This is perhaps the second strongest volume in the Fables series - that I have read - as it follows on from the introduction of Mr Dark and the destruction of the original Fabletown. It is in general a grand reminder of what I find so appealing about these as graphic novels.
I tend to read different genres differently. To me I personally perceive graphic novels as in a slightly realm of fiction due to their unique combination of visual as well as written mediums. As the idiomatic saying goes: 'a picture paints a thousand words.' Which in this case pumps the word count up by an infinitesimal amount as there are many different characters and therefore many pictures.
Aside from this book dealing with Mr Dark it also delves into the idea of good and bad witches. Some past lives of witches are looked at, the true powers of these witches are looked at and a secret cabal of sorcerers of the Empire are looked at. In all it is a fascinating look at the old archetype that many fairytales have in the classic witch.
This
Fables volume returns back with all the humour, grittiness, fantasy and characters that I loved in the previous books. And still in some way manages to do it better. I guess it's much as how some television episodes or films happen to be better than others - everything just flows together in the end.