Fables #158 – Bill Willingham, Writer; Mark Buckingham, Penciller; Steve Leialoga, Inker; Lee Loughridge, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This series has been off-schedule for a while, with a slow-burn plot mostly focusing on the Cubs on their adventures—but lurking in the background has been our new main villain, Peter Pan. A ruthless magic-hunter assisted by his fairy Tink, Pan caused chaos back on Earth before retreating—and young hero Jack in the Green took the fall for his crimes, spending years in prison. Now both are free, and heading for the isolated world where Bigby, Snow, and their kids have made their home. These plots are all about to converge, as Pan makes his arrival on the world with a blatant display of sadism that marks him as one of the cruelest villains the Fablesverse has ever seen. But these are small-scale targets—and when the wolves take to the skies in their famous game, a casual collision gives Pan the opportunity to mark one of them for death and begin his next hunt.
After so long building up to this story, the sudden action of this issue took me a bit by surprise. It’s a great reminder of just how powerful these Cubs are—and that’s even without seeing Bigby truly unleashed. While most of the action takes place in the haven, there’s another major subplot involving Cinderella and her work with the US government to contain the magic spread. An author-on-board line from her about the real threat facing the world indicates that Willingham may have changed his mind on some controversial issues, which is interesting. But while the heroes win the first round against Pan, this issue does a great job of driving home just how ruthless and powerful this new villain is. The cliffhanger introduces another major new player who might throw the entire balance of power out the window, too. With only four issues to go, hopefully this series can give the title a strong finish.
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