Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Jack Of Fables - Bill Willingham

Jack of Fables - Bill Willingham, Lilah Sturges

  1. The (Nearly) Great Escape - Flung out of Fabletown after flaunting his identity for money, Jack hits the road, only to be captured by Mr. Revise, who is trying to lessen the presence of magic in the world by shutting away the Fables.  So he plans an escape.  Jack is a terrific character, full of bombast and ego, and it's a joy to see him repeatedly smashed and thrown around, though of course as the hero he always triumphs.  [4.5]
  2. Jack of Hearts - Jack wakes up in Vegas married to an heiress, but some Belgian terrorists on behalf of Lady Luck are after him because she wants all the luck for herself, and Jack doesn't share.  Also, a flashback to how he became Jack Frost.  [4]
  3. The Bad Prince - Jack and Gary the Pathetic Fallacy, along with some other escapees, get scooped up by Revise's librarians, but immediately crash in the Grand Canyon.  Jack gets stabbed through the heart with Excalibur, because he's the stone, the center of every story.  Then he learns he's a copy of Wicked John, the original Jack of all stories.  [4]
  4. Americana - Jack, Raven, Gary, and Humpty Dumpty set off through the lore of America (gangsters, musicals, Puritans) to find the secret city of lost gold, only to fall afoul of another librarian, this one of the book-burning variety.  Babe the (miniature) Blue Ox's one-page absurdist fantasies are a highlight, but there's laughs aplenty throughout.  [4]
  5. Turning Pages - Jack's years as a bandit in 1883 are put to an end by Bigby, causing their rivalry from then on.  We hear from the fourth Wall sister (get it?!) about the early lives of the Page sisters, even as Bookburner marches on Revise with his army of Forgotten Fables. This series remains consistently funny, grandiose, and over the top fun.  [4.5]
  6. The Big Book of War - Revise and Bookburner battle it out, while Jack imagines himself a great general, beds the Page sisters, and eats tacos.  Jack's total idiocy and egotism keep things fun and lighthearted.  We learn more about Jack's origins, and boy does he as well.  [4.5]
  7. The New Adventures of Jack and Jack - This book comes after the Fables crossover, so some scenes are missing.  It's not as bad as usual, though, because we go straight into the tale of Jack's son Jack Frost II, who is a brave and valiant hero.  Meanwhile, Jack of Fables starts turning into a dragon because he's been hoarding treasure for the last three books.  Fun, fresh, and always reinventing to be original.  [4]
  8. The Fulminate Blade - No Jack of Fables in this one; it's all about his son, Jack II, who strives to become a hero, accompanied by MacDuff, his magical wooden owl.  He finds a quest in a kingdom featuring an intriguing mix of magic and technology.  Despite being naive and not seeing obvious threats around him, his nobility carries him through, especially once he befriends a fairly nice witch.  This new take on the beanstalk fable is well done, humorous, and fun.  [4]