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Fairest (Collected Editions)
Fairest, Volume 5: The Clamour for Glamour
In this new epic, refugees from Fabletown have returned to New York's Castle Dark, and Reynard, now able to shapeshift from fox to man, travels the mundane world to regale the animals with tales of his exploits, rubbing the other Fables' noses in his good fortune. Frustration at their restriction to the Farm threatens to become a issue once more! Can the animals find a way out of their situation?
Long-time Fables artist Mark Buckingham takes over writing duties in this concluding volume to the New York Times best-selling series Fairest.
Collecting: Fairest 27-33
Long-time Fables artist Mark Buckingham takes over writing duties in this concluding volume to the New York Times best-selling series Fairest.
Collecting: Fairest 27-33
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2015
25 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Mark Buckingham
779 books68 followersBorn as Mark John Buckingham May 23, 1966 in Clevedon, United Kingdom. He initially started working professionally on strips and illustrations for a British satire magazine called The Truth in 1987 where he first worked with Neil Gaiman illustrating some of his articles. His American debut came the following year as inker on DC Comics Hellblazer, taking over as penciller from issue 18.
Some of Mark's earliest (non-professional) work appeared in early issues of the Clevedon Youth CND newsletter in the early 1980s (c.1982/83) in which he saterised members of the group in a fun and amusing manner. Copies of these are now very hard to find, although there a few still known to be in exsistance.
He is most famous for his work on Marvelman (Miracleman, in the USA), Hellblazer, and Fables, including a story in the original graphic novel 1001 Nights of Snowfall. His Marvel work includes inking Chris Bachalo's pencils on Generation X, Ghost Rider 2099, and penciling Paul Jenkins's run on Peter Parker: Spider-Man. For DC Comics, Buckingham has inked the two Death miniseries and was the original penciller on the Titans series. In the 1990s Mark shared a studio with Beano and Marvel artist Kev F Sutherland, working together on Marvel's Star Trek and Dr Strange.
During the Vert-igo Voices: Fables Forum panel at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, Fables creator and writer Willingham-Bill announced that he and Buckingham will switch roles in an up-coming one-off, for Fables issue #100. Buckingham will write and Willingham-Bill will illustrate.[4]
He was married in Gijón, Spain in August 2006 to journalist and TV newscaster Irma Page. His best man was Neil Gaiman.[5]
Buckingham currently resides in Spain.
Some of Mark's earliest (non-professional) work appeared in early issues of the Clevedon Youth CND newsletter in the early 1980s (c.1982/83) in which he saterised members of the group in a fun and amusing manner. Copies of these are now very hard to find, although there a few still known to be in exsistance.
He is most famous for his work on Marvelman (Miracleman, in the USA), Hellblazer, and Fables, including a story in the original graphic novel 1001 Nights of Snowfall. His Marvel work includes inking Chris Bachalo's pencils on Generation X, Ghost Rider 2099, and penciling Paul Jenkins's run on Peter Parker: Spider-Man. For DC Comics, Buckingham has inked the two Death miniseries and was the original penciller on the Titans series. In the 1990s Mark shared a studio with Beano and Marvel artist Kev F Sutherland, working together on Marvel's Star Trek and Dr Strange.
During the Vert-igo Voices: Fables Forum panel at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, Fables creator and writer Willingham-Bill announced that he and Buckingham will switch roles in an up-coming one-off, for Fables issue #100. Buckingham will write and Willingham-Bill will illustrate.[4]
He was married in Gijón, Spain in August 2006 to journalist and TV newscaster Irma Page. His best man was Neil Gaiman.[5]
Buckingham currently resides in Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
February 3, 2022
The final volume of Fairest is definitely the worst.
I'm not saying you definitely shouldn't read it, because it concludes Reynard the Fox's story and gives you a peek into what's happening to some of the Fables you maybe haven't thought about much. But. None of it is important to the main storyline at all.
It starts with Reynard bragging to the other farm fables about his adventures as a human knight in Rose's new Camelot. Doubtful any of these stories are true, but it causes a lot of resentment, and the farm's residents call for Charming's campaign promise of glamour for everyone.
Rose demands that Cole fork over the money to keep Charming's outrageous pledge, and finally the witches show up with a solution to appease the masses.
There's a really dull mystery to solve when someone steals one of the 5 glamours. Blech.
Reynard finally finding true love is cute but would have been a much better story without having to read all the boring side stuff.
The last issue features Goldilocks. It's ok.
I did actually like how they left her story somewhat open-ended.
There are a few mentions of what's happening with Bigby in the main book, but not enough to give you any sort of new insight.
Recommended for Fables completionists only.
I'm not saying you definitely shouldn't read it, because it concludes Reynard the Fox's story and gives you a peek into what's happening to some of the Fables you maybe haven't thought about much. But. None of it is important to the main storyline at all.
It starts with Reynard bragging to the other farm fables about his adventures as a human knight in Rose's new Camelot. Doubtful any of these stories are true, but it causes a lot of resentment, and the farm's residents call for Charming's campaign promise of glamour for everyone.
Rose demands that Cole fork over the money to keep Charming's outrageous pledge, and finally the witches show up with a solution to appease the masses.
There's a really dull mystery to solve when someone steals one of the 5 glamours. Blech.
Reynard finally finding true love is cute but would have been a much better story without having to read all the boring side stuff.
The last issue features Goldilocks. It's ok.
I did actually like how they left her story somewhat open-ended.
There are a few mentions of what's happening with Bigby in the main book, but not enough to give you any sort of new insight.
Recommended for Fables completionists only.
October 14, 2015
Reading this after finishing the core Fables series was a little bit like eating some stale bread at a gourmet restaurant right after you threw a juicy steak and some delicious chocolate torte down your gullet. Or, like shaking hands with someone after engaging in copious amounts of fornication in manners strange, wonderful, and forbidden with them.
In other words, it just felt a little off. As I’ve made abundantly clear, I love Mark Buckingham. The guy’s an amazing artist, and THE artist on my favorite comic series of all time. As a writer, however…
Well, he’s basically me: overly wordy and inclined to talk over the story. Part of what made Fables so brilliant was the fact that though Bill Willingham certainly didn’t shy away from some heroic overwriting when the occasion called for it, he also knew when to get out of the way and let Bucky’s pictures do the talking. Bucky does not afford his artist the same courtesy here, filling page after page with lots and lots of dialogue, and none of it really propels the story forward. Offbeat and seemingly inconsequential stories are by no means unwelcome additions to the quirky Fables universe; on the contrary, some of my favorite moments in Fables and its spinoffs have been digressions from the primary narrative, but this meandering tale of rabble rousers at the Farm pushing Rose Red and the denizens of the 13th floor to provide glamours after being whipped up by Reynard’s stirring tales of (alleged) derring-do didn’t add much to the canon. (Yup…I’m tossing fancy words like “canon” around in the context of a review of a second-rate spinoff of a funnybook…if you’ve got a problem with that, I’d like to kindly invite you to please suck it. No takers? Yeah, didn’t think so. Ahem.)
It’s unfortunate—Reynard was always a favorite bit player, but this conclusion to his tale turns him into a dullard and a lummox, not to mention a fairly inept fast food employee (is it THAT hard to use a mop, Reynard?).
What saved this tale, and brought it up to 3 stars (beyond the halo effect of being part of a larger series that I love as much as I love masticating, and I really love masticating), is the concluding short—not, coincidentally, penned by Mr. Willingham—that features that feminist icon and hero of the proletariat, Goldilocks. I can never get enough of that golden-tressed ball of spunky hate and her ever-unsuccessful efforts to rouse the opiated masses to rise up against their oppressors, whether they need to or not.
A less-than-savory conclusion to a glorious feast (or a limp-wristed handshake following Olympic-level orgasms). For obsessive completists only.
In other words, it just felt a little off. As I’ve made abundantly clear, I love Mark Buckingham. The guy’s an amazing artist, and THE artist on my favorite comic series of all time. As a writer, however…
Well, he’s basically me: overly wordy and inclined to talk over the story. Part of what made Fables so brilliant was the fact that though Bill Willingham certainly didn’t shy away from some heroic overwriting when the occasion called for it, he also knew when to get out of the way and let Bucky’s pictures do the talking. Bucky does not afford his artist the same courtesy here, filling page after page with lots and lots of dialogue, and none of it really propels the story forward. Offbeat and seemingly inconsequential stories are by no means unwelcome additions to the quirky Fables universe; on the contrary, some of my favorite moments in Fables and its spinoffs have been digressions from the primary narrative, but this meandering tale of rabble rousers at the Farm pushing Rose Red and the denizens of the 13th floor to provide glamours after being whipped up by Reynard’s stirring tales of (alleged) derring-do didn’t add much to the canon. (Yup…I’m tossing fancy words like “canon” around in the context of a review of a second-rate spinoff of a funnybook…if you’ve got a problem with that, I’d like to kindly invite you to please suck it. No takers? Yeah, didn’t think so. Ahem.)
It’s unfortunate—Reynard was always a favorite bit player, but this conclusion to his tale turns him into a dullard and a lummox, not to mention a fairly inept fast food employee (is it THAT hard to use a mop, Reynard?).
What saved this tale, and brought it up to 3 stars (beyond the halo effect of being part of a larger series that I love as much as I love masticating, and I really love masticating), is the concluding short—not, coincidentally, penned by Mr. Willingham—that features that feminist icon and hero of the proletariat, Goldilocks. I can never get enough of that golden-tressed ball of spunky hate and her ever-unsuccessful efforts to rouse the opiated masses to rise up against their oppressors, whether they need to or not.
A less-than-savory conclusion to a glorious feast (or a limp-wristed handshake following Olympic-level orgasms). For obsessive completists only.
October 12, 2015
Requesting and getting volume 5 in a series I haven't read before (well I think I may have started reading this series, but stopped reading for some reason) may seem to be a bit foolish and I was a bit worried that I wouldn't understand much and have trouble getting into the story.
But when I started reading this one was it hard to stop reading it. I will just read a couple of pages...oh the first issue is already finished?
I made a heck of a lot of screen caps, but I don't want to spoil the fun for you so I will just add a couple...
I felt really sorry for Mr Webb that's feeling lonely. Probably the first time I felt story for a spider...
Mr Webb just wanted to have a normal relationship with his wife, but she can't stand his spider form and he can't change...
Meanwhile, Reynard Fox has gotten himself in some trouble and is now in Louisiana...
And everything goes a little bit crazy when Meghan sees his true form...hehe
I could have added a lot more fun screen caps, but seriously just read the damn volume yourself instead. Besides poor Mr Webb and Fox being whacked by a shovel is there stuff going on at the farm with the Fables growing frustrations at being stuck there!
I received this copy from Vertigo through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!
But when I started reading this one was it hard to stop reading it. I will just read a couple of pages...oh the first issue is already finished?
I made a heck of a lot of screen caps, but I don't want to spoil the fun for you so I will just add a couple...
I felt really sorry for Mr Webb that's feeling lonely. Probably the first time I felt story for a spider...
Mr Webb just wanted to have a normal relationship with his wife, but she can't stand his spider form and he can't change...
Meanwhile, Reynard Fox has gotten himself in some trouble and is now in Louisiana...
And everything goes a little bit crazy when Meghan sees his true form...hehe
I could have added a lot more fun screen caps, but seriously just read the damn volume yourself instead. Besides poor Mr Webb and Fox being whacked by a shovel is there stuff going on at the farm with the Fables growing frustrations at being stuck there!
I received this copy from Vertigo through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!
June 19, 2020
In which the non-human Fables demand 'Glamours' to make them look human; In which cunning Fox Reynard is seen to be not so smart in his Glamoured human form; In which the last Farm story is told; In which the fate of Goldilocks is decided. The last Farm story and it's written by Fable artist Mark Buckingham! It's OK, but you can see how it was agreed that he couldn't use any of the main characters. I do like how Mr Sunflowerhead is the narrator though, a nice touch! The sad thing about this volume for me, is its featuring of Goldilocks in her own issue just further highlights how underused this fabulous villain was in the second half of the series. 7 out of 12.
August 27, 2022
Completely abandons the premise that this title is supposed to be about the women of Fables. It’s about what is going on at the Farm while the main story is ending over in Fables.
The animal Fables are revolting because Prince Charming promised everyone glamours when he ran for mayor. Meanwhile Reynard finally finds love in Louisiana. Buckingham’s writing is overly wordy and nothing of note happens in this book. The final issue is about Goldilocks on the run through the Empire.
The animal Fables are revolting because Prince Charming promised everyone glamours when he ran for mayor. Meanwhile Reynard finally finds love in Louisiana. Buckingham’s writing is overly wordy and nothing of note happens in this book. The final issue is about Goldilocks on the run through the Empire.
April 4, 2016
Reynard the Fox creating problems. Lots of trouble on the Farm.
Overall, a fun and light read but not as high quality as the original series.
OVERALL GRADE: B.
Overall, a fun and light read but not as high quality as the original series.
OVERALL GRADE: B.
October 22, 2015
Firstly, it's weird this came out after the final Fables, so it's out of order. Second, isn't Fairest supposed to be about the women of the Fables universe? NOT the animals. Though I will grudgingly admit it handled the muddy world going magical better than the end of the Fables comics did. The only part I actually liked was Goldilocks being her usual bitch self. But it was the Scottish bears I loved best. Sassenach!
March 1, 2018
This was another good volume of Fairest, mainly because it was basically a volume of Fables in disguise. It's also the last volume in the series. This one involved a "glamour lottery" for the animal fables living on the Farm where a few of them would get to be glamoured as human for a while. Of course, things never work out as planned. Reynard the Fox also has a new adventure (and a kid, long story) and a few interesting mundy characters are introduced. We also get to see what Goldilocks had been up to before the events in the "Fairest of them All" graphic novel. This series started out soft but ended up pretty good, now I hate to see it end!
October 6, 2015
This final volume of the Graphic Novel only version of Fairest throws off the primary plot concept (the princesses of Fables) to instead focus on Reynard the Fox and a lottery for glamours among the non-humans of the Farm. Reynard's story isn't particularly entertaining - beyond an attempt to spin redneck stereotypes, it turns into a poor man's Jack of Fables story, albeit with a better ending. The glamour lottery has a lot of threads that come together in an interesting story, but aside from a sweet section about the Owl and the Pussycat, it's a lot of sound and fury culminating in a confusing finale that doesn't really warrant the buildup. They're not bad stories, but they're definitely on the lesser end of the Fables canon. And the backup story with Goldilocks doesn't even rise to the level of silly, and doesn't get its conclusion in the collection, which is obnoxious. It's not bad, but considering the earlier collections, it's definitely the weakest Fairest outing.
September 2, 2018
"I've never seen that before. I swear! It's a plant!"
"No, dear. You're a plant. That's a book."
So....this series is kind of pissing me off. Yeah.
This installment (again) does not focus on any female Fables characters. Why? I just...don't understand. I will reiterate the tagline printed on the back of each graphic novel in this series:
THE WOMEN OF FABLES IN A SERIES ALL THEIR OWN.
But...no? ::sighs:: This volume is dedicated in the most part to the Fables that are not human and forced to live on "The Farm" out of the mundies' line of sight. They all revolt and want spells created to turn them human so they can leave the farm and the characters featured the most are Reynard the Fox and Mr. Sunflower. Neither of which are women. Again.
I'm not even going to research which characters appeared because I'm still aggravated and I've already had two weeks to cool off. This would've done well as a regular Fables storyline-which features male and female characters depending on the story. Why was it part of the "Fairest" series? ?????
I'll give it two stars because the story was still entertaining and the artwork, as usual, was very beautiful.
"No, dear. You're a plant. That's a book."
So....this series is kind of pissing me off. Yeah.
This installment (again) does not focus on any female Fables characters. Why? I just...don't understand. I will reiterate the tagline printed on the back of each graphic novel in this series:
THE WOMEN OF FABLES IN A SERIES ALL THEIR OWN.
But...no? ::sighs:: This volume is dedicated in the most part to the Fables that are not human and forced to live on "The Farm" out of the mundies' line of sight. They all revolt and want spells created to turn them human so they can leave the farm and the characters featured the most are Reynard the Fox and Mr. Sunflower. Neither of which are women. Again.
I'm not even going to research which characters appeared because I'm still aggravated and I've already had two weeks to cool off. This would've done well as a regular Fables storyline-which features male and female characters depending on the story. Why was it part of the "Fairest" series? ?????
I'll give it two stars because the story was still entertaining and the artwork, as usual, was very beautiful.
January 21, 2016
2.5 stars!
What. The. Hell. Well, ok, Reynard's story was entertaining if a bit implausible. But overall this didn't really add to my Fables experience. The only significant section is the one at the end about Goldilocks since it ties up to another story arc. Otherwise, I could've done without this. Also, I thought Fairest is supposed to be about the female Fables? This one definitely isn't. There's so many female Fables that they could've chosen for this final volume and they decided to feature a fox guy and a sunflower man. Oh the lost opportunity! Read this only if you want to complete all the issues. Otherwise, you can skip it.
What. The. Hell. Well, ok, Reynard's story was entertaining if a bit implausible. But overall this didn't really add to my Fables experience. The only significant section is the one at the end about Goldilocks since it ties up to another story arc. Otherwise, I could've done without this. Also, I thought Fairest is supposed to be about the female Fables? This one definitely isn't. There's so many female Fables that they could've chosen for this final volume and they decided to feature a fox guy and a sunflower man. Oh the lost opportunity! Read this only if you want to complete all the issues. Otherwise, you can skip it.
September 9, 2015
And verily did the Fables saga end, not with a bang but a long drawn-out fart.
July 28, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this book. Aside the whole fact that this book was released after the end of the Fables series despite the events in this volume happening before the end, there are two major issues with this book. Now, mind you, I enjoyed the story of glamour and the animals wanting glamour, but wasn't this series meant to focus on the women of Fables and explore their backgrounds?
The first book revolved around Sleeping Beauty and to a lesser extent the Snow Queen, and was the best in the series. Volume 2 was about Rapunzel and left more questions than answers and now with the end, it looks like we will never find out about Rapunzel's babies. Vol 3 was about Prince Charming! Vol 4 was about Cinderella but we don't learn anything about her past other than a couple of details which just left us wanting more (like about her stepsister. That was never explained!)
And so here we are with volume 5, which had a nice story about the animals, and a issue about Goldlilocks, but this issue doesn't ever explore her past and how she came to her beliefs.
The second major issue is the story revolving around Renard the Fox. I felt that his romance was slapdash and sloppy, and just a way to tie up something (that didn't even need to be tied in the first place)
So I am giving three stars for the good things, including the sidestory about Owl and Pussycat, but deducting two stars for the issues I mentioned above. I'm disappointed with how the series went after the first volume, and wish that the writers had stayed on topic.
The first book revolved around Sleeping Beauty and to a lesser extent the Snow Queen, and was the best in the series. Volume 2 was about Rapunzel and left more questions than answers and now with the end, it looks like we will never find out about Rapunzel's babies. Vol 3 was about Prince Charming! Vol 4 was about Cinderella but we don't learn anything about her past other than a couple of details which just left us wanting more (like about her stepsister. That was never explained!)
And so here we are with volume 5, which had a nice story about the animals, and a issue about Goldlilocks, but this issue doesn't ever explore her past and how she came to her beliefs.
The second major issue is the story revolving around Renard the Fox. I felt that his romance was slapdash and sloppy, and just a way to tie up something (that didn't even need to be tied in the first place)
So I am giving three stars for the good things, including the sidestory about Owl and Pussycat, but deducting two stars for the issues I mentioned above. I'm disappointed with how the series went after the first volume, and wish that the writers had stayed on topic.
December 26, 2014
I am so happy Reynard got a story in this. It was absolutely adorable. In fact, all tales in this were adorable, and well told. I am going to miss this series so much.
July 4, 2015
Of the five volumes of Fairest this is the only one that comes close to the the creative quality of the original early Fables books by Willingham & Buckingham.
January 9, 2017
OH. MY. GOD. That was painful. And it added almost nothing to the ongoing narrative.
July 28, 2019
I probably waited too long to read this, but I could kind of follow where it was in the larger Fables timeline. One of my complaints toward the end of the main series was all the back and forthing with plotlines. There were only two plotlines in this one, and I was still jerked around every couple of pages.
I also thought it was bollocks that Meghan’s uncle and cousin were horrible and abusive at the beginning of the book, but then portrayed later as really loving her and secretly getting a surprise party ready for her (and Reynard had just misunderstood what was happening). Balls, I say. Balls.
I also thought it was bollocks that Meghan’s uncle and cousin were horrible and abusive at the beginning of the book, but then portrayed later as really loving her and secretly getting a surprise party ready for her (and Reynard had just misunderstood what was happening). Balls, I say. Balls.
January 23, 2020
Sigh, the Fairest series just bounces all around in terms of quality.
Again, we get a largely male-focused arc where the women are either players or plot points and not capable of any agency in the story. If that's what I wanted I would have kept reading Jack of Fables, which also got pretty terrible in the end.
Again, we get a largely male-focused arc where the women are either players or plot points and not capable of any agency in the story. If that's what I wanted I would have kept reading Jack of Fables, which also got pretty terrible in the end.
April 10, 2020
Quite a stale finale to a stale series.
August 28, 2024
3.75 stars. Probably my favorite out of all the Fairest books. I would read a series focused solely on the farm. Some good drama there!
Read
April 22, 2024The final Fairest installment isn't that great. The story constantly switches between storylines that scarcely overlap and the focus feels like it's more on Reynard and a grumpy sunflower man than on a female character, which was literally the point of this offshoot. Not impressed with this one.
August 3, 2015
Argh, this is not how you end a series!
Ok I'm gonna try to be as brief and spoiler free as possible, but man is it ever going to be hard because I am so disappointed with this final arc.
World: The world is still fun as is the art by Braun, it's Fables and for 150 issues this world has been built up and fully developed, it's a wonderful place. The world this time around is mainly focused on 1 area that's cool and another that's absolutely not very fun, The Farm, and Louisiana. This is the least problematic part of the book so let's just wrap this up. The world is fun...somewhat.
Story: This is where I'm gonna start opening up my fanboy rage without spoiling anything. The story needs to have consequence and matter, this is the end of the series, we should be going out with a bang, not a whimper. Man this story is so pointless in the grand scheme of things that it made for a pointless read. This is nearly Jack of Fables later issues bad. Yes, the story on the farm is an interesting one and the characters in that story are interesting with all their own stories and motivations (that part is fun) but the end and also the single issue one and done in the end...man it felt like they just wrapped it up without doing anything to acknowledge it was a wrap up. This should have been like vol 3 in a 10 vol series, the point where writers try other stuff and it's kind of filler but still good. This is filler, filler filler filler.
Characters: As I said, the Farm story is interesting although the resolution especially the characters were so lazy and half assed it annoyed me to bits. There are some good characters here but honestly the main character of the Louisiana story is just boring, the entire cast there was boring and their development and motivations was dull and paper thin. I wished the Farm story would have been in the Fables main series because I think it would have been handled better. I also wished the last story didn't focus on the character in Louisiana as it's not a really important character.
Overall, I am very disappointed in how this series ended. They got lazy, they didn't plan, they just put a filler to end the series, which is so sad as the other stories so far in the series featured some wonderful characters and locales, this last one is...mediocre.
Onward with the next book!
Ok I'm gonna try to be as brief and spoiler free as possible, but man is it ever going to be hard because I am so disappointed with this final arc.
World: The world is still fun as is the art by Braun, it's Fables and for 150 issues this world has been built up and fully developed, it's a wonderful place. The world this time around is mainly focused on 1 area that's cool and another that's absolutely not very fun, The Farm, and Louisiana. This is the least problematic part of the book so let's just wrap this up. The world is fun...somewhat.
Story: This is where I'm gonna start opening up my fanboy rage without spoiling anything. The story needs to have consequence and matter, this is the end of the series, we should be going out with a bang, not a whimper. Man this story is so pointless in the grand scheme of things that it made for a pointless read. This is nearly Jack of Fables later issues bad. Yes, the story on the farm is an interesting one and the characters in that story are interesting with all their own stories and motivations (that part is fun) but the end and also the single issue one and done in the end...man it felt like they just wrapped it up without doing anything to acknowledge it was a wrap up. This should have been like vol 3 in a 10 vol series, the point where writers try other stuff and it's kind of filler but still good. This is filler, filler filler filler.
Characters: As I said, the Farm story is interesting although the resolution especially the characters were so lazy and half assed it annoyed me to bits. There are some good characters here but honestly the main character of the Louisiana story is just boring, the entire cast there was boring and their development and motivations was dull and paper thin. I wished the Farm story would have been in the Fables main series because I think it would have been handled better. I also wished the last story didn't focus on the character in Louisiana as it's not a really important character.
Overall, I am very disappointed in how this series ended. They got lazy, they didn't plan, they just put a filler to end the series, which is so sad as the other stories so far in the series featured some wonderful characters and locales, this last one is...mediocre.
Onward with the next book!
November 7, 2015
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
Just as the Fables series winds down, so too does the Fairest series, leaving a big hole in the very creative and imaginative world.
The Fairest series just doesn't quite hold the same spark as the Fables books, though I can't quite put my finger on why. In part, I think that the art is definitely a bit sub-par when compared to the parent book, though it is still heads and shoulders above much of what I've seen in some titles. And while the book is supposed to focus on the 'fairest' ... the women in the Fables universe ... this particular book seemed to focus more on the animals, which makes it quite odd.
The story is really pretty weak ... the farm animals revolt, hoping to get a little more respect (and 'glamour'). One glamour spell is going o be given away in a lottery and some will do anything to get it.
Yeah...that's how it ends.
This book never seemed to take off the way Fables did, and perhaps it's partly because the stories were simpler and so much less interesting. This one felt as though I were reading a sideways version of a Golden Books story about 'farm animals'. This just wasn't that interesting or engaging, and if it weren't connected to Buckingham or Willingham, it wouldn't have half the sale it's likely to have.
Looking for a good book? Unless you've been reading the series to this point, in which case you certainly don't want to miss the last issue, you really don't need to bother with Fairest, Vol. 5: The Clamour for Glamour.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Just as the Fables series winds down, so too does the Fairest series, leaving a big hole in the very creative and imaginative world.
The Fairest series just doesn't quite hold the same spark as the Fables books, though I can't quite put my finger on why. In part, I think that the art is definitely a bit sub-par when compared to the parent book, though it is still heads and shoulders above much of what I've seen in some titles. And while the book is supposed to focus on the 'fairest' ... the women in the Fables universe ... this particular book seemed to focus more on the animals, which makes it quite odd.
The story is really pretty weak ... the farm animals revolt, hoping to get a little more respect (and 'glamour'). One glamour spell is going o be given away in a lottery and some will do anything to get it.
Yeah...that's how it ends.
This book never seemed to take off the way Fables did, and perhaps it's partly because the stories were simpler and so much less interesting. This one felt as though I were reading a sideways version of a Golden Books story about 'farm animals'. This just wasn't that interesting or engaging, and if it weren't connected to Buckingham or Willingham, it wouldn't have half the sale it's likely to have.
Looking for a good book? Unless you've been reading the series to this point, in which case you certainly don't want to miss the last issue, you really don't need to bother with Fairest, Vol. 5: The Clamour for Glamour.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2024
Dishonest Fox Learns to be an Honest Man, but Can't Stop Swiping Stuff (aw, man!)
...
Seriously, WHO decided the last volume in the spinoff should be about a fox who was always kind of a simpering stooge for Snow White? And as mentioned before, doesn't know how to be an honest man and ropes a sweet redneck Mundy girl into his schemes. Doesn't make sense, and it detracts from the real issue at hand, nobody knows how to end this series, and yet they have to!
Centuries of relative peace at the Farm, a couple of inciting incidents involving the main cast, and BOOM, just clamoring for revolution & sweeping changes every couple of years it seems!
I really could care less about the various animal characters that want to pass for human so they can not only live out their best lives but also have some sorta feigned equality with the rest of their fairy tale people. Made even more evident that the last story is a weird standalone issue of Goldilocks monologuing into the "camera" about how she's trying to find her "JUST RIGHT (tm)" place that either matches her twisted ideals of equality or a hapless world that she can institute Communism as the default government. Bah!
...
Oh ok, I'll admit that a couple of pages dedicated to the Owl & the Pussycat, one of my favorite nursery rhymes, was hella delightful. Especially when the owl asked for a runcible spoon when he's been around long enough to see the change in popular English declare them sporks.
...
Seriously, WHO decided the last volume in the spinoff should be about a fox who was always kind of a simpering stooge for Snow White? And as mentioned before, doesn't know how to be an honest man and ropes a sweet redneck Mundy girl into his schemes. Doesn't make sense, and it detracts from the real issue at hand, nobody knows how to end this series, and yet they have to!
Centuries of relative peace at the Farm, a couple of inciting incidents involving the main cast, and BOOM, just clamoring for revolution & sweeping changes every couple of years it seems!
I really could care less about the various animal characters that want to pass for human so they can not only live out their best lives but also have some sorta feigned equality with the rest of their fairy tale people. Made even more evident that the last story is a weird standalone issue of Goldilocks monologuing into the "camera" about how she's trying to find her "JUST RIGHT (tm)" place that either matches her twisted ideals of equality or a hapless world that she can institute Communism as the default government. Bah!
...
Oh ok, I'll admit that a couple of pages dedicated to the Owl & the Pussycat, one of my favorite nursery rhymes, was hella delightful. Especially when the owl asked for a runcible spoon when he's been around long enough to see the change in popular English declare them sporks.
July 28, 2015
I thought this comic was supposed to highlight the women of Fables? This just read like another collection of lesser Fables stories, with no particular focus on much of anything, to be honest. The whole Reynard the fox thing reminded me a lot of the failed Jack of Fables series--if this is what Fairest has come to, it's probably time to retire this series as well (I see this is the concluding volume). Main story basically follows the uproar at the Farm (where non-human Fables live) over the creation of 5 "glamours" that will be shared amongst all the inhabitants and first passed out in a lottery. There are some amusing bits here, but it's all very unfocused and not very essential. Then there's Reynard, who has been given a human glamour, and uses it to romance a human girl, taking her away from her uncle and cousin in a rather dumb story that relies on miscommunication and mistaken motives. This is like Fables lite and probably part of the reason this comic didn't work any better than Jack of Fables. What really propels the original series is its deft combination of light AND dark. There's a lot of sadness and unhappiness in the flagship series and that's what's helped to make it a classic. These spinoffs, much less so.
September 6, 2015
Unfortunately, this is another mediocre volume in what turned out to be yet-another mediocre Fables spin-off. Ah well.
The Clamor for Glamours (27-32). So our big arc at the end of Fairest … again isn't actually about the women of Fables. What!? Beyond that, it's a fairly so-so story too. The glamour lottery is something that I easily could have seen appearing in Fables (though it appears somewhat pointless here, since everyone is on their way to the Homelands). Reynard's romance meanwhile is the sort of story that's been running in Fairest. Unfortunately, the story is quite padded with weird subplots like super-farm-animals and suspected cat-adultery. Worse, the majority of the farm animals chosen are generic, like Mr. Owl and Mrs. Cat. That's not a Fable, that's a description!! The last couple of issues are better than the early ones, as Buckingham slowly gets his stride, but this is never a particularly exciting or memorable story. [5/10]
Goldilocks (33). The Goldilocks story starts out being a nice farewell to the (somewhat problematic) character, but it does go anywhere, which is ironic given all of Goldy's traveling. Then it just stops. Huh!? What an anticlimactic end to the series! [4/10]
The Clamor for Glamours (27-32). So our big arc at the end of Fairest … again isn't actually about the women of Fables. What!? Beyond that, it's a fairly so-so story too. The glamour lottery is something that I easily could have seen appearing in Fables (though it appears somewhat pointless here, since everyone is on their way to the Homelands). Reynard's romance meanwhile is the sort of story that's been running in Fairest. Unfortunately, the story is quite padded with weird subplots like super-farm-animals and suspected cat-adultery. Worse, the majority of the farm animals chosen are generic, like Mr. Owl and Mrs. Cat. That's not a Fable, that's a description!! The last couple of issues are better than the early ones, as Buckingham slowly gets his stride, but this is never a particularly exciting or memorable story. [5/10]
Goldilocks (33). The Goldilocks story starts out being a nice farewell to the (somewhat problematic) character, but it does go anywhere, which is ironic given all of Goldy's traveling. Then it just stops. Huh!? What an anticlimactic end to the series! [4/10]
January 4, 2016
Well that was bland and hackneyed. I'm never a fan of stories that feature pregnancy, and this one doubled-down by making it an accelerated pregnancy, which wasn't fast enough to not irritate me. The way that Mehgan just jumped not only into bed with Reynard, but also into an entire life on the run was completely unbelievable, even given this is a fantasy story. Her brother and father were initially presented as complete assholes, and then the author pulled a 180, making them actually nice and caring, but it was done in clumsy, ham-fisted twist making it utter bullshit. The whole mystery with the theft of the glamour was lame, and the reveal of whodunnit was unsurprising.
Even Willingham's final story was lack-luster, and came across as rushed. Kinds of a sad end to what has been an inconstant and wobbly spin-off of a generally good series.
Even Willingham's final story was lack-luster, and came across as rushed. Kinds of a sad end to what has been an inconstant and wobbly spin-off of a generally good series.
February 20, 2017
Most of this story is narrated by Mr. Sunflower and takes place over 2 months around the time that Bigsby is frozen by Brandish. The narrative flows between the happenings at the farm as animal fables are demanding the glamours that Charming promised, and Reynard's excursion into the mundy world where he falls in love with a human.
Everything about this story was great, we got to spend time with some lesser known characters instead of reading the train wreck that is Red and Snow.
The only low point was the final standalone issue that gave us a Goldilocks story for no reason whatsoever.
Everything about this story was great, we got to spend time with some lesser known characters instead of reading the train wreck that is Red and Snow.
The only low point was the final standalone issue that gave us a Goldilocks story for no reason whatsoever.
October 19, 2015
No idea why but this volume didn't keep my attention like the previous ones did. Not sure if it due to where the story line was going or if my focus just wasn't there. Personally I'm thinking its due to both problems. Hopefully future volumes will be back to the previous amazing caliber and will be much more interesting to read again.
arc from NetGalley
arc from NetGalley
December 7, 2015
Huh. As far as endings go, this wasn't a great one. There were some good stories in the Fairest series - this one wasn't one of them.
However, I did love Mrs. Pussy Cat and Mr. Web (not together, mind you) - they're small stories were woven into the larger plot, and their characters were sweet and heartbreaking.
However, I did love Mrs. Pussy Cat and Mr. Web (not together, mind you) - they're small stories were woven into the larger plot, and their characters were sweet and heartbreaking.
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