Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces

Others have posted in detail about the basis for the series and the segments of this volume, so I'm gonna skip the spoilers. I will say this: It's all been leading up to this big, final series of espionage adventures and world-spanning battles. We see how the war is won...and by whom. It's satisfying and it's exciting and it's sad, too. This is my fave ongoing comic book series, bar none. It's been hard waiting for the bound paperbacks (rather than reading one issue at a time), but it's always worth it. This series is well-written, well-drawn, and always full of twisty, folklorish-retelling fun. Boy blue shines here (although he's not having an easy time of it in more ways than one), as does Prince Charming (whether you've loved or hated his complex, conceited, but courageous self). Cinderella, er, I mean "Cindy," is kickbutt great as she does her wicked-good spy thing! The battle strategies are fun to follow. And the showdown between the Big Bad Emperor and one of my fave Fable characters ends with a lovely humorous twist. :) If you're not familiar with the series--start with #1. Really. This storyline is not going to satisfy properly unless you follow the story from chapter one. It's a great ride, and you want to start from "Go!" Now that the arc of the war series is done, I am crazy curious to see where the saga goes next. (And I keep hoping to hear more about Frau Totenkinder and her mysterious witchy ways, as well as more about all of the thirteenth floor's sorcerous inhabitants.) This series deserves every award it's gotten. Thumbs way up! Mir

A fitting end to the first main story line. Can't wait to see what happens next. Highly recommended to any comic or good story fan.

"War and Pieces" is the latest graphic compilation of Bill Willingham's brilliant Fable series. The premise of this series is the characters of folklore and fairy tales really exist. They have been driven to our mundane world by the Adversary, a ruthless conqueror who has taken over their worlds. They now live in New York state either in Fabletown (located in Manhattan) or on the Farm in upstate NY. If you have not read any of the other graphic novels in this series, don't read any further. In order to understand the series, events and characters, you need to start at the beginning. The series starts on a lighter note as Boy Blue and Rose Red discuss their relationship as the Fables prepare for war with the Empire. Earlier in the series, Cinderella had incurred a debt to Frau Totenkinder, the Black Forest Witch. In order to pay this debt, she most dodge the agents of the Adversary in order to retrieve and deliver a `package'. In the process, we find out just how formidable Cinderella has become as secret operative. For one she's every bit as ruthless as Bigby. This is something alluded to earlier in the series. There is a shuffling of the leadership of Fabletown. No one is making a power play. It's more of a reorganization so that the community may more effectively fight the war. The least informed of the inner circle proves to be the Deputy Mayor Beauty. Her confusion is both amusing and disturbing. It's obvious why she was left out of the planning. Despite their `unofficial' capacities, Snow White and Bigby play pivotal rules in the execution of the war. They launch their attack with daring and cunning. But there are mishaps along the way. We find out exactly what Prince Charming is made of. Fan favorites are injured or worse. While I found this to be a satisfying addition to the series, it is not the end. There are a lot of questions and loose ends needing resolution. That was fine with me. I really enjoy this series and I can't wait for more stories.

I like this series, and this was a satisfying end to a major story arc with room to continue developing. If you've been following the series, you should be happy with the way these charactersnplay out.

Considered the conclusion to the first major story arc of the Fables saga, WAR AND PIECES tells of the long-expected confrontation between the free Fables and the Adversary. This is where the story from the very beginning has been heading, so needless to say there was a lot of build-up and expectations for this one. I think it says a lot that this volume has a 4.5-star rating here on Amazon, despite its being subject to such high hopes by faithful readers. Most of your favorite characters are featured on center stage here, including Boy Blue, Bigby, Prince Charming, and Cindy. As you'd expect, this one is absolutely full of action, action, and more action, and compared to other Fables volumes, lacks a bit on the character development side of things. Still, a few personal interactions are highlighted here, including the potentially-budding(?) romance between Boy Blue and Rose Red. Besides that though, the rest of the book tells action-packed stories of the 'shooting war' with the Adversary. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I was totally satisfied by the way the war was detailed and the way it turned out. Somewhat predictable, but a joy to read. Fully lived up to my expectations (which were high). As far as I'm concerned, this would have been a perfectly reasonable place to conclude the series, but I'm obviously glad it has continued. Highly recommended!

Fables 11: War and Pieces bring to an end the war between the adversary and the exiled fables. Wow... The war is done with. For now. In this book. Took 11 books to get there but there's an end to it. And that's all I think that should be said about this. I'm not going to spoil anything else other than this is a fine read. Fortunately, when you read the afterwords, you find that this really isn't the end of the series which is a sigh of relief. It's weird that the war ends (for now of course). A lot of times, you read an ending to a large event and you're not satisfied. In this case, I was and I think you will be too. The story and art are consistent throughout. It's hard to believe that I'm reading the 11th volume of Fables but 11 books have preceded this one. If you're a fan of graphic novels, this is not a book to miss.

I still remember the first day I picked up Volume 1 of FABLES in Barnes & Noble. I was waiting around for my sister to finish work, browsing the comics section in hopes of coming across something that looked halfway interesting. James Jean's artwork on the front grabbed my attention right away, and after reading just the back cover I was hooked. I bought it immediately and have spent the months and years since then eagerly anticipating every volume. Willingham's re-imagining of classic fairy tale folk blends masterfully and seamlessly with his story of the ultimate war between worlds. I won't spoil anything for those who haven't read everything, but you'd be doing yourself a major disservice by not picking up WAR AND PIECES. I found the ending very fitting and in keeping with Willingham's characters and world. I can't wait for the next volume, THE DARK AGES, to see what happens to our group of intrepid Fables post-war.

I love the Fables series. It's one of my favorite graphic novel epics. This trade paperback is no exception; the Arabian Fables feature heavily in this one, and the writing for the story arc is top notch. War and Pieces is definitely one of my favorite books of the series, though I highly recommend starting at the beginning. Honestly, if you are thinking of buying this book without having read the previous, that makes no sense, and if you have read the previous books, you know it's amazing.

One of the most beautifully drawn volumes yet, not as heavy on story as others but a lot of action.

One of the best comic story line out there, wish they had more coming. The protgonists are fictional but real at same time,one of the perks of choosing famous fable charcters. Really interesting concept.

Très bon livre pour les amateurs de la série. Matériellement les livres sont de qualité moyenne, 2 tomes de la série commencent à avoir la couverture qui se décolle...

Great

surprisingly one of the best comic book series ever