Fables: 1001 Nights of
Snowfall
Bill Willingham, et al.
After reading the first volume of
collected Fables comics, I dove into
this anthology, which rewinds the general narrative a bit and takes a look at
some main players before the events in the main story began. Though it was
published between two later volumes from the main plot line, and though I had
only read one major story arc, I found myself immediately engrossed in the
stories and, more importantly, in the characters. This, of course, is no accident,
as the whole premise of the Fables
series is that, well, we know the characters already, or are at least familiar
with their oft-told stories. What is remarkable, however, is how coherently
these tales hang together and how seamlessly they play off of the familiar
histories. As Bill Willingham writes in his introduction, there is very little
internal Fables backstory necessary
to enjoy these stories and to understand their greater implications. And for
those familiar with Willingham's re-tellings, these short stories not only
continue the tradition of re-thinking fairy tales and legends, but also play
off of future events and characterizations readers will already know. Just
about anyone could pick this book up without having any idea that Fables actually existed, and still enjoy
the storytelling, artwork, and overall narrative effect. The idea of re-hashing
well-known stories certainly isn't new, and the trope's recent popularity has
forced would-be re-inventors to reach sufficient levels of depth and originality;
1001 Nights of Snowfall does this,
and does it in spades, all while remaining accessible and providing an entry
point for new readers.
One reason why Fables is so intriguing is its use of a
greater narrative framework both within this collection and around the
individual stories that take place within the universe. This clever development
allows characters from a thousand different fantasy realms and human cultures
to interact and, indeed, to cooperate. It is this rich background that allows
the Fables mythology to exist, and it
is this catastrophic turn of events that provides the narrative impetus for each
of the stories within this collection. The collection itself is bound by its
own narrative arc that benefits a bit from knowledge of the modern-day Fables setting, but this knowledge only
adds a bit of a knowing nod rather than being essential to the stories. Each
story focuses on a character or characters from our well-known folk tales, and
most offer a Fables-specific
rethinking of the classic tale, though the opener is a straightforward,
modern-day reevaluation of the typical Snow White story, a bit tedious perhaps
given the current inundation of Snow White reboots, but refreshing and modern
nonetheless. The other stories are just familiar enough to make readers
comfortable, yet original enough to present something new and, often,
emotionally riveting.
What is most remarkable, however,
is that a collection with such strong plotting, if not particularly riveting
dialogue, has another strength completely: its art. Graphic novel skeptics
should be immediately convinced by the stunning array of artistic talent on
display within. The short story format allows a number of artists to lend their
eyes and sensibilities to Willingham's innovations, and it is delightful to see
how different artists envision these classic characters and how their styles
affect the storytelling- and reading- experience. And skeptics take heart: only
one story is illustrated in what one might call a typical superhero style, and
each story's visual experience is entirely different, making for refreshing
changes of pace as well as thoughtful re-calibrations for each story. The
differences serve to highlight the ways in which these are at once familiar and
entirely new approaches to traditional characters. While each illustrator adds
a distinctive flair to their particular tale, James Jean's art for "A
Frog's-Eye View," the Frog Prince's tale, is truly transcendent. The muted
palette and thick black borders combine with the characters' sheer desperation
to create a formidable argument for the power of graphic narrative. The story,
so unapologetically tragic, reaches a new depth of meaning through Jean's art,
and while the other art is far from merely serviceable, it is this story that
stands above the rest. Though none of the other stories quite reach this formidable
level of synchronicity between narration, dialogue, and art, 1001 Nights of Snowfall offers nicely
varied re-thinkings of well-known tales, one that simultaneously enhances the
established Fables universe and
offers entertainment for newcomers.
Grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment