Comic Info
Comic Name: Jack of Fables
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
Writer: Bill Willingham/Matthew Sturges/Chris Roberson
Artist: Russ Braun/Tony Akins
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2010
Jack of Fables #36
Reprints Jack of Fables #36-40 (September 2009-January 2010). Jack relates to the Pathetic Fallacy aka Gary about his time in Africa when he became lord over a group of Fable apes. Jack then discovers things are changing for him as his body begins to change just when he has struck it rich. As Jack faces problems of his own, his son Jack Frost sets out to become a hero with a magic owl named MacDuff and discovers being a hero can be tougher than it seems.
Written by Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, and Chris Roberson, Jack of Fables Volume 7: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack follows Jack of Fables Volume 6: The Big Book of War, but actually follows Fables Volume 15: The Great Fables Crossover which had Jack of Fables series in a crossover with Willingham’s parent title Fables plus the limited series The Literals. Issues in this collection were also included in Jack of Fables: The Deluxe Edition—Book 3.
Jack of Fables is a fun series, but I’ve never enjoyed it as much as Fables. With such a rich collection of characters in Fables, it seems rather wasteful to focus on one character. This series I struggled with because instead of just focusing on Jack, the story is splintered between Jack and his son Jack Frost who engage in two unrelated storylines. I did rather enjoy the short opening issue which has Jack revealing he’s the true origin of the Tarzan tale plus the idea that Jack’s morphing body is a result of insulting his artist.
Jack of Fables #38
For being the star of the series, Jack’s dragon story is pretty weak. Jack doesn’t really do anything in it except go to a cave and transform into a dragon. It takes four issues for this to happen. If this is going to be the direction of the comic, I really feel it should have taken a forefront in the story instead of sidelined. The real meat of the story involves Jack Frost and his quest to be a hero. I am not sure what Willingham’s plans are for Jack Frost, but he is a likable character but without his own title, I don’t know how much he can be used since his adventures are independent of his father. This dividing of events is why this collection just doesn’t work for me…I kept thinking the two stories were going to come together.
Jack of Fables 7: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack is a so-so entry in the whole Fables entry. As I mentioned, Jack of Fables just doesn’t reach the level of Fables, and this collection exposes some problems in the series. Jack of Fables 7: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack was followed by Jack of Fables 8: The Fulminate Blade.
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
