Fables Fairest: Wide Awake & Hidden Kingdom – Review

GameStop, Inc.

by Whitney Grace
Staff Writer

Fairest-Vol-1Rewriting fairy tales for a contemporary audience has been a popular trend for awhile. Disney’s Once Upon a Time series, various Hollywood movies, and young adult novels have kept it going. When it comes to comic retellings of favored old stories, Bill Willingham’s Fables is the star pupil in this genre. Fables is over a hundred issues strong with several spin-off series, including the newest Fairest. It debuted as a way for the Fables female cast to tell more of their own stories.

In the first volume, which takes place after the Adversary War, we meet Ali Baba, the prince of thieves, scouting for a genie in a bottle to grant him three wishes. Instead he finds a bottle imp with less than semi-phenomenal nearly cosmic powers, but who promises to help Ali Baba get his desired riches. Enter Briar Rose aka Sleeping Beauty and Lumi, the Snow Queen, both victims of Briar Rose’s sleeping curse and kept under a goblin hoard’s watchful eye. Ali Baba wakes both of them up with a kiss of true love, but Lumi is not very happy that she was forced to sleep for many years. She takes her temper out on the goblin hoard, while Ali Baba and Briar Rose attempt to escape.

As they wander in perilous snow, the bottle imp entertains them with Briar Rose’s life story and reveals secrets the princess did not even know. Lumi catches up to the pair, but spares their lives to hear the rest of the story. It turns out the Snow Queen is a story addict and during her time as the Adversary’s henchman she was not able to indulge herself. For the bottle imp to fulfill his promise to Ali Baba, Briar Rose needs to fall in love with the thief. She has other ideas, however, just like the Snow Queen. When a dark force from Briar Rose’s past show up, things get even more interesting.

Rapunzel takes center stage in volume two and it occurs years before Fabletown even had an inkling to go to war. Before Rapunzel joined the exiled fables in the mundy (our) word, she made a detour in the Hidden World-home to Japanese fables. She joined the imperial court as a curiosity and became Tomoko’s, a fox demon, lover. Rapunzel lived in a hazy bliss, but the Adversary’s forces crept into her new home. The Japanese fables managed to flee to the mundy world and unlike the Fabletown residents’ homelands, the Hidden World never fell. Rapunzel thwarted the invasion, but she also kept the Japanese fables from returning home. Her “children” blocked the way.

The Japanese fables have lived in the mundy world for hundreds of years, but they split into two factions: those who wish to remain and those who wish to return home. Rapunzel must journey back Japan to meet old friends and foes, not all is what it seems, though. Rapunzel reopens the portal to the Hidden World, but also to truths tucked away with it.

Fairest is the start of a strong, new series that will reveal even more secrets about our favorite fables. So far Willingham is using it as a vehicle to tell side stories that do not necessarily fit into the main storyline. Unlike Jack of Fables, which had a parallel storyline, Willingham may be wanting to keep Fairest for one-shots and back stories. If this pattern continues it will only enhance the main Fables storyline, tying up loose details and the like. If, however, he does make Fairest a spin-off, there is no telling what direction it will lead the characters, though we assume it will be good.

Anytime Costumes

Leave a Reply

FanboyNation
Animation/Anime Interviews Animation/Anime News Animation/Anime Reviews Film/TV Interviews Film/TV News Film/TV Review
‘Mr Jimmy’ Director Peter Michael Dowd – Interview

‘Mr Jimmy‘ Producer, Director and Editor, Peter Michael Dowd talks about...

Michael Jai White Talks About His Latest Flick, ‘Outlaw Johnny Black’ – Interview

Martial Arts and Action Legend Michael Jai White Talks About His...

‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’ Captures the Charm of the Original

‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3‘ Captures the Charm of the...

Event News Event Reviews
ScareScape Announces To-Die-For Specialty Haunted Treats

Experience To-Die-For Specialty Lattes, Signature Cocktails, Sinister Sweets, and More at...

AGBO Announces Third Annual ‘No Sleep ’til Film Fest’

AGBO Announces Third Annual Global Filmmaking Competition for Emerging Creators, “No...

‘A Black and White Cookie’ Brings Color to Old Racial Tensions

‘A Black and White Cookie‘ Brings Color to Old Racial Tensions...

Automotives Football MMA, Kick Boxing & Boxing Professional Wrestling
Olympic Runner Colleen Quigley ‘On The Road to Paris’

Team USA Olympic Runner, Colleen Quigley is On The Road to...

Paralympian Swimmer Ahalya Lettenberger On The Road to Paris

Team USA Paralympian Swimmer, Ahalya Lettenberger is On The Road to...

Ultimate Women of Wrestling Comes to the Globe Theatre – Interview

Ultimate Women of Wrestling Comes to the Globe Theatre on Sunday,...

Adult Continuity Comics on the Can Cultural Junk Drawer Future Comic Rock Stars Is That Racist? Revisiting the Reviled THAT'S NOT ROTTEN! The B-Reel The Cantina Scene This Week in Crowdfunding What the HELL Did I just...?
Fantoy Comics Presents – Harry Potter and the Pharump Apocalypse!

Like how you'll all be watching reality shows and 2 Broke...

Fantoy Comics Presents: Harry Potter and the final interruption.

Sorry, was expecting another interruption.

Cultural Junkdrawer – SEASON’S END: My Adventures with Superman.

“My Adventures with Superman” because this show, developed by Jake Wyatt,...

Music Interviews Music News Music Reviews
Songwriter and Poet, Tamara Mechael Talks About Her Career in the Arts

First Generation Assyrian-Chaldean, Songwriter and Poet, Tamara Mechael Talks About Her...

Louden Swain Headlining Los Angeles Show at The Echo

Press Release – Louden Swain are headlining Los Angeles show at...

Shira Elias Talks About Her New Single ‘Earth Sun’ and EP ‘Services’

Shira Elias talks about her new single ‘Earth Sun‘ out now...

Enabled Gaming Gaming News Gaming Reviews
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Gameplay Trailer

The first Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League gameplay trailer was revealed during...

Wonder Woman Game
Wonder Woman Game Announced By DC and WB Games

Wonder Woman game will feature the iconic hero in a 3rd...

MultiVersus
MultiVersus brings Batman, Arya Stark, Bugs Bunny, and More

MultiVersus is bringing Shaggy, Harley Quinn, Jake, Batman, Arya Stark, Bugs Bunny,...

Comic Creator Interviews Comic/Graphic Novel News Comic/Graphic Novel Reviews Manga News Manga Reviews Novel/Novella Author Interviews Novel/Novella News Novel/Novella Reviews
Chris Clews Is ‘Raised on the 80s’ and Shares Those Life Lessons

Chris Clews was ‘Raised on the 80s‘ and Shares Those Life...

Roye Okupe Brings Authentic African Representation to HBO Max and Cartoon Network

Nigerian-American, Roye Okupe brings authentic African representation to HBO Max and...

Steve Niles and David Dastmalchian Team Up for a Criminal Macabre/Count Crowley Crossover at SDCC

Steve Niles and David Dastmalchian Team Up for a Criminal Macabre/Count...

Apparel/Personal Maintenance News Apparel/Personal Maintenance Reviews Entertainment Product News Entertainment Product Reviews Food/Beverage Reviews Hardware News Hardware Reviews Mystery Box News Mystery Box Reviews
Harry Potter: Magic Caster Wand Demo

The new ‘Harry Potter: Magic Caster Wand‘ is ready to ship...

Chef Jen Peters and Matthew Clayton Bring us the ‘Good Flour’

Canadian Super Chef Jen Peters and Matthew Clayton Bring us the...

Pop Insider 2021 Holiday Gift Guide
Pop Insider 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

The Pop Insider 2021 Holiday Gift Guide is now available to help...

Gaming Uncensored Toon-In-Talk
Episode 38: Hamid Rahmanian

Join Whitney Grace as she speaks with artist Hamid Rahmanian, who...

No Preview
Toon-In Talk Episode 37: Niki Smith

Whitney Grace interviews graphic novel writer and artist Niki Smith about...

Toon-In Talk Episode 36: Rob Paulsen

Rob Paulsen takes some time from his busy voice acting schedule...