rltinha's review against another edition
3.0
Mais umas cambalhotas sobre o tubarão. Isto já se lê como se vêem aquelas séries que se degradaram mas nas quais se ganhou afecto pelas personagens.
E não findar a run seria omitir um dever.
E não findar a run seria omitir um dever.
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
Not the best volume by far in the Fables series. A breakdown:
Plotting: A great deal of the Fables storyline has been following our protagonists fighting the odds. Willingham usually starts dark (sometimes with Mr. Dark) and leads to a happier ending after much struggle. In this volume, Rose starts out hopeful (and the champion of Hope) by building a new collection of knights focused on second chances. But based on Willingham's previous writing, it feels like a straw man about to be torn down. It doesn't help that the story explicitly concerns itself with whether or not Rose's actions will bring about the downfall of Camelot again. It also doesn't help that Rose's actions drive a serious wedge between her and others, adding what felt to me to be an unnecessary but powerful plot twist.
Art: We get some Buckingham this volume, but also some Russ Braun finishes over Buckingham layouts. The result is the absence of sharp crisp lines in favor of a softer and rounder look to the characters. In addition, Steve Leialoha handles a story, and while his creatures are top notch, his sketchy style means the human figures are hard to distinguish and did not garner much empathy.
Hoping for better next volume.
Plotting: A great deal of the Fables storyline has been following our protagonists fighting the odds. Willingham usually starts dark (sometimes with Mr. Dark) and leads to a happier ending after much struggle. In this volume, Rose starts out hopeful (and the champion of Hope) by building a new collection of knights focused on second chances. But based on Willingham's previous writing, it feels like a straw man about to be torn down. It doesn't help that the story explicitly concerns itself with whether or not Rose's actions will bring about the downfall of Camelot again. It also doesn't help that Rose's actions drive a serious wedge between her and others, adding what felt to me to be an unnecessary but powerful plot twist.
Art: We get some Buckingham this volume, but also some Russ Braun finishes over Buckingham layouts. The result is the absence of sharp crisp lines in favor of a softer and rounder look to the characters. In addition, Steve Leialoha handles a story, and while his creatures are top notch, his sketchy style means the human figures are hard to distinguish and did not garner much empathy.
Hoping for better next volume.
thisotherbookaccount's review against another edition
2.0
You would think that, with just two books left in the series (Volume 20 is the second last book in the Fables saga), Willingham will get his act together to tell a cohesive story.
But NO.
Camelot, the 20th volume in Fables' ongoing saga, is yet another piss-poor entry in the series, a disturbing trend that has been going on for the past eight volumes or so (except for Cubs in Toyland. That one is a masterpiece). This book continues to be listless and clueless about where the hell it wants to go, and Willingham is simply throwing arbitrary ideas on the wall to see what sticks. Let's introduce Snow White's ex-lover! Not working? OK, how about this plot with Rose Red setting up a new Camelot? Not working either? OK, let's kill Bigby Wolf. That's gotta be a nice plot twist right? NO. BORING. Fuck, OK, how about we bring him back in this book? For good measures, we will throw in an old favourite: Boy Blue! How about that? FUCK, IT'S STILL BORING.
Fables has been boring for the longest time. Willingham has long run out of stories to tell, and yet he is still wading through old waters to find something worthwhile to write about. Yet, all he's come up with are handfuls of mud, and he's painting the walls with it and calling it art. The plots in Camelot continue to be a rolling ball of mess, and the version of Willingham that started out the series in the first place would be ashamed of the way things are going right now.
I have to point my barrel at Buckingham as well, an artist whose work I have admired for a very long time. Here, he has gotten absolutely lazy with his characters. His animals, location designs and human forms continue to be sharp and elegant, but his characters have NO FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. Rose Red can be giving a rousing speech, shouting at someone in the audience and feeling surprised with the SAME EXACT FACE. It is as if Buckingham got tired of drawing and decided instead to cut and paste all the faces. LAZY. LAZY. LAZY.
This volume failed to surprise me in any way, and Willingham continues to churn out stories that go nowhere. He is trying too hard to regain some of the former glory of the series, but he continues to trip and fail in every way. Fables has not been great since volume 12 (again, with the exception of Cubs of Toyland).
Fuck Fables, and fuck Willingham for running some of the best characters ever committed to comics to the ground.
But NO.
Camelot, the 20th volume in Fables' ongoing saga, is yet another piss-poor entry in the series, a disturbing trend that has been going on for the past eight volumes or so (except for Cubs in Toyland. That one is a masterpiece). This book continues to be listless and clueless about where the hell it wants to go, and Willingham is simply throwing arbitrary ideas on the wall to see what sticks. Let's introduce Snow White's ex-lover! Not working? OK, how about this plot with Rose Red setting up a new Camelot? Not working either? OK, let's kill Bigby Wolf. That's gotta be a nice plot twist right? NO. BORING. Fuck, OK, how about we bring him back in this book? For good measures, we will throw in an old favourite: Boy Blue! How about that? FUCK, IT'S STILL BORING.
Fables has been boring for the longest time. Willingham has long run out of stories to tell, and yet he is still wading through old waters to find something worthwhile to write about. Yet, all he's come up with are handfuls of mud, and he's painting the walls with it and calling it art. The plots in Camelot continue to be a rolling ball of mess, and the version of Willingham that started out the series in the first place would be ashamed of the way things are going right now.
I have to point my barrel at Buckingham as well, an artist whose work I have admired for a very long time. Here, he has gotten absolutely lazy with his characters. His animals, location designs and human forms continue to be sharp and elegant, but his characters have NO FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. Rose Red can be giving a rousing speech, shouting at someone in the audience and feeling surprised with the SAME EXACT FACE. It is as if Buckingham got tired of drawing and decided instead to cut and paste all the faces. LAZY. LAZY. LAZY.
This volume failed to surprise me in any way, and Willingham continues to churn out stories that go nowhere. He is trying too hard to regain some of the former glory of the series, but he continues to trip and fail in every way. Fables has not been great since volume 12 (again, with the exception of Cubs of Toyland).
Fuck Fables, and fuck Willingham for running some of the best characters ever committed to comics to the ground.
gentlemanbeggar's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
marimoose's review against another edition
4.0
Loving these last few volumes of the series again, not so much because Fables is FINALLY going to end, but because it looks like it's going to end a bit more explosively than what you would expect. (Alright, lie, considering I already know how it will end.) All the same, I did like almost all the stories in here, minus maybe the Boys in the Band (that was a little boring).
haia_929's review against another edition
4.0
This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.
In this, the 20th, volume of Fables we see movement towards the end. The beginning stages of wrap-up. Rose Red begins assembly the knights of the new round table, in her new Camelot. Ozma and Morgan Le Fey continue their work to try and reassemble Bigby. Winter continues working as the North Wind. There are a few other storylines but those are the main ones. There's also a short, non-Camelot related, comic at the end which shows how Fabletown will eventually end.
I really enjoyed this one. This volume had lots of movement and felt less like filler before the end comes. The art was great, as always. The character development was interesting with the reassigning of Camelot's famous roles. I think knowing that the end is coming soon is adding some bitterness to the whole experience overall though, and is making me cautious about the story because what is things don't turn out how I want them to?
I really enjoyed the Camelot plotline. I found it sort of unexpected, aside from knowing the title of the volume I didn't know how it would fit in. I think I should have seen it coming, with the introduction of Morgan Le Fey and the Lady of the Lake all that time ago, but I think I just overlooked those things. I liked the idea of Rose Red working to redeem other people, it definite fits into her story arc ever since Boy Blue died. I liked the sort of "afterlife" section with Bigby, we see the reintroduction of some beloved characters. I am definitely excited, if a little sad, to see how things will tie up as we get closer and closer to the end.
I think Rose Red and Snow White's character development was great. It fit into the story and the mood of their characters in the last few volumes. I was also glad to see the return of some of the more neglected characters. I'm also glad to see the children getting more into their roles, especially with movement on the prophecy happening.
I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It's a great twist on classic stories. This volume certainly did not let me down!
In this, the 20th, volume of Fables we see movement towards the end. The beginning stages of wrap-up. Rose Red begins assembly the knights of the new round table, in her new Camelot. Ozma and Morgan Le Fey continue their work to try and reassemble Bigby. Winter continues working as the North Wind. There are a few other storylines but those are the main ones. There's also a short, non-Camelot related, comic at the end which shows how Fabletown will eventually end.
I really enjoyed this one. This volume had lots of movement and felt less like filler before the end comes. The art was great, as always. The character development was interesting with the reassigning of Camelot's famous roles. I think knowing that the end is coming soon is adding some bitterness to the whole experience overall though, and is making me cautious about the story because what is things don't turn out how I want them to?
I really enjoyed the Camelot plotline. I found it sort of unexpected, aside from knowing the title of the volume I didn't know how it would fit in. I think I should have seen it coming, with the introduction of Morgan Le Fey and the Lady of the Lake all that time ago, but I think I just overlooked those things. I liked the idea of Rose Red working to redeem other people, it definite fits into her story arc ever since Boy Blue died. I liked the sort of "afterlife" section with Bigby, we see the reintroduction of some beloved characters. I am definitely excited, if a little sad, to see how things will tie up as we get closer and closer to the end.
I think Rose Red and Snow White's character development was great. It fit into the story and the mood of their characters in the last few volumes. I was also glad to see the return of some of the more neglected characters. I'm also glad to see the children getting more into their roles, especially with movement on the prophecy happening.
I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It's a great twist on classic stories. This volume certainly did not let me down!
joanarcherknight's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
4.0
Volume 20 and I think out of the 20 this might only be my 2nd that wasn't a five star rating. Still very good but not up to the usual brilliance. The art is (as always) amazing but the story telling dragged and was a little stale. Willingham by this point had already announced the end of the series and I think he might have been coasting a little bit.
Only two more volumes to go in the series which has been the most amazing rewarding series I've ever read (that includes comics, graphic novels, novels etc.).
Only two more volumes to go in the series which has been the most amazing rewarding series I've ever read (that includes comics, graphic novels, novels etc.).