Fables: Rose Red

It's always time for me to rejoice and do the Snoopy dance whenever I wander into my local comic shop and see the newest Fables collection on the shelf. I don't actually do the dance in the shop, because then the people there would think that I'm even weirder than they currently do think I am. My feet are dancing inside my head, though. I was delighted to see Rose Red there recently and even better considering the cliff hanger that Fables #14 Witches, left us on.

The title suggests that the story is largely about Snow White's lesser known sister; Rose. Rose has been largely comatose, refusing to get out of bed, ever since Boy Blue rejected her just before he died.

The opening covers how the Fables prevented The Blue Fairy from killing Gepetto once Ozma had brought her to the Mundane world and the Fables farm. This was circumvented fairly simply and may I say here that I'm really not liking Pinnochio any more.

A dream version of Rose's mother visits here and we see Rose's story presented and this helps her deal with the mess she had made of her life and take charge of the Farm once again.

While Rose is doing this Frau Totenkinder, has gone to the Homelands, hooked up with the magician that originally imprisoned Mr Dark and made plans. Totenkinder is now in her guise as her younger version, a beautiful woman called Bellflower.

Beauty has her baby and to the joy of all concerned he isn't a monster as Frau Totenkinder's baby clothes suggested, despite her past, the old lady is quite a practical joker.

The confrontation between Totenkinder/Bellflower and Dark is truly epic and wonderfully presented.

Although the Fables seem to have put everything behind them and are getting their lives back in order the two epilogues hint that Dark is not done with and things in the Beauty and Beast house may not be as they appear.

Nicely set up for collection #16, which I'm already impatient for.

Fables #15 also contains the huge 100th issue which mostly concerns the battle between Dark and Totenkinder. Willingham's writing is as always fresh and crisp with plenty of emotion and twists and turns. Buckingham's pencils compliment it perfectly and I can't imagine anyone else drawing Fables now.

My only complaint is the time they take between publishing the collections. Damn! I have to wait until late in the year now.