Review: Cubs in Toyland and Snow White by Bill Willingham
As
the brilliant Fables series by Bill Willingham winds down to its end
(only two more volumes left, one in May and one this summer), I'm
catching up with the last three already-published volumes. Today I cover
Fables 18 and 19, and tomorrow I focus on Fables 20. Then I'll be
caught up, left to wait for the next issue.
If you are new to Fables or want to know about the spin-offs and other related series, you absolutely must read Kelly's awesome guide.
The latest edition can be found over at Book Bloggers International
(click the link), and you'll want to bookmark the post because you'll
return to it a lot.
Here are my thoughts on Cubs in Toyland (#18) and Snow White
(#19). A number of things happen in these volumes, some of which tell
us the ultimate fates of characters who have been around from the very
beginning.
- The Cubs: Three cubs play big parts in these volumes. Therese learns that it isn't always great to get what you wish for but if you accept the consequences of your actions you can sometimes find a way to make amends. Darien learns what it means to be the pack leader. Ghost provides help when it's most needed.
- Bufkin: When we last saw him, Bufkin--the unwinged flying monkey--was in great trouble. Thanks to his fellow Ozians, he escapes death but doesn't necessarily escape danger. He and his friends have many heroic adventures until they settle in for their final years.
- Bigby and Snow: Wow! A lot happens to our favorite couple, and I can't really talk about any of it without revealing major spoilers. Their story appears in Snow White, although we learn some interesting things about Bigby at the end of Cubs in Toyland. I hate to be so vague, but you'll thank me later for staying silent.
General thoughts on Bufkin:
I haven't been a huge fan of Bufkin, but I ended up pleased with the
direction his life took. I was surprised by the humor, action, and even
love included in his story arc. Shawn McManus drew the chapters focused
on Bufkin. He used bright colors, and I thought he was especially good
at rendering facial expressions. Well done!- General thoughts on the Wolf family: So many emotions in these chapters, and I couldn't get enough of them. What a roller coaster ride--plus Snow White ends on a bit of cliff hanger. Argh! But I loved how the final panels circled around to pick up the loose threads of Cubs in Toyland. The Wolf family story was drawn by Mark Buckingham, who is my favorite Fables illustrator. He draws an awesome Bigby.
- Other stuff: In these two volumes, we learn more of Mrs. Sprat (now known as Leigh Duglas), Geppetto, and Beast (as in Beauty and the). We also discover something surprising about Leigh's former sword master. All of this promises to affect the future of the main characters and maybe of Fabletown itself.
Both published by DC Comics / Vertigo
Cubs in Toyland, 2013, ISBN-13: 9781401237691
Snow White, 2014, ISBN-13: 9781401242480
Source: Bought (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)
6 comments:
I've never heard of this series. Now I'm curious. My son might just like these. It's so hard to find good books for reluctant readers.
I am going to be so sad when this series ends. :(
This volume is one of my favorites from the series. I'm hoping that Willingham will change his mind and add a few more volumes. I'm going to miss Fables.
I want to try these but keep forgetting!
I'm still at the early stages of this series, and I think it might be a good idea to request them all from the library and read them through to 20, so I'll be ready for the summer release!
Love cookbooks with fabulous photos - this one sounds great!
It's been awhile since I've seen a Weekend Cooking posts on my visits so I'm taking the opportunity to catch up with the last few cookbooks I've reviewed - they were all fab - hope you enjoy them! :-)
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