So You Want to Read Fables...? (The Updated Updated Edition)

I am a huge fan of Bill Willingham and his Fables series. I started reading it in 2009 and quickly caught up. It is now like Christmas every time something new in the series is released. The writing and the artwork combine to make it easily one of my favourite series ever. In 2012, though, I found it hard to find a post that explained a suitable reading order. When I started the series it was relatively small, but I can understand how overwhelming it would be for someone to start fresh and have no idea where to go. This lead me to create my own post. I was doing well keeping it updated for a while there, but got a bit behind. I thought I would repost today with all the additions.

F= Fables and J = Jack of Fables.

It starts off easily enough:

F - Volume 1: Fables: Legends in Exile (Issues 1-5)
F - Volume 2: Animal Farm (Issues 6-10)
F - Volume 3: Storybook Love (Issues 11-18)
F - Volume 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers (Issues 19-21; 23-27)
F - Volume 5: The Mean Seasons (Issues 22; 28-33)
F - Volume 6: Homelands (Issues 34-41)


NOTE: Congrats, you are now safe to start Jack of Fables. The events in this book pick-up after issues 34 and 35 of Fables contained in Homelands. You do not have to start now, but if you want to it is now safe. It didn't actually release until after Volume 8 of Fables.

F - Volume 7: Arabian Nights (and Days) (Issues 42-27)
F - Volume 8: Wolves (Issues 48-51)


STOP!! If you haven't all ready, you should read 1001 Nights of Snowfall. I did not, but it ties into Volume 9 of Fables. (I don't think you lack if you just read it whenever. It is technically a prequel.)

F - Volume 9: Sons of Empire (Issues 52-59)
F - Volume 10: The Good Prince (Issues 60-69)
F - Volume 11: War and Pieces (Issues 70-75)
F - Volume 12: The Dark Ages (Issues 76-82)


STOP!! You are now on a Fables vacation. In order to read Volume 13 you have to read Jack of Fables because this is a Crossover edition.

J - Volume 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape (Issues 1-5)
J - Volume 2: Jack of Hearts (Issues 6-11)
J - Volume 3: The Bad Prince (Issues 12-16)
J - Volume 4: Americana (Issues 17-21)
J - Volume 5: Turning Pages (Issues 22-27)
J - Volume 6: The Big Book of War (Issues 28-32)


STOP!! It is now time for a Jack of Fables vacation. Sort of. When released as individual issues Volume 13 actually contains Fables, Jack of Fables, and The Literals. When they released it as a trade paperback they put everything together and called it Fables.

F - Volume 13: The Great Fables Crossover (Fables: Issues 83-85; Jack of Fables: Issues 33-35; The Literals: Issues 1-3)


Note: If you are worried about any possible spoilers it is now save to read Cinderella: Fables are Forever. (More about this spin-off below). You can do what you want for the rest of the Fables and Jack of Fables. A suggested order is such (this is how they were released and I read them):

J - Volume 7: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack (Issues 36-40)
F - Volume 14: Witches (Issues 86-93)
J - Volume 8: The Fulminate Blade (Issues 41-45)
F - Volume 15: Rose Red (Issues 94-100)
J - Volume 9: The End (Issues 46-50) - This concludes Jack of Fables.
F - Volume 16: Super Team (Issues 101-107)

Note: If you are worried about possible spoilers after this comic it is safe to read Werewolves of the Heartland and the first Fairest. (More on these comics below.)

F - Volume 17: Inherit the Wind (Issues 108-113)
F - Volume 18: Cubs in Toyland  (Issues 114-123)
F - Volume 19: Snow White (Issues 114-123 (back-up stories only) and issues 124-129 (December 24, 2013)
F - Volume 20: Camelot (Issues 131-136)
F - Volume 21:                 (Issues 141-149) (March 3, 2015)

Note: I am not sure at this point if there are going to be any possible spoilers in the The Unwritten crossover, that I talk about more below, but just going by release dates lets assume you should read up to here before reading it. Once the comic is released I will correct this note if necessary.

The Spin-offs and Standalones:

There is also the standalone comic Werewolves of the Heartland. The comic is a chance to see Bigby all by himself. It is technically a good introduction to the series; but if you are worried about any possible spoilers it was originally set to be released around the same time as Super Team and follows events from that comic.


Then, there is Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love (Issues 1-6) and Cinderella: Fables are Forever (Issues 1-6). From Fabletown with Love doesn't have many spoilers, but you are best to wait and read it until at least after Volume 11. Fables are Forever, though, does talk about events from later in the series. If you want to avoid possible spoilers do not read it until after Fables: Volume 13. Also, the two collections are entirely unrelated. There is no need to read one right after the other.

The newest spin-off to the Fables series is Fairest. On the one hand it is an excellent introduction to the series and is a possible starting point if you are new to the series. On the other hand, if you are interested in keeping things in order and not having any spoilers at all (even minor ones), I recommend starting this series after you read Volume 16 of Fables.

Fairest - Volume 1: Wide Awake (Issues 1-7)
Fairest - Volume 2: Hidden Kingdom (Issues 8-14)
Fairest - Volume 3: The Return of the Maharaja (Issues 15-20)
Fairest in all the Land
Fairest - Volume 4: Of Mice and Men (October 7, 2014)

Then, Jess Nevins released Fables Encyclopaedia. It is essentially the annotated version of Fables. It is something worth having wherever you are in the series. I have been warned that it does contain spoilers up until Volume 18 of the main series, though. (I sadly haven't had a chance to read it yet!)

Lastly, there is the novel Peter & Max. This is an original novel that also can be read as an introduction to the series. I don't remember any spoilers for the series, so I wouldn't worry about a reading order. If you are in the mood for a Fables novel instead of graphic novel, pick this one up!

One thing I was remiss in mentioning before is the video game The Wolf Among Us. I am not a big gamer, but I am tempted! Anyway, from what I have researched the game is a prequel to the series and will not spoil anything if you play it first and then decide to read them later.

Now this is where things get interesting... Fables is doing a crossover with another Vertigo comic, The Unwritten. If you have never read The Unwritten before, it is another literary graphic novel where the main character travels through various fictional worlds. It works really well for a crossover. The crossover is going to occur in a collected The Unwritten graphic novel and take place in Fables. It is set to be released next year. So, for the sake of having all the information available here is the reading order if you are interested in the crossover.

The Unwritten:
Volume 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity (Issues 1-5)
Volume 2: Inside Man (Issues 6-12)
Volume 3: Dead Man's Knock (Issues 13-18)
Volume 4: Leviathan (Issues 19-24)
Volume 5: On to Genesis (Issues 25-30)
Volume 6: Tommy Taylor and the War of Words (Issues 31-35)
Volume 7: The Wound (Issues 36-41)
Volume 8: Orpheus in the Underworlds (Issues 42-49) (February 4, 2014)

This all leads up to the crossover...

Volume 9: The Unwritten Fables (Issues 50-54)

And, because I am a bit of a completest, I would also mention that there is a standalone volume in The Unwritten series called Tommy Taylor and the Ship that Sank Twice.

And, if you enjoyed The Unwritten, Volume 10 is called War Stories and will be out October 14, 2014.

Lastly, just because for some this might be the easiest way to get the Fables series, here is a list of what the Deluxe editions contain:

Volume 1: Fables 1-10
Volume 2: Fables 11-18
Volume 3: Fables 19-27
Volume 4: Fables 28-33 (1001 Nights of Snowfall)
Volume 5: Fables 34-45
Volume 6: Fables 46-51 
Volume 7: Fables 52-59 and 64
Volume 8: Fables 60-63, 65-69 
Volume 9: Fables 70-82 (October 7, 2014)

Six Sentence Saturday - August 27, 2011

I tell you ladies and gents - I hate technology... Or, it hates me... I spent over an hour on the phone with tech support for my new computer today. I couldn't use it at all this morning! I turned it on, was chatting with the cc and thought it just went to sleep... Next thing I know: BLUE SCREEN! So, I restarted it to see if I could at least get the phone number for the computer company... BLUE SCREEN! I didn't try again. I called my mother and asked her to look the phone number up for me on their website. Here is the real kicker... my computer is so new that it wasn't even registered in their system yet! Part of my phone call was spent with them hastily putting that in order so that the technician could help me. Technology hates me!

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.

At the end of each review I will post a

rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.

Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!

4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.

3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal

2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?

Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Six Sentence Saturday is an idea that I occasionally borrow from Staci at Life in the Thumb.

I call today 'Graphic Novel Day'. In order to accomplish something... There are a lot of reviews.

Sweet Tooth - Volume 2: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire

Completion Date: August 6, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

Following on the heels of THE NOBODY, his Vertigo graphic novel debut, writer/artist Jeff Lemire pens his very first ongoing series SWEET TOOTH. A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, SWEET TOOTH tells the story of Gus, a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children, has been raised in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a decade earlier. Now, with the death of his father he's left to fend for himself . . . until he meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd who promises to help him. Jepperd and Gus set out on a post-apocalyptic journey into the devastated American landscape to find 'The Preserve' a refuge for hybrids. In this second volume, Lemire explores the heartbreaking story of Jeppard and how he went from a devoted husband to the ruthless mercenary he is now. Meanwhile, Gus is captured in a camp with other hybrid creatures where he meets Dr. Singh, a scientist studying the plague that's wiped out so much of the world. By traveling more into Gus' past, Singh will learn more about the plague, as well as clues at how some of it might relate to Gus and his father.

I talked my library into buying this book, so I am very happy they listened to be about it and the next book in the series. This is a very different dystopian novel than the ones currently out there, so I actually enjoy it ten times more for that simple fact. The first book brought Gus to a camp where he is being studied because he is different, so this book carries on from that and shows what it is like for him to be locked up. We also learn the inspiration behind Jeppard, who captured Gus in the first place. Once again the story is heart-breaking for all concerned, and you can't help finding out what is going to happen next. I strongly recommend this series!

Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 3 by Svetlana Chmakova

Completion Date: August 19, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

Betrayed by one of their own, the Hunters have become the hunted as their hideaway is invaded by a pack of ravenous werewolves! But it'll take more than a few mongrels to get the better of these kids. Meanwhile, Alex begins advanced training with Mr. Roi. Will he be able to help her find a clue to her sister's disappearance? Or is the home-schooled Alex in way over her head?

I loved Dramacon by this author, but I am not enthused by this series so far and the library doesn't have the 4th book. I am not sure if it is that I am not in a vampire mood or if it is because I am putting too much space between the books, but I am almost lost about all that is going on. The other possibility is that she is trying to accomplish too much in each book and is over-whelming her readers. I think what I plan to do is request the library buys the 4th book and then read all 4 books in a short period of time so that I can give a fair assessment of the overall story. It is not that this book was terrible, but Dramacon was way better!

Avalon High: Coronation - Volume 3: Hunter's Moon by Meg Cabot

Completion Date: August 19, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

The exciting conclusion to Meg Cabot's magical Arthurian manga!

Ellie has only one day left to get her boyfriend Will to truly believe he's the reincarnation of King Arthur, or the world will plunge into eternal darkness. But Will refuses to believe her! Meanwhile, the upcoming Homecoming game and dance have everyone distracted, especially Ellie. Some people aren't too happy about her Homecoming Queen nomination and are determined to cause trouble. Ellie's got to save her reputation and the world before the new moon on the night of Homecoming brings them all to a dangerous crossroad. If Ellie can't convince Will of his destiny, the world may never recover. . . .

This manga series of Arthurian legend and high school romance comes to a thrilling climax in this final volume. And just remember—anything can happen if you believe!

When I heard that this series had an Arthurian connection, I KNEW I was going to have to read it! The sad thing is that I read the first two books a long time ago and am only getting around to this now because it was ages before the library bought it and I sort of forgot to keep checking. I really enjoyed this retelling of the popular Arthurian myth in a modern time period. I believed it was well-done and not far-fetched at all. I liked the character of Ellie and her influence over the modern day Arthur. It was a little too perfect, but she didn't have a lot of room to draw things out.

Sweet Tooth - Volume 3: Animal Armies by Jeff Lemire

Completion Date: August 26, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, SWEET TOOTH tells the story of Gus, a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children, has been raised in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a decade earlier. Now, with the death of his father he’s left to fend for himself . . . until he meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd who promises to help him. Jepperd and Gus set out on a post-apocalyptic journey into the devastated American landscape to find ‘The Preserve’, a refuge for hybrids.

In this third volume, Jeppard begins to form an army to topple the militia camp so he can rescue Gus and the other hybrid kids. But will he arrive too late to save anyone?

We now know the inspiration behind Jeppard, so it is not surprising that he regrets locking Gus up and begins a journey to release him. As in most books, things do not go exactly to plan and that opens a lot of action. Jeppard finds out some secrets and Gus learns to distrust most people, which is a huge turnaround from the first book. There are also more things to reveal about the characters we have met along the way. There was also something set-up in this book that I look forward to seeing played out in future books. I really enjoy this graphic novel series and recommend it!

The Unwritten - Volume 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Company

Completion Date: August 26, 2011

Reason for Reading: A reread so that I knew what was going on when I read book 2 and 3.

Collecting issues 1-5. Tom Taylor's life was screwed from go. His father created the Tommy Taylor fantasy series, boy-wizard novels with popularity on par with Harry Potter. The problem is Dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom's real life that fans are constantly comparing him to his counterpart, turning him into the lamest variety of Z-level celebrity. In the final novel, it's even implied that the fictional Tommy will crossover into the real world, giving delusional fans more excuses to harass Tom.

When an enormous scandal reveals that Tom might really be a boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a very mysterious, very deadly group that's secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his own life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, eventually finding himself at locations all featured on a very special map -- one kept by the deadly group that charts places throughout world history where fictions have impacted and tangibly shaped reality, those stories ranging from famous literary works to folktales to pop culture. And in the process of figuring out what it all means, Tom will find himself having to figure out a huge conspiracy mystery that spans the entirety of the history of fiction.

I read this book ages ago, never reviewed it, and then didn't read the sequels in a timely manner, so I figured I should refresh my memory. This is a highly entertaining book that combines many aspects of literature that I love: Fantasy, magic, books, literary characters, mystery, murder, vampires, and much much more. It almost gives Fables a run for its money, but that will probably never happen. This book also sort of connects to the very famous series about a magician named Harry Potter. I wasn't sure if I would like that, but it is actually rather entertaining and I just loved this book. If you haven't gave this series a try, you really should!

The Unwritten - Volume 2: Inside Man by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Company

Completion Date: August 26, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

Tom Taylor's life was screwed from go. His father created the Tommy Taylor fantasy series, boy-wizard novels with popularity on par with Harry Potter. The problem is Dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom's real life that fans are constantly comparing him to his counterpart, turning him into the lamest variety of Z-level celebrity. In the final novel, it's even implied that the fictional Tommy will crossover into the real world, giving delusional fans more excuses to harass Tom.

When an enormous scandal reveals that Tom might really be a boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a very mysterious, very deadly group that's secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his own life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, eventually finding himself at locations all featured on a very special map — one kept by the deadly group that charts places throughout world history where fictions have impacted and tangibly shaped reality, those stories ranging from famous literary works to folktales to pop culture. And in the process of figuring out what it all means, Tom will find himself having to figure out a huge conspiracy mystery that spans the entirety of the history of fiction.

In this volume, Tom arrives at Donostia prison in Southern France and falls into the orbit of another story: The Song of Roland. Unfortunately for Tom, it's a story that ends with a massacre. .Tom discovers the true meaning of "out of the frying pan" after his escape from Donostia jail takes him to Stuttgart in 1940, a ghost city inhabited by the master liar of the Third Reich, Josef Goebbels, and a tortured soul who's crying out for rescue - or death...

Now that we know Tom Taylor a bit, I have to say that the only that that bothers me about this series is Tom. He is really rather whiny and sometimes I would love to give him a good shake, but that is sort of the point of his character and everything that has happened during the series so far. It is in this book that Tom really gets to know the rest of the members of his team because in the book he has a guy and a girl sidekick, so he of course has to have them included in his real life adventures. There is also a flying cat. Tom obviously believes that the books are only books, so he doesn't think that he has any connection to them. He is learning about who he is along with the reader, so it makes the series interesting.

The Unwritten - Volume 3: Dead Man's Knock by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Company

Completion Date: August 26, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

The third volume of the critically acclaimed New York Times best selling new series from the Eisner-nominated creative team of Mike Carey and Peter Gross.

This volume includes “Dead Man’s Knock,” featuring the launch of the long-awaited new Tommy Taylor novel. A scheme by the Unwritten cabal to bring its author out of hiding works with dramatic results, including the momentous confrontation between Tom and Wilson.

Plus, learn the truth behind Lizzie Hexam, Tommy’s mysterious benefactor, in an interactive tale that lets the reader choose the story’s path

Here is a trip down memory lane.... CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE! I am serious - part of this book you do just that and I was unnecessarily excited about this. This is also the book that explains the character of Lizzie Hexam, who you might recognize if you have read A Mutual Friend. In this book she gets her own section to explore who she is and how she came to be involved in Tom's story. It also is where Tom begins to address aspects of his past and the reader learns a few secrets that Tom doesn't know about yet. It was a great read!

The Ratings:

I assume that with my luck this evening, adding the cards will destroy my formatting. I have decided to cheat.

With the exception of the Nightschool book and Avalon High, I give all of these books this card:

For the exceptions, I give them this card:

I have been feeling a bit discouraged with graphic novels lately, so I am so happy I was able to find so many great ones in the same month!

Series Mentioned in this Post:

Sweet Tooth:

Out of the Deep Woods

In Captivity

Animal Armies

The Unwritten:

Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity

Inside Man

Dead Man's Knock

Nightschool: The Weirn Books:

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

Avalon High:

The Merlin Prophecy

Homecoming

Hunter's Moon