Comic Info
Comic Name: Jack of Fables
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
Writer: Bill Willingham/Matthew Sturges
Artist: Russ Braun/Tony Akins
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2008
Jack of Fables #17
Reprints Jack of Fables #17-21 (January 2008-May 2008). Jack has escaped from the Golden Boughs and is out to seek his fortune in the form of the treasure of Humpty Dumpty. Jack, Raven, and the Pathetic Fallacy (aka Gary) are headed to Americana, but they are not alone because Hillary Page, Paul Bunyan, and Babe the Blue Ox are also after secrets hidden in Americana.
Written by Bill Willingham (with Matthew Sturges), Jack of Fables Volume 4: Americana is a DC Comics comic book collection under the Vertigo imprint. Following Jack of Fables Volume 3: The Bad Prince, the series features art by by Russ Braun and Tony Akins. Issues in this volume were also collected as part of Jack of Fables: The Deluxe Edition—Book 2.
I love Fables, but Jack of Fables just doesn’t live up to the classic Fables series from which it spun-off. I do like the character of Jack, and Willingham has fun writing the completely amoral character. Jack really doesn’t make any effort to do the right thing, but you still can’t help but like him for some reason (possibly because he usually doesn’t succeed in his plans). The story however just doesn’t have flow or plots of the Fables series. Also while sometimes the Babe the Blue Ox’s musing are amusing, I generally just skim that page of “humor” since the comic is rather humorous without it. The whirlwind trip across Americana was fun and I wish it had been explored more.
Jack of Fables #20
The stand-alone issue of Jack of Fables #21 (May 2008) was co-written by Matthew Sturges and has the Pathetic Fallacy putting on Hamlet for the Golden Boughs. The issue isn’t that great and involves Raven and Wicked John’s attempted escape. It feels like too much of a rip off of Neil Gaiman’s great Sandman #19 (September 1990) which has Shakespeare’s troop putting on A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream for faerie folk. That story was developed and fit in the series great, but here the play just feels like a stalling issue for the next story arch…and not a very good one at that which there are so many rich characters in the world of Fables that could have been explored (or as mentioned maybe expand upon one of the Americana adventures).
Jack of Fables is still a good comic, but has tough footsteps to follow with Fables being as strong as it is. This collection is pretty standard fair in the series and representative of what you can expect when you read it. Jack’s plans are fun, but the stories are a little lacking. Jack of Fables 4: Americana is followed by Jack of Fables 5: Turning Pages.
Related Links:
Jack of Fables 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape
Jack of Fables 2: Jack of Hearts
Jack of Fables 3: The Bad Prince
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
