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14 February 2016

Review: JACK OF FABLES VOL.1 by Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, and Tony Akins

This was the first spin-off from the main Fables series, and is much funnier than the original.

A lot of the humor comes from the disconnect between how Jack views himself, as the greatest Fable of all time, and his true self, which is arrogant and a little stupid. Despite his stupidity, his cunning and charisma make him a natural leader and a good comic-book protagonist.

The art is fine. While I might seem to be damning it with faint praise, I'm actually not. It's not as good as that of the main Fables book, but it's at least as good as most others. The art isn't perfect, but it is perfectly suited to the story. It's also worth noting the sheer number and variety of things artist Tony Akin is called on to draw.

The biggest problem with the book lies in its own nature and that of its main character. The book is funny, but in a broad, farcical way, deriving humor from sex and violence (and there are plenty of both. Jack seems to have no inclination to improve his world, instead living only to satisfy his own appetites. The book reflects this empty, adolescent philosophy, and I don't recommend it.

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