Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld - a DC Graphic Novel

The character of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, first appeared in DC Comics back in 1983, in a special insert preview in Legion of Super-Heroes issue 298.  That preview told the story of a princess waging a battle against a dark overlord who was trying to take over all of her homeland, Gemworld.  But more than that, that special preview revealed that Amethyst was, in actuality, a barely-teen girl from Earth who traversed between the two worlds - living on Earth as a just-turned thirteen year old girl with regular problems, and living on Gemworld as a might princess with magical powers who just may be the only one who can stop the evil Dark Opal from taking over the land!  Written by Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, with very distinctive art by Ernie Colon, that preview had me hooked, and I anxiously awaited each of the 12 issue maxi-series that followed.  After that twelfth issue, I was disappointed that the series had reached an end, as I wanted more stories of Amy/Amethyst.

Well, I apparently was not the only one, as shortly after the maxi-series ended, DC Comics published an Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld Annual in 1984, followed thereafter by an ongoing series.  Sadly, that series only lasted 16 issues, followed by a Special in 1986 that concluded the story.  The following year, DC gave fans a 4-issue follow-up mini-series that featured a very different Amethyst (and dropped from the title was the "Princess of Gemworld" tag).  This mini-series, though, was only the first of many changes that this character would see through the years.

Fifteen years after that mini-series, in 2012, DC brought the character back in a revival of the Sword of Sorcery title.  Once again, the character's appearance and her story were changed, as she was updated for the new century.  That series only lasted nine issues, and once again, Amethyst disappeared from the scene.  Seven years later, she popped back up in the newest incarnation of Young Justice, albeit with yet another new look and story.  At least this time, though, the writer gave a (flimsy) reason for why the character seemed to keep changing in appearance over the years.  She stayed with that series for all 20 issues, while simultaneously in 2020 starring in her own 6-issue mini-series.  Once both of those series came to an end, I thought so would Amethyst.

But nope, this is one character that clearly will not stay gone (for which I am grateful!).  In Fall 2021, DC Comics published a new tale of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld in their Graphic Novels for Kids line of comics.  I was a bit hesitant at first, looking at the art in the initial ads for the book, as it came across as a bit too childish perhaps.  But then I saw that the authors of the story were Shannon and Dean Hale, and so I immediately placed my order for a copy.  After all, the Hales turned out two truly fun-tastical Squirrel Girl books for Marvel, so I figured they would treat Amy a/k/a Amethyst with the proper respect, while still making it fun.  And I was right!

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (2021) provides readers with yet another new take on the character.  This time around, Amaya (her real name in Gemworld) and her younger brother are playing practical jokes on the castle staff,  and when they are continually ignored by their parents, they decide to sneak into the treasury for Castle Amethyst - but their fun takes a wrong turn, and they end up not only damaging the castle, but also get poor Amaya sent to Earth (where there is no magic!) as a punishment.  Citrina, the chief mage, goes with Amaya, where they will assimilate into the Earth-life for one week before returning to Gemworld.  But, as fate would have it, the damage Amaya and her brother did to the amethyst powering the castle prevents the two of them from returning home!  Thus, they are stuck on Earth, with no magic, no powers, and no ability to get home!

Jump ahead three years, and Amy and her "Aunt Trina" no longer remember their life on Gemworld.  They have become fully immersed in their lives here on Earth, and Amy has even made friends at school.  Of course, she has enemies as well, and it is during a confrontation with two bullies that Amy and her friend, Autumn, get sucked into Gemworld, where the House of Amethyst has fallen, her parents and brother are missing, an interloper named Flaw is slowly doing damage to all of Gemworld, and the remaining eleven houses are in danger!  And who is the only one who can save Gemworld?  Why, Amethyst, of course!

Yes, some of the details have changed, and yes, the look for the characters is nothing like the original (no one can ever truly compare to Ernie Colon's original designs for the character); however, this story does stay true to the character - she is a young girl who has power thrust upon her, she is in awe of this Gemworld where she finds herself, and she has the determination and resilience to step up and save the 12 houses when all of the others are simply squabbling amongst themselves.  In this version, instead of taking someone from Gemworld to Earth, Amy brings someone from Earth to Gemworld - and reading Autumn's reaction to the magic of Gemworld and the fantastic things she sees there is thoroughly enjoyable! The inclusion of a young Topaz as Amy and Autumn's newfound friend on Gemworld, readers are treated to a trio of heroes who set out on an adventure of a lifetime to stop Flaw and save their homes.  Of course, the Hales provide another twist to the story when Amy/Amaya finds out exactly what happened to her parents and little brother!

While no story will ever truly measure up to the original Mishkin/Cohn/Colon story from 1983, I will say that this graphic novel is the probably the closest of any of the other incarnations to the fun and thrills of that original tale.  The art by Asiah Fulmore is definitely on the cartoon-y or almost manga side, but it fits for less-than-serious manner in which the story is told.  There truly is an almost "magical" feel to the story as you turn page after page, and I think that Fulmore captures the essence of the Hales' story in a way any other artist might not have been able to do.

Overall, the book was a success, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them to find out what happens next with Amy and her friends!

RATING:  10 fountains of camel milk out of 10 for bringing Amethyst back into the comics and introducing her to a new generation of readers!

The Forgotten Five, Book 1 - Map of Flames

This is not a book I would have normally picked up had I seen it in the bookstore.  I'm not really a fan of fantasy and/or treasure hunting stories, although I do enjoy a good supernatural story here and there.  But this one I did pick up because it came highly recommended by the author's daughter - who just so happens to be Nancy Drew!  Well, she's plays Nancy Drew on TV, anyway.  Kennedy McMann, who currently plays everyone's favorite teen sleuth on the CW's show is the daughter of Lisa McMann, the author of the Unwanteds series, as well as some other fantasy series for young adults and children.  Honestly, I had seen those series at Barnes & Noble and other bookstores, but never picked them up, since they weren't mysteries (which is my all-time favorite).  But since this first book in Lisa McMann's new series was being recommended by Nancy Drew herself (sort of), I figured I had to give it a shot!

Map of Flames is the first book in The Forgotten Five series.  The series centers around five children - Birdie, Brix, Seven, Tenner, and Cabot - who have lived an isolated life with the parents, away from civilization, away from everything and everyone.  Life has been good for them.  Until Birdie and Brix's mother doesn't return from a scouting trip.  And when the other parents go searching for her, they don't return.  Leaving Birdie and Brix's father to care for all five children.  The years pass, their father becomes ill, and on his death bed, he confesses an important secret to his daughter, Birdie.  And he leaves her a map, with instructions to take the map to her mother, who she needs to find in Estero.  But how can Birdie do that, when she has never left the isolated beach area they call home?  Does she have what it takes to leave the only world she's ever known to go into the strange outside world of which she has only read about and heard stories from the parents?  And will the other four children agree to go, or will they try to stop her?  And just what is the map a guide to?

Oh, did I mention that the parents all had super powers?  And did I tell you that the five children (well, four out of the five) inherited their own powers?  And, oh yeah, did I forget to reveal that the parents were all wanted criminals, which is why they have been hiding all these years?  So, yeah, you can see how that kind of complicates everything.  Plus, on top of all of that, the children have been warned that the people of the outside world do not have powers, and they all fear and hate the "supernaturals," as they call them.  So how will a girl who can talk with animals (Birdie), a boy who can bounce and heal quickly (Brix), a boy who can see in the darkest night and hold his breath for extended periods of time (Tenner), and a boy who is virtually invisible (Seven) be able to search through the millions of people in Estero to find Birdie and Brix's mother?  Why, by using the map of course!  Well, once they let the flames die down that appear every time they open the map.  You see, Birdie and Brix's father could control fire, so he placed a spell on the map to prevent just anyone from having access to it.  And that map is the only guide that the children have to Birdie and Brix's mother and, perhaps, the rest of their parents as well!

The story is a fish-out-of-water tale of children who have never dealt with money, never seen let alone experience automobiles, television, and cell phones, or even used a modern public restroom; but it is also a treasure hunt, as the kids must use the map and clues given by Birdie and Brix's father to locate the stash of stolen treasure the parents had hidden away before they disappeared.  It is also a tale of supernatural and superpowers, as they children must learn to use their abilities to protect themselves, to provide for themselves, and to perform a daring rescue of Bridie and Brix's mother.  More than that, though, it is a story of friendship, family, and trust, as the children must learn more about each other and themselves in order to work together and form a true family that can do anything they set their minds to!  And, of course, since this is the first book, it ends off with a cliffhanger that will clearly lead into the kids' second adventure.

McMann does a great job of giving the children very distinct personalities that set them apart from one another.  And she captures the essence of what it is like to be a child between the ages of 9 and 13 - uncertain, fearful, questioning, yet daring and willing to head off into adventure (particularly when there is no parental figure to stop them!).  Despite their differences, though, they are fiercely loyal to one another, and they have to push back their own anger and distrust to help each other in the end.  As you read this first book, you'll see some character growth in a few of the characters, particularly Birdie and Tenner, who the first two to head into Estero and face the world they have never known.  McMann provides readers with some tense, yet at times comical, experiences as the kids come in contact with every day things that we take for granted - stop lights, staircases, menus, libraries, and even doors that only open one way!  There is a bit of romance and jealousy among the kids, which was probably the one thing about the story that I felt was a distraction.  For me, the romantic feelings that Tenner had for Birdie and Birdie had for Seven just didn't feel natural and felt more like forced moments simply to create some tension between the characters.  However, it did ultimately lead to a bit of growth for Tenner in learning how to express his inner thoughts and feelings more, so I guess it couldn't be all bad.

I probably most enjoyed the use of the kids' powers, and particularly in the big rescue at the end of this first book.  And although Cabot believes she has no real super power like the others, it's pretty easy to see that her super-smart, analytical brain holds her power - she only has to realize it.

I can't honestly say this was the most exciting story I've ever read - I did have to force myself to keep reading it, as the book opens at a very slow pace, with the kids (mostly Birdie, but in small ways, the others) being very whiny and self-doubting.  But, McMann really gets her stride by the mid-way point, and once Birdie and Tenner get into Estero and the other kids begin their own trek to reach the outside world, things start to pick up, and the story gets much more interesting.  With the stage set now, and the groundwork laid for what's to come, I have no doubt McMann will be providing exciting from beginning to end in future books in this series.

Would I have picked this up without Kennedy McMann's recommendation?  Likely not.  But it is a story that has its moments, and by the time I was done, I did have a sense of enjoyment from following the kids' first adventure in the big, scary world.  So, I'd say the book is worth picking up and giving it a shot, even if you aren't a treasure-hunting / fantasy fan.  

RATING:  7 a la carte menus out of 10 for adventure, friendship, and family all rolled into one story!

Long-Lived Comic Series #1 - Warlord (DC Comics)

Okay, when I started this blog, I never intended to use it to review an actual on-going comic book series. Sure, I reviewed a number of short-lived series - comic book series that usually lasted 10-issues or less, as well as graphic novels and hard cover collections.  But with this pandemic having interrupted the publication of current comic book series for a bit, lessening the number of comic being published, and me not having the ability or opportunity to go out and do all the conventions, trips, and any number of other things I used to do that kept me busy, I found I had more free time on my hands - so, I finally sat down to read DC Comics' original run of Warlord.  David and I bought the entire run for only $35 at a Tampa Bay Comic Book Convention quite a number of years ago (back when they were still being held in the Double Tree Hotel near I-275 and Dale Mabry Highway), and while David dug into them and read the entire series some time ago, they have sat boxed under my computer desk for quite a while waiting for me to read them.  Well, I started reading them last summer and have finally reached the end of that original run.

Created by Mike Grell (famous not only for his Warlord run, but also for his work on Green Arrow for DC, Starslayer for Pacific and First, Jon Sable for First, among others), the character of Warlord made his first appearance in First Issue Special #8 (cover dated November 1975) - an American pilot, Travis Morgan, while trying to escape an attack during a reconnaissance mission in 1969, somehow gets transported to the land of Skartaris, where the sunlight is eternal, dinosaurs still roam the land, technology is a contradiction of past and future, and the people who live there are primitive yet brave and fierce.  It is there he meets the beautiful but battle-worthy Tara, with whom he ultimately falls in love, as well as the deadly Deimos, who becomes Morgan's mortal enemy.  As time passes, Morgan gains impressive skills in hand-to-hand combat using knives and a sword, as well as sheds his military clothes for a loincloth and belt.  He keeps his gun, however, and it proves to be quite useful in a world that has never seen such a thing.

The character quickly graduated to his own series, with issue #1 published with a February 1976 cover date (meaning that it is likely the character was already approved for an on-going series before his first appearance in First Issue Special #8 ever hit the stands).  The logo, "Enter the Lost World of The Warlord," enticed readers to join Travis Morgan on his journey through this lost world of adventure, sword, sorcery, and untold dangers.  Mike Grell was both writer and artist for the series in the beginning, and the series was set completely apart from the regular DC universe - meaning there were no super heroes, no super villains, no earth-shattering disasters, etc.  Grell and the books editors in the early issues made it clear that Skartaris, located in the center of the Earth, was not set on any Earth that contained super heroes.  (Interestingly enough, there were comments made by the editors in the early issues of The Warlord that stated in no uncertain terms that time ran differently between Skartaris and the outside Earth, and there were even stories that dealt with that issue - which explained why Morgan went back into the world above and discovered it to be a number of years later than when he disappeared into Skartaris, but nowhere near that much time had passed for him.  There was a promise made in the letter column that Grell would eventually explain why that is, but much later in the series, well after Grell left, it was stated that time ran concurrently in Skartaris with the outside world, and as such, there was nothing to explain.  This, of course, contradicted things that happened in the earlier stories, including how Morgan's daughter could come to Skartaris as a full grown adult, when Morgan remembered her as a girl when he first came to Skartaris.)

Grell told some truly interesting, very character-driven stories in those early years of the book involving Morgan and Tara's budding romance; his friendship with Shakira, the woman who could shapeshift into a cat; his friendship with the mighty King Machiste, who was forced to replace his hand with an iron mace; and the Russian archaeologist Mariah, who stumbles into Skartaris and chooses to stay, developing a relationship with Machiste.  There are plenty of sword and sorcery battles against slave traders, pirates, and other dastardly villains, but a large part of those early stories feature the evil Deimos, who is determined to destroy Travis Morgan and his friends.  Deimos is killed, but comes back several times, before finally being vanquished once and for all after losing all of his powers.  Grell, and those creators who came after him, remained faithful to the fact that Deimos was truly dead, and although mentioned from time to time, he never came back to life to fight Morgan (at least, not in this original run).

 

The original series, including that First Issue Special, the 133-issue run, and the six annuals, was comprised of a whopping total of 140 issues, which is pretty impressive for a sword and sorcery title like that, particularly during the '70s and '80s, when the super hero comics permeated the market.  The horror titles, the war titles, and so many non-super hero titles went by the wayside, but Warlord managed to hang on for quite a while.   Yes, there were a few bumps - after only the first two issues, there was an eight-month gap between issues 2 and 3 of the ongoing series, but after that, the series eventually attained monthly status (although, as it neared the end, it returned to its original bi-monthly status due to low sales, ultimately leading to its cancellation in 1988 with issue 133).  That's quite a lot of stories to tell about Travis Morgan and this lost world of the Warlord.  And I have to give Grell a lot of credit here - he both wrote AND drew the comic for the first 52 issues - that's more than four years straight of writing and drawing a bi-monthly, then monthly comic.  And although I am not really a fan of sword and sorcery type tales, I was easily sucked into this lost world with Morgan and his comrades.  The book, while showcasing wizards and sword fights and massive battles, dealt heavily with the relationships among the cast - giving it an almost-soap opera type feel to the book.  Which made me forget the genre and focus on the stories and characters.  Plus, while many sword and sorcery tales seem to offer up countless scantily clad women with the male characters completely covered, Grell broke the stereotype by offering his main character - a MALE lead - in nothing but a loin cloth and helmet!  (Although, truth be told, I have to wonder how Morgan always managed to keep that loin cloth covering the goods throughout all the fights he had - I guess the fact this was still an all-ages comic is the reason for that...)  After issue 52, Grell gave up the art chores and, although his name still showed in the credits as the writer, it turns out his wife, Sharon, actually ghost-wrote the next 19 issues (53 - 71).

After Grell and his wife completely left the title, Cary Burkett took over the writing chores, followed by Michael Fleisher.  I'm not going to knock these two writers, as they have both written other comics that I enjoyed, I will say that the direction of the book and the stories took a drastic turn.  The stories started to feature more and more technology, and when the "Crisis" hit in 1985, suddenly Skartaris became a part of the DC Universe proper, opening up crossovers with the New Gods and even Power Girl (who, at that time, was thought to be the descendant of Arion), who became friends with Morgan's daughter, Jennifer, and fought some battles with her.  I think the inclusion of these DC Universe characters did not sit well with readers, because Power Girl's adventures in Skartaris ended rather abruptly and she was sent away, as was DeSaad (who was being made out to be a big baddie in the Warlord world), and the last year or so's worth of issues tried to bring the book back to its roots with sorcery and character quests.  Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.   Plus, the characters were no longer recognizable at this point - Machiste had become weak-willed; Mariah was no longer self-sufficient and seemed dependent on men; Shakira became a (for the lack of a better term) slut who was chasing after any man to satiate her sexual desire; Tara was barely seen; and Morgan, himself, seemed to meander with no direction or purpose.  Grell somehow breathed amazing life into Travis Morgan and the stories he told that could not be matched, and while Burkett and Fleisher did their best, there was a clearly distinct difference in the stories.

A number of artists worked on this title over the 13 years of its run.  Grell obviously set the standard high, with his beautifully rendered male and female forms and superb layouts (NOTE - every issue of Warlord, including the annuals, with the exception of one issue, had a two-page splash spread on pages 2 and 3 as a means of introducing the story for that issue - for me, this gave the opening of the stories a huge lead-in that made you feel like you were a part of Morgan's world.  Mark Texeria, Dan Jurgens, Rich Buckler, Ron Randall, Art Thibert, Pablos Marcos, and Jan Duursema (among others) provided the interior art once Grell took his leave, and while most of it was pretty good, I don't think any captured the strength and masculinity of Travis Morgan as Grell did.  Some artists added clothing to his ensemble, while others drew him overly-muscular.  But, again, none of it was truly bad or so horrific that it detracted from my reading enjoyment, so I simply write it off as different artist interpretations.  But let's face reality - no artist can draw a near-naked man like Mike Grell can!

As the series reached its end, I do want to give credit to Michael Fleisher for wrapping up the book with a nice, tight ending.  Storylines were resolved (except one, which I will get to in a moment), characters were reunited and somewhat returned to their original status, and Skartaris was in a place that the reader could believe was looking forward to a bright future.  The only story, though, that seemed to have been dropped to the wayside (and perhaps there were plans for it had the book continued) was the story of Tinder, who was actually Morgan and Tara's son, Joshua.  Early in the series, during Grell's work on the book, Morgan and Tara had a son; however, Deimos stole the boy, through sorcery and science made a duplicate of the boy, and tricked Morgan into fighting, and ultimately killing, what he believed to be his own son!  (Of course, readers knew the real Joshua had been stashed away and given to a poor family to raise.)   Warlord and Tara never knew their son survived, although Jennifer later learned that the thief known as Tinder was actually Joshua.  That subplot showed up time and again throughout the series, and there were moments were Morgan and Joshua came in contact with one another, but did not realize who the other was.  The last year or so featured no mention of Tinder/Joshua, and the book ended without Morgan ever finding his son.   (NOTE - after the cancellation of this series, Warlord did return for a 6-issue mini-series in 1992, following by a 10-issue series in 2006, and more recently, a 16-issue series in 2009 - so hopefully the story of Joshua gets resolved in one of those series...)

The one constant that remained throughout the entire series, regardless of writer or artist, was the fact that Skartaris was a world of many unexplored areas, and as such, the reader never knew what could happen next.  Grell created a blurb that appeared on that two-page spread of each issue next to the title logo which read:

In the savage world of Skartaris, life is a constant struggle for survival.  Here, beneath an unblinking orb of eternal sunlight, one simple law prevails: if you let your guard down for an instant you will soon be very dead.

No truer words were spoken, and I can say that the unexpected nature of the book, the stories, and the characters definitely made the book, overall, an enjoyable read from beginning to end.  Did some inconsistencies and contradictions arise along the way (i.e., the time variations, the location of Skartaris changing from inside the Earth to being in another dimension post-Crisis, etc.)?  Sure, but, hey! This is comics, after all, and they are meant to be an escape, a way to completely enjoy another world outside of our own.  It is fantasy, after all, not reality, so just enjoy the ride, I say!  And this one was most certainly well worth the read.

RATING:  8 .44 automag pistols out of 10 for making a sword and sorcery series interesting and enjoyable to a comic fan who has never liked such tales before!

 

Fairy Godbrothers GN Volume One – Tooken

It seems that in recent years, there have been a number of different takes on the old Grimm Fairy Tale stories.  On television, there is Once Upon a Time, where the fairy tale characters were brought into the real world under a vicious curse by the evil queen.  In books, there was the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, in which two young girls are sent to live with their aunt in a town filled with fairy tale characters – only to discover they are the descendants of the original Brothers Grimm.  In the comic realm, DC Comics introduced readers to Fables, in which the characters of the fairy tale realms were forced to migrate to the real world when threatened by an evil Ghepetto.  Now, yet another spin on this concept has hit the bookshelves in the form of an original graphic novel series – Fairy Godbrothers.

Writer Ken Kristensen and artist M.K. Parker introduce readers to Sean and Marcus Redstone – brothers who have grown into polar opposites over the years and must find a way to be civil long enough to sell the family business their father started years ago before he died. But fate has other plans, and in this first volume, “Tooken,” Sean and Marcus discover that when their father told them about the magic that awaits them, he wasn’t kidding. The two find themselves whisked through their family’s hundreds-year-old grandfather clock into another realm where all of the fairy tale characters are real, just not in the way they remember. These versions are darker, meaner, and filled with much more sex and violence than imaginable. And when Sean and Marcus inadvertently kill the king’s tax collector upon their arrival, it sets off a chain of events that lead them down a path of adventure and reconciliation.

<<<SPOILER ALERT AHEAD!!!!>>>

 

But the old adage is true – be careful what you wish for!  In Kristensen’s fairy tale world, the magic in the fairy realm and that in the real world are connected, and when Sean and Marcus not only meet the mother they never knew, but witness the demise of a fairy godmother, they unwittingly create a butterfly effect that changes things in the real world – for when they return to stop the sale of their family ice cream business, they are shocked to learn their family business no longer serves ice cream – but porn instead!?!  Thus, the Redstone brothers prepare to head back to the fairy realm to set things right…

Kristensen does provide a unique take on the fairy tale/real world story; but, sadly, he seems to feel that vulgarity and perversion are a necessary means to not only make the story more adult, but to keep it “dark” and “gritty.”  Unfortunately, I would have to disagree.  The underlying story itself was really good, and the characterization (both of the brothers and of the fairy tale characters) was defined enough that there was no need for the massive amount of cursing and sexual remarks – they added nothing to the story. Instead, they come across as a poor man’s way of making a story more “adult” themed.  Aside from that, I do like the fact that neither of the Redstone brothers are truly likable in the beginning, but they are both redeemable, and along the way, the reader slowly grows to appreciate and understand why the brothers became what they did, making their reconciliation all the more meaningful.

Perker’s art is somewhat rough, but it works well on the black and white pages – I’m thankful they chose the B&W route instead of color, as I think it keeps the hard-edged feel to the story, particularly when the brothers enter the fairy realm.

This is not a series I would recommend to anyone under the age of 16, and I hope that if a second volume is forthcoming, that the writer will consider toning down the profanity and let his story speak for itself.

RATING:  7 bandages of human hair out of 10 for spinning a new tale of the fairy tale / real world connection – and giving a nod to Narnia with the old grandfather clock acting as a wardrobe door.

Fables - TPB Vol 22 (a/k/a Issue 150) - Farewell

Sadly, the amazingly well-written, beautifully-drawn, captivating and always entertaining series, Fables, has come to an end.  DC Comics began this series under its Vertigo imprint some years ago, and during the course of its 150-issue run, it has spawned two spin-off series (Jack of Fables and Fairest), a couple of Cinderella mini-series, a few graphic novel specials, a video game, and legions of fans. This series was a pre-cursor to the Once Upon a Time show on ABC right now, as Fables is the tale of fairy tale characters who have come over to the real world to live.  That, however, is where the similarities end.

I have followed the series all these years, and I have pretty much enjoyed each and every story.  Bill Willingham, the author and creator of the series, has managed to weave an intricate, on-going tale about these characters, in a lot of ways, creating a fairy tale soap opera.  I have grown to like the characters (even the mean, nasty ones), so knowing this would be the final issue has been bitter sweet.

I am definitely of the philosophy that a series should end while it is still good and not continue under the helm of a different creative team simply for the sake of generating more sales from the book.  Sandman, by Neil Gaiman, is a perfect example of this.  He wrote the series, and when he was done telling stories, the series ended.  So, it is only natural that Fables would finally reach the end of its stories.

This issue, which ended up being a trade paperback all on its own, did not disappoint.  We finally get to see the conclusion to the battle between Snow White and Rose Red that has been building for so many months now, as Fables choose sides and get ready for the last battle (hmmmm, C.S. Lewis anyone?).  I won't spoil it by revealing the outcome, but I will say that I was very pleased with how it ended, and quite frankly, it was the only logical way to do it.

This issue also contained a slew of "The Last Story of ...." which reveal what happened to all of the Fable characters after the end.  Particularly loved the seven "Summer Prophecy" pages, which let us know what happened to Snow and Bigby's seven children.

While I have become very disenchanted with a lot of comics being published today, Fables has been the one constant that I've always enjoyed, and I'm sad to see it come to an end.  Thanks to Bill, Mark, Steve, and the countless other artists involved in the series over the years for producing such a magnificent book!

RATING:  10 out of 10 happily-ever-afters for ending the series in a way that should satisfy every reader (especially me!).