovers of fantasy and mature storytelling. As Boy Blue draws ever nearer to his goal, this remains a series worth watching.

-Eric Lindberg