Fables: Difference between revisions

'''Snow White:''' [[Face Palm|Never mind.]] }}

 

 

The characters we, the people of the Mundane World, thought were fictional have come to the real world to escape The Adversary, a despotic conqueror of tremendous power. Eventually, a number of these characters, heroes and villains alike, decide to put aside their differences and stick together in their own community. Old crimes are forgiven by signing a compact which makes them a citizen of this community, and also forbids them from revealing their true nature to the "[[Muggles|mundies]]". Non-human characters who can't afford a spell to make them look human are consigned to a secluded "farm" in Upstate New York. However, those old crimes are rarely, if ever, forgotten; a major early plot point is that Bigby Wolf is banned from said "farm" for all the atrocities he committed before he reformed.

The series has encompassed mysteries, adventure, romance, conspiracies, magic, culture clashes and fly eating, and has to date won 11 Eisner Awards. As of 2008, it's the most popular [[Vertigo Comics]] title, spawning a [[Spin-Off]], ''Jack of Fables'', three mini-series, ''The Literals'', ''Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love'', and ''Cinderella: Fables are Forever'', and one novel, ''Peter & Max''. As of 2010 Fables is now the second longest running Vertigo title after ''[[Hellblazer]]''.

 

 

At San Diego Comic-Con in 2011, a new spinoff called ''Fairest'' was announced. It will apparently focus on the female Fables, with the first two arcs showcasing Briar Rose and Rapunzel.

 

 

{{tropelist}}

* [[Author Filibuster]]: Bigby supports Israel's survival tactics, telling {{spoiler|a pajama clad Gepetto}} why {{spoiler|he is blowing up his enchanted forest; Fabletown is mimicking them.}} For or against, you have to admit the tactics work. Which is the point Bigby's making. There have also been a few not entirely historically accurate potshots agains France, but really, Bill generally tries to avoid this.

* [[Babies Make Everything Better]]: A major undercurrent in the general story. As revealed in ''Peter and Max'', Fables are unable to have children because {{spoiler|[[The Pied Piper of Hamelin|Max Piper]] used his eldritch powers to modify an influenza strain to sterilize the population as part of his revenge on his brother back in the 1920's}}. Snow White and Bigby's children are considered a miracle, the first born in years. In recent issues, speculation about Beauty and Beast's newborn {{spoiler|(the child can transform between cute infant to six-limbed furry beast)}} has been a background element.

** Explained in-universe in that a Fable's [[Contractual Immortality]] is dependent on the mundies' knowledge of their particular story. Which basically makes the much LESSER-known Fables into [[Red Shirts]] just WAITING to get [[Killed Off for Real]].

** Sort of {{spoiler|all the Fables thrown down the Witching Well, once Fly comes for them.}}

** It's hilarious when you realize that's what his name is. Big B. Wolf

* [[Big Good]]: Snow White until {{spoiler|Mr. Dark}} shows up; {{spoiler|Red Rose}} then takes the roll but only after an epic [[Refusal of the Call]].

* [[Blasting Time]]: How magic users lob destructive spells.

* [[Blue and Orange Morality]] - The D'jinn have no concept of good and evil.

* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]:

** Babe the Blue Ox, judging by his fantasies.

* [[Continuity Drift]]: Happens often. Legends in Exile, the first arc, has many differences compared to the later stories. Such as Snow White and Prince Charming. In [[Lo E]] she pushes all the blame for their marriage falling apart on him cheating on her with Rose Red and it's revealed he can never stay true to a woman. In 1001 Nights of Snowfall however, he's a good man who rejects the advances of several woman while married to Snow, who admits when the story is done that the marriage started falling apart when {{spoiler|Snow killed the seven dwarves out of revenge, which nearly lead to a war between two kingdoms, but she wasn't willing to admit what she had done to prevent said war. Charming had to fake a confession from a prisoner to keep the peace.}} (Then again, Snow herself has admitted that she's given to omitting or selecting various truths while examining her complicated personal relationships.)

* [[Cool Airship]]: The ''Glory of Baghdad''. It's an airship powered by ''flying carpets''.

* [[Let's Get Dangerous]]: {{spoiler|Boy Blue}} shows he's still got the chops when he singlehandedly {{spoiler|invades the Empire, throws the entire territory into distraught when he kills several high ranking officials including ''the emperor himself'', rescues Red Riding Hood, ''meets the Adversary in person'', and still manages to return home alive.}}

** {{spoiler|Bufkin}} of all, ahem, people. Complete with declaration of war.

* [[Lilliputian Warriors]]: The Mouse Guard

* [[Loads and Loads of Characters|Loads And Loads And Loads Of Characters]]: Well, [[Massive Multiplayer Crossover|duh]].

* [[Small Name, Big Ego]]: Jack, reaching epic heights when he narrates ''Jack of Fables.''

* [[The Sociopath]]: While most villains in the series skirt this (the Adversary, Mr. Dark, [[Bluebeard]]), the clearest example is [[The Pied Piper of Hamelin|Max Piper]] in ''Peter and Max''. On the other side, under [[Heroic Sociopath]], Jack, Frau Totenkinder and the North Wind all have their moments.

** Taken literally by reporter Tommy Sharp as he gathers information on Fabletown (see [[Exposition of Immortality]] above); Sharp believes "sent to the Farm" to be a euphemism used by the Fables for killing dissident members of their society.

* [[Story-Boarding the Apocalypse]]: The ''Sons of Empire'' arc is basically this. First played straight, then subverted. Check the trope's entry for all the gory details.

* [[Stupid Jetpack Hitler]]: Frankenstein's Monster was animated by the Nazis during [[World War II]], only to be stopped by Bigby and a band of allied soldiers.

* [[Tactful Translation]]: When the Arabian Fables come to Fanbletown, Sinbad can't speak English and Charming can't speak Arabic so King Cole has to be the mediator. Charming acts very direct and commanding, but King Cole's translations are much more gentle. He also does the opposite, translating Sinbad's politeness as direct commands to Charming.

* [[Take a Third Option]]: The North Wind swore an oath that no wild zephyrs would be allowed to live. When he discovers that Bigby and Snow sired one, he must either kill his grandson or have Bigby defeat him in a deathmatch. The first would irreparably damage his relationship with Snow and the grandkids (not to mention destroying what little relationship he has with his son), and the second is impossible as Bigby's not strong enough to beat his dad. {{spoiler|Instead, the North Wind commits suicide and takes Mister Dark with him. This ends Mister Dark's war against Fabletown and releases the North Wind from his oath.}}

* [[Thirteen Is Unlucky]]: All the witches live on the thirteenth floor of the Bullfinch building.

* [[This Loser Is You]]: " Nothing you do will ever be as cool as ''Jack of Fables''"

* [[Trapped in Another World]]: Subverted. They trapped themselves willingly and can go back whenever they want, it is just that the [[Big Bad]] conquered and destroyed their home world, making it a [[Doomed Hometown]].

* [[Undefeatable Little Village]]: In the album "The Good Prince", [[The Empire]] is severely shaken by such a village, having sent more troops against it then it could afford to lose.

** The above refers to how this religion comes across in it's early story arcs. Later story arcs might show how the whole thing turns out.

* [[Urban Fantasy]]

** Beast was granted this upon taking over the office of Sheriff from Bigby, when Frau Totenkinder (who, unbeknownst to Beast, was the witch who cursed him in the first place) and the other Fabletown spellcasters altered his curse to a transformation at will, in order to give him muscle on par with Bigby's when needed to enforce Fabletown law.

* [[Wham! Episode]]: Issue 100.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Better Than It Sounds/Comic Books]]

[[Category:Fairy Tale]]

[[Category:Vertigo Comics]]

[[Category:Hugo Award]]