Comics are Fun: Fables "The Last Castle"

In an earlier post, I discussed briefly how inaccessible comics could be when they don't tell well-crafted, coherent, and thought-provoking stories. The ongoing comic series Fables is an example of how the comic book, thus elevated to a true sequential art form, could be used to tell powerful stories. For those who are not familiar with this intelligent, compassionate series about fairy tales, "The Last Castle" is a good way to immerse one's self into the wonderfully engrossing, poignant, deliciously inventive world created by Bill Willingham.

The premise of the series is fairly simple. Fairy tales and other anthromorphic representations of such culler from folklore (who refer to themselves as "Fables") have been forced out of their Homelands by a mysterious enemy known as the Adversary. Thus exiled, these Fables formed a clandestine community in New York City known as Fabletown where, after several centuries of "normal existence", things change.

"The Last Castle" features Boy Blue, and his recollection of the Fables' last stand against the Adversary's forces in the Homelands. Central to this tale of epic sacrifice and nobility is a tale worthy of the inescapably saccharine, but ultimately remarkable stylings of popular songsmith, and reputed Fable, Barry Manilow---Fables who had the right love at the wrong time.

Saccharine?

"What little courage I can summon up to stay depends on the sure knowledge that I've bought your life by doing so. Otherwise, this is meaningless."

Maybe. But it's a good read. Enjoy!

Fables "The Last Castle" was written by Bill Willingham with art by Craig Hamilton and P. Craig Russell.