Comic Info
Comic Name: Jack of Fables
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
Writer: Bill Willingham/Matthew Sturges
Artist: Tony Akins/Russ Braun/Andrew Robinson
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2008
Jack of Fables #14
Reprints Jack of Fables #12-16 (August 2007-December 2007). Jack and the Pathetic Fallacy (aka Gary) have just been caught by Priscilla Page of Golden Boughs and are on a one-way ticket back to the facility along with their fellow escapee Wicked Jack. When an accident lands them at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and Jack becomes impaled with the legendary sword Excalibur, Jack is about to find his real relationship to Wicked Jack. Meanwhile, a man named Kevin learns that what he’s discovered about the Fables living in Manhattan might not be an accident. Also, Jack tells the tale of Jack O’Lantern and how he cheated the devil.
Written by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges, Jack of Fables Volume 3: The Bad Prince continues the Fables spin-off and introduces storylines that will lead into the Great Fables Crossover story. Following Jack of Fables Volume 2: Jack of Hearts, the DC /Vertigo series collection includes the four part “Bad Prince” storyline and the stand-alone “Jack O’Lantern” issue. Issues in this collection were also collected as part of Jack of Fables: The Deluxe Edition—Book 1.
I have to try to remind myself while reading Jack of Fables that it isn’t Fables. Both series try to do different things. While Fables is loaded with comedy, it isn’t a “funny book”. Jack of Fables appears more as a “funny book” with some drama. This collection really introduces the musings of Paul Bunyon’s blue ox Babe as a sideline and this stand-alone musings continues through most of the series.
Jack of Fables #16
The primary story in the volume is “The Bad Prince”. The big reveal in this story is that Jack is a copy of Wicked John and a misprint led to his existence. This is a pretty good story for Jack of Fables in that it fits with the theme of the characters and gives Jack to take the easy way out “again” which is half the fun of the “trickster” character. The story also introduces the concept of a Literal in Kevin Thorn who had been appearing in Fables for a long time…and Thorn eventually leads to the Fables 13: The Great Fables Crossover.
The secondary stand-alone story is an old play on the whole soul trading and trapping Satan in a tree. It is a fun Halloween issue and of course has Jack playing the sleeze-bag. I enjoy Andrew Robinson’s art for the story and often enjoy these one or two issue stories that really bring out the “Fable” in Jack of Fables and Fables by exploring a specific story or idea.
Jack of Fables 3: The Bad Prince continues to be a good story but not a great story. I like Fables enough that I can read Jack of Fables and enjoy it, but if you are on the fence on Fables, you probably won’t like Jack of Fables which might just seem like more of the same. Jack of Fables 3: The Bad Prince is followed by Jack of Fables 4: Americana.
Related Links:
Jack of Fables 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape
Jack of Fables 2: Jack of Hearts
Jack of Fables 5: Turning Pages
Jack of Fables 6: The Big Book of War
Jack of Fables 7: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack
