283. Fables #14: Witches by Bill Willingham

Witches by Bill Willingham. Art by Mark Buckingham (Canada) - (US)
Fables, #14



Pages: 184
Ages: 18+
Finished: Dec. 14, 2010
First Published: Dec. 7, 2010
Publisher: Vertigo
Genre: Graphic novel, fantasy, fairy tales
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

Who am I?.

Acquired: Received a review copy from Random House Canada.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

This was a fantastic volume! We are at the beginning of something new for the Fables and this volume just barely starts to put things in motion but it's main focus is to introduce us to some new main players, namely "the bad guys" out there and the Witches, the former residents of floor 13 whom so far we've heard mention but only met their leader Frau Totenkinder. We start off with a two-issue story that takes us back into the Dark Man's history, who he is, and how he was caught in the first place. So now we know just what a formidable foe the Fables are up against.

Then we are off for the five title chapters which deal with the Witches of Fable. The residents of the 13th floor, some of whom we get to meet for the very first time. Frau Totenkinder is off on a secret mission and two Witches are vying for her place as new leader after her sudden disappearance. Here we meet up again with other familiar magical creatures such as Bufkin, Baba Yaga and Geppetto all regaining major roles, whom we haven't seen for some time now. There are also new magic wielders introduced. This is an exciting set-up for the new storyline which isn't fully unveiled yet but we have an inkling of the direction and certainly know who will be taking on major roles. I'm very excited about the direction of this new major story arc. Of course, everybody's minor storylines are all briefly visited upon during this time as well, keeping the general flow going. Finally the book ends with 2-issues back in the Homelands with a visit and a crisis in the Kingdom of Haven and its King, Flycatcher. This story doesn't seem to have anything to do with the rest of the volume but it does advance both Flycatcher and Riding Hood's characters and story arcs.

All and all, a very enjoyable issue for me that felt fresh and exciting as we go forward into a new era for the Fables.