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A review by rex_libris
Fairest: In All the Land by Bill Willingham
3.0
As someone who has enjoyed the ongoing stories offered in Fables along with those offered in the spin-offs and stand alone releases I was excited by the potential of the Fairest series. Have enjoyed the first two volumes I was looking forward to what would be offered in Fairest In All the Land.
While I enjoyed the story and art immensely my main criticism of it is that for me it didn't feel like a story that comfortably fitted with the idea behind Fairest. Despite the main motivators, protagonists and antagonists being female fables, for me the story felt like one that more rightfully and comfortably sit among the main Fables story arcs or as part of Cinderella's ongoing stand alone adventures. It is a bit of a bizarre criticism but it is just not what I was expecting from a Fairest title.
Really I feel Cinderella has already had a great deal of face time in her spy-themed stand alone releases so I wasn't as excited to see her as the main figure in this Fairest release when there are plenty of other female fables I would like to see explored and developed further. Also, I would have like to have seen Fairest Cinderella be something other than a spy/detective type we have already seen plenty of. She is clearly a dynamic figure in the Fables line up, surely there are some other stories and character traits that could have celebrated in this release. If she is going to feature, why not show us a new side to her like we got with Brier Rose, Beauty and Rapunzel in the earlier stories?
Overall, while it was an enjoyable Fables story I found it a somewhat disappointing Fairest story.
Beyond my criticism of how it fits, the story itself is a solid addition to the Fables line up. It has fantastic pacing that kept me pushing on through a rather fragmented narrative. It is a classic detective story made more troublesome and difficult through the addition of all the magical potential fairy tales can offer. It filled in a few gaps left by previous arcs and no doubt the victories and losses of this story will be felt in the following Fables stories. A quick and satisfying read for anyone who has enjoyed Fables or is looking to or who likes to see fairy tales from a different point of view.
While I enjoyed the story and art immensely my main criticism of it is that for me it didn't feel like a story that comfortably fitted with the idea behind Fairest. Despite the main motivators, protagonists and antagonists being female fables, for me the story felt like one that more rightfully and comfortably sit among the main Fables story arcs or as part of Cinderella's ongoing stand alone adventures. It is a bit of a bizarre criticism but it is just not what I was expecting from a Fairest title.
Really I feel Cinderella has already had a great deal of face time in her spy-themed stand alone releases so I wasn't as excited to see her as the main figure in this Fairest release when there are plenty of other female fables I would like to see explored and developed further. Also, I would have like to have seen Fairest Cinderella be something other than a spy/detective type we have already seen plenty of. She is clearly a dynamic figure in the Fables line up, surely there are some other stories and character traits that could have celebrated in this release. If she is going to feature, why not show us a new side to her like we got with Brier Rose, Beauty and Rapunzel in the earlier stories?
Overall, while it was an enjoyable Fables story I found it a somewhat disappointing Fairest story.
Beyond my criticism of how it fits, the story itself is a solid addition to the Fables line up. It has fantastic pacing that kept me pushing on through a rather fragmented narrative. It is a classic detective story made more troublesome and difficult through the addition of all the magical potential fairy tales can offer. It filled in a few gaps left by previous arcs and no doubt the victories and losses of this story will be felt in the following Fables stories. A quick and satisfying read for anyone who has enjoyed Fables or is looking to or who likes to see fairy tales from a different point of view.