When Jack – he of beanstalk fame – was forced to flee his fairy-tale home of Fabletown, the character left the acclaimed FABLES series for his own spin-off title, the first five issues of which are now collected in JACK OF FABLES: THE (NEARLY) GREAT ESCAPE.
Although my initial thoughts were to write this off as a cash-in, I’m pleased to report that it’s a must for the FABLES faithful, primarily because it retains the same creative vim and vigor (not to mention team) of Bill Willingham’s subversive original.
Having left Fabletown a poor man, JACK OF FABLES’ story opens with a recap of Jack’s subsequent quick re-rise to power, this time among actual humans in Hollywood by playing upon his background in a blockbuster series of fantasy films. Once more, the cocky womanizer had everything he wants until Fabletown got wind of what he was doing.
Now shorn of wealth once more, Jack is hitchhiking when he’s kidnapped and taken to Golden Boughs Retirement Community, which is a euphemism for “semi-prison for ex-communicated Fables.” Trapped there are fellow fallen-from-gracers as Humpty Dumpty, Paul Bunyan, Mother Goose, Mary Mary Quite Contrary and, best of all, Little Black Sambo, who – though elderly – can still run rings of butter around his competition.
Not content with being held against his will – though being seduced by a busty Goldilocks is an occasional plus – Jack plots his escape with the aid of the others. In doing so, there’s a great bit with the cast of Oz that’ll have you looking at that group differently from here on out. The Golden Boughs powers that be send out inflatable bag men (that’s the best description I can come up with for such a highly visual bit) to thwart the attempt.
With its sporadic, sudden bursts of hard violence and weaved-in adult themes, JACK OF FABLES retains the slightly R-rated streak of its rightly exalted predecessor. It’s every bit as funny and fearless as you’d expect from any given FABLES issue. Willingham shares writing duties with Matthew Sturges, and the marriage is a happy one; Tony Akins’ pencils ensure the look of JACK doesn’t stray at all from its parent series, as does the smart choice of continuing to utilize James Jean as the brilliant cover artist.
JACK OF FABLES deserves to sit right alongside the regular ol’ FABLES, rather than right below it, where most spin-offs are complacent to reside. Not ballsy Jack; he’s never one to rest. –Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES:
• FABLES: ARABIAN DAYS (AND NIGHTS)
• FABLES: HOMELAND
• FABLES: 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL
• FABLES: WOLVES
• VERTIGO: FIRST OFFENSES
Related posts:
- Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days)
- Fables: Wolves
- Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
- Fables: Homeland
- Escape from Earth: New Adventures in Space
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