Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Book Two by Bill Willingham et. al.

The only problem with reading comics in their original single-issue format is that, if you’re like me and disorganized and somewhat absent-minded (and thus, the kind of person who finds Goodreads a godsend for its ability to help me keep track of what I’ve read and what I haven’t,) a lot of times, you don’t remember whether you’ve read this or that issue or arc, especially if your comic-reading heyday was also when you moved around a lot a/o had to put books in the rather dubious care of family members.

Anyway, I was at the library the other day, spending far too much time fruitlessly hunting down a book for work. To console myself at the disappointment, I decided to take a look at the graphic novels section, and found they had almost all of the Fables Deluxe Editions! Having read most of the first Fables when they came out in single issues, then later when they were collected as trade paperbacks and bookstores were my primary source of comics-reading material, I wanted to pick up where I’d left off… only I couldn’t for the life of me remember where that was. Also, my phone bricked that day, further adding to my glum mood, so I couldn’t check Goodreads on the fly. What better reasons to just go ahead and restart the series! They didn’t have Book One, but I was pretty certain I’d read at least that, so I snagged far too many of the following volumes to take home and read between, um, other books.

And it was a lot of fun, just having an hour or so to myself between work assignments last night, to sit down and read this volume through. I knew so much of the general story but had forgotten so many of the details, and even plot points. It was nice to delve back into it and be able to read it all in one sitting. It was also nice to be reading it with my tablet by my side so I could look up the more obscure references (e.g. Aucassin and Feathertop,) an advantage I certainly didn’t have when first reading this series, oh gosh, I don’t even want to think how long ago.

Anyway, I’m super glad the Montgomery County Public Library has these, because they’re a terrific way to re-experience one of the best comic series ever published. Great writing, great art (especially Mark Buckingham; I still think of him and Chris Bachalo as Team Chrucky,) and a great addition to the library of any comics aficionado who can afford the splurge.