Number one | Best Comic Books

Welcome to New York City, AKA, Fable Town. That’s right, New York has some secrets to keep and chief among them is the fact that all sorts of creatures that stepped directly from fairytale land now call this metropolis home.

The Beauty and the Beast are accounted for, as are Snow White and that Jack fellow who can’t seem to steer clear of beanstalks, Prince Charming is hanging around… charming the ladies, shall we say. Mr. Wolf is the sheriff of Fable Town… it’s all pretty far-fetched, but it’s also surprisingly fetching. You start reading this book and you’re going to have a tough time putting it down.

Bill Willingham crafts the script and he does an excellent job of creating witty dialogue and lining up an interesting mystery in issue one. Snow White’s wild child sister has gone missing, and her apartment’s not only been ransacked, it’s covered in blood with a message on the wall, written in crimson that reads as follows: No More Happily Ever After.

Solving this mystery should be incredibly interesting. Wolf’s got a suspect in mind early, but with a book as imaginative and gorgeous (did I mention that Lan Medina works the pencil like an absolute wizard? Stunning artwork here!) as Fables, it’s hard to imagine the obvious being the actual. No, I suspect we’ll need a few issues to get to the bottom of this one and find Snow’s sister, be it alive or dead.

I read a lot of comics, and I’ve had a hefty collection of Fables books laying around for some time now. Having finally opened one, I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t swarm all over these gems long ago.

If you’re on the hunt for a book that truly feels like nothing else you’re currently reading, you’re on the hunt for Fables. This is creativity at its absolute finest and the possibilities feel just about limitless. Just pick up an issue. This book will leave you craving more before you even wrap a single issue.

Rating: 5/5

The book opens with a look at Batman tangling with the Scarecrow, who’d recently escaped the confines of Arkham Asylum. It’s a strong opener that allows Kelley Jones to flex some sinister artwork, but he Scarecrow debacle is little more than a Launchpad for something greater, and far more hazardous.

Hell is slowly breaking loose in Gotham, and as it turns out, Scarecrow didn’t slip from Arkham alone. The Axeman also joined in on the psyche ward break. The Axeman has also rounded up a slew of local thugs. Caught in an ambush, Batman devours enough slugs to turn Bear Grylls into a babbling mess.

And while the book winds down with a group of petty crooks celebrating the death of Batman, we the reader know the chaos has only just begun. Batman: Gotham After Midnight promises the caped crusader will toe the line with plenty of familiar faces. Can he prevail and continue his reign over Gotham is a different question.

Steve Niles brings some great humor to this story. But the beauty comes in Niles’ overall balance, because there’s a clear edge to the book that draws the reader in immediately. And, I can’t spend my time praising Niles alone. Kelley Jones also deserves a wealth of praise, as this is a Batman that while familiar, also sports a few (minor) atypical physical traits. Jones plays off of Niles’ narrative wonderfully, and if the first book of this 12-issue arc doesn’t leave you eager for more, you may want to check your pulse.

I’ve piled the praise on heavily, but I should note that I prefer the profoundly dark Batman books (thing The Long Halloween, and sharper tales of that nature) to those that could appeal to the younger comic book reader out there. There’s nothing wrong with Niles’ story, it’s just a little bit… lighter than I’d prefer. Regardless, this is a strong enough book to warrant a strong rating.

Rating: 4/5

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