Review: Fables #1 Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
November 9, 2009 in Graphic Novels & Comics
This series seems fairly popular across the blogosphere, will plenty of bloggers I like and respect (and more importantly, have similar tastes to my own) really liking it.
So even though it took me a while to get around to reading it, I knew it was one that I had to get!
It arrived through the letterbox last week, and I read it just a few days later (not a bad turnaround for my TBR at the moment!)
The premise behind the series is that all the characters you know from, lore, fairy tales, legends and such like, all actually exist (some in a more human form than you would expect). However, at some point in the past, they were all exiled from their homelands.
Friends and former enemies alike have banded together to live amongst the ‘mundanes’ in New York, in a community they call Fabletown.
When one of them appears to have been killed, by one of their own, Bigsby (the wolf from the three little pigs) the Fabletown detective, sets out to find out the truth.
The GN follows his investigation, through to it’s conclusion. The story is packed with one liners, snappy and sarcastic one liners, and fabulous artwork. A bit of advise if you pick this one up, spend at least twice the amount of time looking at the art, as you do reading the text. You’ll certainly be rewarded! 
I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for the following books in what looks like it is going to be a really fun series.
Rating: 
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Buy Fables – Legends in Exile from The Book Depository
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Nikki-ann (9)
So glad you enjoyed this! I love this series, so it makes me happy when other people discover the magic.
Happy to join the addicted.
…and it gets even better after the first book
Fantactic! *must stay away from the book depository… must stay away from the book depository… must stay away from the book depository…*
I’m glad someone else will be reading these along with me. Sage advice to study the art — it’s fabulous and I love the hidden jokes.
Cool, a fellow victim!
Nymeth’s telling the truth, they really do get better from here. I think the third one was when the series really grabbed me, and by #5 I was a complete and total goner.
While I love the sound of, “they just get better” my wallet covering it’s ears and chanting, “I can’t hear you… I can’t hear you…”
I am so spoiled by my local library and its excellent selection of graphic novels. I’d hate to think of the state of my bank account if I was forced to buy them all!
I reiterate the sentiment that they just get better. I love it that Bill Willingham has just snatched characters from all kinds of different stories, including some rather obscure ones. Given my positive obsession with fairy tales when I was small, this makes the series extra fun for me.
Cool! I can see I’m in for a treat. with this series!
Oh these are great fun! They get better after this one. You are in for a great ride with my favorite GNs EVER!!!
Incidentally, I’m reading the new Fables NOVEL novel “Peter & Max” and, so far, it is excellent too. I think if you like the comics, you’ll like it too. And it stands alone, Willingham doesn’t really give away much of the GN storyline.
They get better as they go on? Why oh why have I decided to implement a book buying ban?…
Still, it doesn’t start until December…
These are fabulous! I even tried to read the jack of Fables series but, since Jack is such a jerk, couldn’t get into them.
I think I need to be careful or I could become easily addicted!