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Submitted by Anonymous 
(Nov 01, 2006)

I've been a long time fan of Bill Willingham's work for many years. My first experience reading his comics dated back to his earliest works with the Comico series The Elementals and his role-playing contributions to the Villains and Vigilantes RPG. I was lucky enough to speak and get to know Bill on an old online writing forum several years ago. As both a writer and illustrator, Bill has a style that is all his own. His subject matter is never typical. After a long departure from reading comics, I was glad to see that Bill was back as well doing excellent work with his Eisner Award winning Fables series for Vertigo comics. The series focuses on a group of outcast fairy tale characters living in exile in modern day New York City. The classic bedtime stories of old were alive and living intriguing, often comical lives while trying to survive an unknown evil force called the adversary.
Due to the success of the series, one of the most beloved characters, Jack of Fables recently got his own title with Bill doing the writing. Jack epitomizes masculine charm and all of the cocky and brash qualities that a character that climbs beanstalks should. His solo series is now going on issue #3 and thus far is very entertaining.
Jack of Fables is a comical jaunt into the other side of the Fables universe. Adult themed and extremely funny, Willingham's strong wit is ever prevalent in Jack of Fables. His command of myth and fairy tales is matched only by his ability to perversely twist that same knowledge into humorous satire.

Jack is a love to hate character that most people can really latch on to. At the start of the series, Jack finds himself broke after a bad turn of fate that robs him of the fortune he has earned in the motion picture industry as an action star. Public attention is huge violation of Fables law and Jack finds himself on the run. Through a funny chain of events Jack ends up imprisoned in some unknown prison camp for fables that have broke the rules. Jack of course wants no part of this and immediately plans an escape, but not before sleeping with the semi-psychotic Goldilocks (Yes Goldilocks, that same little blonde that broke and entered into some bears home back in the day.)
Needless to say Willingham's take on modern fairytales is insightful and well written. His command of dialogue and humor pair with excellent art is sure to be a great read for anyone looking for a break from the mundane.