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Ironic Contradictions

I'm a long time reader - since way back when I was seven. That makes it over three quarters of my life that I will be a reader for. But it is worth it. When I'm not reading or wasting my time online on here or Goodreads I'll be off playing video games, studying teaching and messing around with friends and pop culture. Or reading some more.
Fables, Vol. 6: Homelands - David Hahn, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Bill Willingham
This is the strongest addition to the Fables series to date. Perhaps it helps that this was more of an adventure story set in the Fablelands than previous novels and that we also find out the identity of the dreaded Adversary, which is an interesting little twist.

This all reminds me that part of the strength of this graphic novel series to date appears to be in the versatility of genres used by the writers. While the series is in effect procedural with various episodes happing from volume to volume, there is a mix of detective stories, fantasy stories, romance stories and, as with this volume, action adventure stories.

This particular volume definitely focuses more on what happens with Boy Blue as he ventures into the Fablelands to find Red Riding Hood, his love. I find it interesting that the authors chose to match two Fables with colours in their names in this romantic way and wonder if it was intentional. Boy Blue, as the main hero of this novel, becomes a far more interesting character, as armed with the Vorpal Blade and Witching Cloak, he becomes one of the most powerful magical characters in existence in the Fablelands.

There is definitely a sense that Bill Willingham did some work on dungeons and dragons when it comes to how the adventure progresses in this volume, yet for all of that this is still a finely told narrative. Which goes to show that you cannot judge a work based on the fact that it has connections to geeky or nerdy fantasy roleplaying games.

If you like the sound of this series: a fractured fairytale graphic novel series with gritty adult themes and set in two worlds then check out the earlier novels and see how you fare. I for one am getting more and more intrigued by the overall story as it progresses, much as with television shows that draw me in.