Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Various
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Every so often, a comic or graphic novel comes out that’s so good, pretty much everyone is obligated to read it. The Fables original graphic novel – unless I’m mistaken, the only OGN to be released from an ongoing Vertigo series while it was still going – is that very very special book. I have to admit that, had this product been simply average, filled with as many misses as hits, that I’d probably still give it high recommendations for the astounding art talent assembled and the sheer accomplishment of having merited such a project. But 1001 Nights of Snowfall isn’t that mishmash.
No, it’s pretty much perfect.
Perfect. Think of the last time you’ve used that word to describe a work of literature. Something that made you burst out laughing as soon as shed a tear as soon as gasp at a plot twist or from a connection you never expected to be enlightened by. Try to remember the last time you read something so good that you couldn’t put it down, but rather than flipping through it you lingered on every page. And, despite the page count, you kept hoping that sometime over the course of the reading, the number of pages would magically increase, the story never ending.
And no, you don’t have to be a regular Fables reader to appreciate the stories herein. Remember Sandman: Endless Nights? Same deal, only better. If you’re a non-Fables reader, this will surely sell you on the series, or at least keep you pleasantly entertained and curious about what you’ve been missing. If you’re already a Fables reader and you want me to sell you on this, I’m shocked and disappointed you didn’t already reserve your copy.
It’s hard to pick the best of the best, but I was supremely pleased and moved by “A Frog’s-Eye View”, the origin story of Flycatcher, the Frog Prince. Yes, he was indeed once a prince like in the old story, but something drastic happened along the way. This tale is also, to my knowledge, the only sequential story illustrated by award-winning cover artist James Jean. Probably worth the price of admission on its own.
“A Mother’s Love” is only three pages long and illustrated by the criminally-unknown (to me, at least) Derek Kirk Kim. It tells the story of Colonel Thunderfoot of the hare brigade – yes, that’s an assemblage of rabbits to fight in war. It’s the kind of story that could just as well have shown up in the recent back-up tales appearing in the monthly series, but the art and story content is a bit more deserving of hardcover treatment.
“The Fencing Lessons” is the longest of the bunch, especially meaty and satisfying. Though it doesn’t quite reveal the secret history of Snow White and Prince Charming, it relates a crucial period of their union when each started to develop facets of their personalities that appear regularly in their ongoing tales. It’s also a murder mystery with a truly unique and curious twist. The art by John Bolton is divine.
Interestingly, many entries in this collection reveal the less cheery and glorious histories of certain characters, often ridden with many dark deeds. “The Runt” and “The Witch’s Tale” are two such entries, but I’m not going to reveal whose stories they are – but they’re two very central characters in the current Fables series.
One of my biggest complaints about the ongoing series is that regular penciller Mark Buckingham provides merely satisfactory artwork, but nothing that quite matches the beauty of James Jean’s covers. Imagine my shock to see a tale in 1001 Nights illustrated by Buckingham, utilizing an entirely new sort of watercolor style, and it’s absolutely wonderful. “The Christmas Pies” is a charming little story in itself, but the art is its biggest strength and it makes me ache to see Buckingham add this flourish to his monthly work.
The worst thing about 1001 Nights is the page length. 140? Surely that’s not the limit of Bill Willingham’s supernova of an imagination? Unless this means he’s saving some stories for another OGN next year. Considering the numerous sources he’s drawing from in crafting these tales, I’m optimistic that the well may never run dry. Long live Fables!
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