Broken Frontier

In the Homelands, an imperial puppet meets a beautiful doll (literally). Can a wooden soldier find love?

Lieutenant Rodney is one of the Emperor’s finest wood-men, a living puppet trained in the art of warfare. During an invasion of an Arabian Fables Homeland, Rodney is wounded in battle and sent to the wood shoppe for a replacement leg. There, he meets June, a beautiful wood-girl who instills in him decidedly organic longings. As the two begin a tentative courtship, Rodney becomes intrigued by the way the "meat-people" express their love and passion. He composes a letter to his creator that could have greater implications than he suspects.

The latest chapter in this consistently excellent series shifts the focus from Fabletown to a story of two hearts coming together during the fury of war. Despite the lack of familiar characters, Bill Willingham manages to make Rodney and June’s story as compelling as any that has come before in these pages. Framed by Rodney’s letter to Gepetto, the resulting tale is at turns sweet, humorous, and disturbing. I’m reminded of Kurt Busiek’s Arrowsmith, with its combination of the mystic and militaristic. Willingham continues to show innovation in his use of fairy tale elements in ways they were never envisioned for, bringing us flying carpet paratroopers and puppet lineage marked by impressive "saplines." The highlight of the issue is the frequent contrast of the culture and physiology of the meat- and wood-people. Rodney and June bring their wooden lips together for numerous minutes, wondering when it’s supposed to start feeling nice.

Guest artist Jim Fern contributes the visuals for this issue, lending a different feel to the story. Fern’s linework is very minimalist in places and his figures are often composed of smooth open planes. The result is a story that has the archaic ambience of a true fable, though at times the characters seem a bit stiff. This is not necessarily a bad thing for the depiction of wooden soldiers and the style works well in the quiet moments. The action scenes seem to lack the immediacy of war however. The inks are provided by another guest, the omnipresent Jimmy Palmiotti. I wouldn’t be surprised if Palmiotti was employing a few wooden minions of his own to keep up with the number of books he’s involved with. His work here is solid as ever. Colorist Daniel Vozzo’s subtle palette also adds his touch to the archaic feel of the Homelands.

The world of Fables has so much potential and it’s always nice to see some of its other denizens. Rodney and June’s doomed(?) love should prove to be an excellent addition.