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ferrisscottr's review against another edition
4.0
Mister Dark is still holding Fabletown and all of the Fables are at the Farm....so what to do?
Bring on the witches and warlocks who once occupied the 13th floor of the Woodland.
Who should lead? Totenkinder? Or Ozma? Could there be power struggles? (yes)
As always - the best art out there.
As always - the best characters out there.
The story - meh. Dragged a little, left a lot unresolved. I was a little disappointed.
Four stars.
Still the best set of graphic novels ever made and my highest possible recommendation.
Bring on the witches and warlocks who once occupied the 13th floor of the Woodland.
Who should lead? Totenkinder? Or Ozma? Could there be power struggles? (yes)
As always - the best art out there.
As always - the best characters out there.
The story - meh. Dragged a little, left a lot unresolved. I was a little disappointed.
Four stars.
Still the best set of graphic novels ever made and my highest possible recommendation.
bluenicorn's review against another edition
4.0
Always good to read a new Fables- the stories keep coming, and they're still good. Even though "the war" is over, the story and the Fables continue. I'm still waiting on Rose Red to pull it together, though- she's got so much potential.
stiricide's review against another edition
4.0
More like 3.5, but I liked Bufkin's story so much that I knocked it up instead of down.
smoore05's review against another edition
3.0
I just have this underlying feeling that the magic that was once prevalent in this story is now dwindling away. Like a slow leak in a large boat, but clearly we are taking on water. Which hurts me to see.
wanderlustlover's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, I had more love for this story. We return to Fables, and this time to Mister Dark. To more backgrounds, more research and more indepth knowledge on some of my most favorite second teir, mysterious characters -- The Witches of Floor 13.
I have to admit I didn't amazing love Bufkin's story, but it did amuse me. Mirror, Flowers girls, and all. The way they tell these stories, sometimes when I'm not in love with the characters, I still end up loving the story itself.
Not going to lie: I gleed at the image of Baby Yaga in her cauldron. (And all the flashbacks of Frau Totenkinder's past, and stories blurring together.)
I have to admit I didn't amazing love Bufkin's story, but it did amuse me. Mirror, Flowers girls, and all. The way they tell these stories, sometimes when I'm not in love with the characters, I still end up loving the story itself.
Not going to lie: I gleed at the image of Baby Yaga in her cauldron. (And all the flashbacks of Frau Totenkinder's past, and stories blurring together.)
bellatora's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, Fables. It's so nice to have you back after the unsatisfying interlude that was [b:Fables: The Great Fables Crossover|6503780|Fables The Great Fables Crossover (Fables, #13)|Bill Willingham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1265184074s/6503780.jpg|6695339]. That was basically the Jack series with cameo appearances by Bigby and Snow. And the Jack series is far inferior to Fables.
One of the things I love most about Fables is that characters that seem like they're harmless/comic relief/side characters get to shine and show that they're way more badass than you'd ever given them credit for. This time it's Bufkin's (the flying monkey's) turn to show what he's made of.
Mister Dark is a very scary villain (unlike those lame, strange Literals from Jack; I'm sorry I keep harping on this, but I get bitter when spin-offs take a great idea and make it lackluster). I'm sure that he will be defeated eventually, but I'm worried about who will be sacrificed before that happens (because this series is not shy at all about killing beloved characters).
One of the things I love most about Fables is that characters that seem like they're harmless/comic relief/side characters get to shine and show that they're way more badass than you'd ever given them credit for. This time it's Bufkin's (the flying monkey's) turn to show what he's made of.
Mister Dark is a very scary villain (unlike those lame, strange Literals from Jack; I'm sorry I keep harping on this, but I get bitter when spin-offs take a great idea and make it lackluster). I'm sure that he will be defeated eventually, but I'm worried about who will be sacrificed before that happens (because this series is not shy at all about killing beloved characters).
fifteenthjessica's review against another edition
4.0
It’s been forever since I’ve actually enjoyed one of these. I’m glad to see more of the Thirteenth Floor and Fabletown, or Farm, politics are getting interesting again. Also, the characters are actually thinking, making strategies, and complex issues aren’t solved with Willingham spouting his political beliefs. I feel like it’s been a while since that happened.
Volume 14 features three stories.
“Boxing Day” is a short that serves as a prologue of sorts to the “Witches” story. The story details how Geppetto’s Empire contained magical threats and turned them into power sources. While Mr. Dark narrates the story, “Boxing Day” follows Dunster Happ, who rose through the ranks of the Boxers and was one of the warlocks to successfully capture Mr. Dark (as well as Baba Yaga). I have mixed feelings about Happ. He has some poignant moments, but characters like him who successfully give up part(s) of their identity to join a group tend to not interest me. Still, it’s a solid story.
“Witches” is glorious. It follows three different stories, but they’re cohesive. Buffkin was transported with the business office, Baba Yaga, and several other dangerous magical creatures, including the Djinn from Arabian Nights (and Days). Buffkin’s only allies are the magic mirror, the heads of Frankenstein and the wooden soldiers, and some freshly grown Barleycorn Brides. Buffkin’s arc here is very similar to Flycatcher’s Haven arc. Both follow an unlikely hero using his ability to make friends and some magic tricks to beat the odds. I like Buffkin’s better though because he is revealed to have some military history, relies on his allies, and uses trickery. Also, Buffkin’s severe injury at the end makes him come off as less overpowered than Fly did. Plus, I’m the type of dork who finds saving the day by retaining almost everything one reads really satisfying.
The next parts of the story follow members of the Thirteenth Floor. The young blonde woman often seen accompanying Frau Totenkinder is revealed to be Ozma of Oz, and the former princess of Oz has some ambitions. Ozma feels that now that the Adversary was defeated with a lot of Frau’s help, it’s time for new leadership, since the original leader retired after establishing Fabletown. There’s a lot of clever fridge logic for Ozma being a member of the Thirteenth Floor, since in the second Oz book, it’s revealed that she was disguised as a boy and worked for the former Wicked Witch of the South. This also explains why she’d be chomping at the bit to take leadership from other witches, especially since the existence of the Nome King in a previous volume shows that Oz probably still has a Geppetto approved dictator. There’s also Maddy the Cat, formerly known as Medea of Greek mythology and Sycorax of Shakespeare’s Tempest. Maddy is a talented shapeshifter, seeker, and hider, who probably chose a cat-shape to match her personality. I hope sometime later there is some interaction between Maddy and Frau, given some mutual parts of their backstory.
Frau decides to go solo to take action and travels to the world that Mr. Dark was imprisoned in. I don’t know why she cast off her old woman form to do this. I kind of like the image of an elderly woman in modern clothes wandering the Adversary’s realm. Anyways Frau, now calling herself Bellflower, goes on to track Happ.
Ozma uses this opportunity to seize control of the Thirteenth Floor. However, she soon gets competition when Geppetto returns with the protection and magic of Grandfather Oak. Geppetto is willing to help rebox Mr. Dark, but only as leader of Fabletown, the Farm, and the Thirteenth Floor. Ozma and Geppetto have a brief magic exhibition that ends in a cliffhanger.
I liked it, except for the cliffhanger.
Finally it’s “Out to the Ball Game” which is a short check on Haven. Shortly after losing the pennant in the Haven baseball league, Amrbose has to deal with the first murder in Haven. The pitcher of the victorious goblin team gets lost and eats a squirrel citizen after the party. Ambrose doesn’t want to give out the death sentence and manages to narrowly avoid it, although Red Riding Hood reminds him that he’ll have to if there is another murder. Also, he and Red hook up.
It’s a decent story, but we’re in the middle of the Mr. Dark arc. Can we finish dealing with evil incarnate before having a story featuring a baseball game and a boner joke? Especially when there’s a cliffhanger.
Volume 14 features three stories.
“Boxing Day” is a short that serves as a prologue of sorts to the “Witches” story. The story details how Geppetto’s Empire contained magical threats and turned them into power sources. While Mr. Dark narrates the story, “Boxing Day” follows Dunster Happ, who rose through the ranks of the Boxers and was one of the warlocks to successfully capture Mr. Dark (as well as Baba Yaga). I have mixed feelings about Happ. He has some poignant moments, but characters like him who successfully give up part(s) of their identity to join a group tend to not interest me. Still, it’s a solid story.
“Witches” is glorious. It follows three different stories, but they’re cohesive. Buffkin was transported with the business office, Baba Yaga, and several other dangerous magical creatures, including the Djinn from Arabian Nights (and Days). Buffkin’s only allies are the magic mirror, the heads of Frankenstein and the wooden soldiers, and some freshly grown Barleycorn Brides. Buffkin’s arc here is very similar to Flycatcher’s Haven arc. Both follow an unlikely hero using his ability to make friends and some magic tricks to beat the odds. I like Buffkin’s better though because he is revealed to have some military history, relies on his allies, and uses trickery. Also, Buffkin’s severe injury at the end makes him come off as less overpowered than Fly did. Plus, I’m the type of dork who finds saving the day by retaining almost everything one reads really satisfying.
The next parts of the story follow members of the Thirteenth Floor. The young blonde woman often seen accompanying Frau Totenkinder is revealed to be Ozma of Oz, and the former princess of Oz has some ambitions. Ozma feels that now that the Adversary was defeated with a lot of Frau’s help, it’s time for new leadership, since the original leader retired after establishing Fabletown. There’s a lot of clever fridge logic for Ozma being a member of the Thirteenth Floor, since in the second Oz book, it’s revealed that she was disguised as a boy and worked for the former Wicked Witch of the South. This also explains why she’d be chomping at the bit to take leadership from other witches, especially since the existence of the Nome King in a previous volume shows that Oz probably still has a Geppetto approved dictator. There’s also Maddy the Cat, formerly known as Medea of Greek mythology and Sycorax of Shakespeare’s Tempest. Maddy is a talented shapeshifter, seeker, and hider, who probably chose a cat-shape to match her personality. I hope sometime later there is some interaction between Maddy and Frau, given some mutual parts of their backstory.
Frau decides to go solo to take action and travels to the world that Mr. Dark was imprisoned in. I don’t know why she cast off her old woman form to do this. I kind of like the image of an elderly woman in modern clothes wandering the Adversary’s realm. Anyways Frau, now calling herself Bellflower, goes on to track Happ.
Ozma uses this opportunity to seize control of the Thirteenth Floor. However, she soon gets competition when Geppetto returns with the protection and magic of Grandfather Oak. Geppetto is willing to help rebox Mr. Dark, but only as leader of Fabletown, the Farm, and the Thirteenth Floor. Ozma and Geppetto have a brief magic exhibition that ends in a cliffhanger.
I liked it, except for the cliffhanger.
Finally it’s “Out to the Ball Game” which is a short check on Haven. Shortly after losing the pennant in the Haven baseball league, Amrbose has to deal with the first murder in Haven. The pitcher of the victorious goblin team gets lost and eats a squirrel citizen after the party. Ambrose doesn’t want to give out the death sentence and manages to narrowly avoid it, although Red Riding Hood reminds him that he’ll have to if there is another murder. Also, he and Red hook up.
It’s a decent story, but we’re in the middle of the Mr. Dark arc. Can we finish dealing with evil incarnate before having a story featuring a baseball game and a boner joke? Especially when there’s a cliffhanger.
zoeinthenight's review against another edition
3.0
i’ve known i want to finish this series since i took a break from it back in October and now is the perfect time
showlola's review against another edition
4.0
Really a 3.5 but Fables has been on a rough streak lately, so I feel it deserves the bump for a return to form.
Really liked this arc and really liked the side story with the Frog Prince (who I lurve).
Really liked this arc and really liked the side story with the Frog Prince (who I lurve).