Broken Frontier

Bigby undertakes a secretive mission and Fabletown celebrates a special event in this extra-length 50th issue.

Finally located and recruited back to Fabletown, Bigby Wolf is drafted for a dangerous and audacious mission. It begins with a perilous climb up the famous beanstalk to establish diplomatic relations with the giant-sized inhabitants of the Cloud Kingdoms. This region’s transdimensional nature provides access to the Homelands and the very seat of the Adversary’s empire. Bigby is to deliver a message (and a strategic strike) to the enemy of Fabletown. If he can survive, there’s the matter of his relationship with Snow White to be sorted out, a family to be reunited, and the potential freedom of Bagheera the panther.

It’s been fifty issues since our favorite fairy tale characters were introduced to the 21st century. In that time, Bill Willingham has shown impressive ingenuity and style and revealed layers of unseen humanity in the classic figures of famous tales. With this double-sized anniversary issue, he deftly ties up a number of plotlines while charting the next course of Fables history. As ever, the juxtaposition of the fantastic and the mundane establishes the distinct vision of this series, a combination that always makes this a unique and captivating read. Bigby’s mission is another such study in contrasts, a mix of military precision and briefing with giants, enchantments, and inter-dimensional travel. The goal of this mission is a guaranteed jaw-dropping moment for fans of the series. Equally pleasing is the issue’s second half which brings the culmination of a long-expected event (and with a cover like that, do I really need to avoid spoilers?).

Mark Buckingham’s artwork is as always a treasure, solidly illustrative and subtly expressive. Buckingham succeeds in making the magic feel real and immediate. Under his pen, characters perform the impossible with casual ease and sometimes take on the commonplace with wild abandon. It’s a deceptively simple style that reveals great craftsmanship in the details (took me two reads before I noticed the beanstalk pattern on the giant wizard’s cloak). Meanwhile, Lee Loughridge’s colors skillfully set the moods of the story beats with varying degrees of sun and shadow.

In addition, the issue features a preview of the upcoming Jack of Fables spin-off series, one made all the more humorous by the post-it note comments of Willingham, co-writer Matt Sturges, and editor Shelly Bond.

The result of everyone’s efforts is an issue that is at turns thrilling, surprising, and emotional, a grand way to celebrate this milestone for the book.