Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham

Many months back, I read the first two Fables graphic novels, and had quite a bit of fun with them. I wanted to read more of them, but as seems to frequently happen to me, that went unfulfilled for quite a while. When I saw that Fables scribe Bill Willingham was putting out a Fables novel, I was pretty excited about it, both because it was stated that it required no knowledge of Fables graphic novels to enjoy (meaning that my being way behind wouldn’t hurt my enjoyment) and because it would give me a chance to finally get back on board.


Peter & Max tells the story of Peter Piper, who sets out to stop his evil brother Max, who would like nothing more than to bring upon the end of the world. However, this is just a nice frame to wrap around the real meat of the story, the flashbacks that give Peter, Max, and the rest of the Piper family, along with Peter’s wife Bo Peep, a full background story, from before the events of the fables that made them famous, through them, and into their future lives as refuges in New York City, hiding from the evil Empire that took over their world.

The novel works quite well in telling the story from childhood of Peter Piper, how he grew to become a hero and how he fell in love with Bo Peep. Max is developed to become a serious villain (think of another famous Piper from folklore and legend), and the plot is a lot of fun. Willingham does an excellent job of bringing everyone up to speed on exactly who and what the Fables are, and why they are in New York City. He inserts cameos from a number of other characters, ranging from Snow White, Ichabod Crane, and the Big Bad Wolf. The illustrations in the novel, done by Steve Leialoha, are wonderful. They were of perfect fairy-tale quality, and matched Willingham’s whimsical, humorous, and fable-esque writing style perfectly.

The only downside to this book is the conclusion, which felt very rapid. The entire modern day story, which begins as the crux of the novel but swiftly becomes the very brief background plot, revamps a bit towards the end, but seemed to be a little too easy for Peter Piper to win the day. However, that does little to diminish a very fun story that should interest (or re-interest) anyone in the great Fables series.

Also included is the very short graphic story “The Price of a Happy Ending,” written by Bill Willingham and illustrated by Steve Leialoha, that works as a sort of epilogue to the epilogue, and tells the story of Peter and Bo in the war with the empire, and is a bit of a somber note after the ending of the novel.

For fans of fairy tales, fables, folklore, legend, and myth (as I most certainly am), as well as those who enjoy straight fantasy, adventure stories, and fun, quick reads, pick up a copy of Peter & Max. I promise you’ll have a lot of fun.

8/10

Fables, Volume 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham

In the first volume, we met the denizens of Fabletown, and solved a mystery. The second volume, much like its namesake by George Orwell, is more political in nature. However, the politics of the book are not overpowering or condenscending, and the story is just as fun as the first volume, as the series continues to be an example of what the graphic novel form can be at its best.

The three little pigs, who aren't so little anymore, have taken over "The Farm," the place for the fables who can't fit in New York City, generally due to not looking even remotely human. On a routine visit to check on the Farm, Snow White falls prey to this plot, and must figure out what is going on while trying not to be killed by the revolutionaries.

As with the first volume, this one uses characters of fairy tales to tell a story pertinant to today. The title of the series, Fables, leads me to wonder if the double entendre was intentional. Not only does the series use characters from fables, but the stories themselves are acting as fables and parables for the modern day.

Just as much fun as the first book, this is a series that fans of the graphic novel format need to pick up, and for those looking to give graphic fiction a try, there are far worse places to start than with Bill Willingham's Fables.

9/10

Fables, Volume 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

Things are a touch hectic around here as I am in the middle of moving out of one place and into another, so the focus the next couple of days will be on graphic novels, as they are far quicker reads than normal novels, yet they can have just as much story telling power. Among this bunch is Bill Willingham's Fables. In this series, famed fairy tale and fable characters are living amongst the real world, in a place called Fabletown that is located right in New York City. While this may seem unoriginal or not that exciting, it is incredibly well done. Willingham is very adept at creating believable characters with realistic interactions.

Another intriguing aspect to this series is that each book appears to be a slightly different genre. Every one obviously has strong fantasy elements, but there are also other strong genre ties. In the first volume, Legends in Exile, we are treated a mystery reminiscent of Sam Spade.

Rose Red, Snow White's sister, has disappeared, and left behind is a blood-soaked apartment. The only immediate suspect is her boyfriend, Jack (of beanstalk fame), is apprehended by Bigby (formerly the Big Bad Wolf). The book has a lightning-paced plot, as you follow Bigby in his search for clues as to the whereabouts and condition of Rose Red.

The tale reaches a well done conclusion, and leaves you wanting to jump straight to the second book. I must admit, I was hesitant about this one, as I just couldn't get past the concept of fairy tale characters, thinking that this would be childish. To my utter delight and surprise, it was a wonderfully wrought story, and the beginning of what I hope is a great series. Keep an eye out for this book; it is definitely worth picking up.

9/10