Progress. That's what we want to see in any comic.Give us some more information, move the characters along, tell a story.
We get some of that in this issue of Fairest, but we don't actually make much progress.
It starts with a "meet cute" bit between the thief, Ali Baba, and the beautiful Princess Briar, with some commentary on the side by the imp Jonah. They're on the run because they're being pursued by the wicked Snow Queen and an army of ice creatures.
There's enough running to satisfy any Doctor Who fan, and a few glimpses into the background of the princess, but when we get to the end of the issue, we are (for all intents and purposes) right back where the whole thing started.
Which is not to say that it's a bad issue. As written by Bill Willingham, it's just one of those "laying the foundation" stories that are pretty much unavoidable in any new comic.
The art is a real delight, from the terrific cover by Adam Hughes to the outstanding interior art by Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning. It's a story filled with monsters, goddesses, sweeping landscapes and an amazing depiction of a throne room filled with royalty.
I'm new to the Fables universe, so that may be getting in my way. The issue just seemed to spend a lot of time running in place, and ended up being a bit of a disappointment, especially after an outstanding first issue.
Grade: B
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