Fables: The Dark Ages

Title: Fables: The Dark Ages
Author: Bill Willingham
Genre: Graphic Novel
Page Count: 173
Why I read it: graphic novel challenge
Grade: C

Synopsis:
Tourists of the world unite! If you've ever craved a guided tour of Fabletown's secret Manhattan location, prepare to be voraciously satiated. Pinnochio has a field day taking a certain VIP around the city. And exactly which Fabletown denizens are no longer active (dead, alive or otherwise) just might shock you into a comic book coma. Also in this volume, you'll find the 4-part story featuring Freddy and Mouse, two local rogues who just want to get along and perhaps turn a bit of profit in the post-war, topsy-turvy world. Meanwhile, in Fabletown, a new political group forms called the Society of Seconds, and what they want doesn't seem very reasonable at all.

My review:
I've lost a bit of my love for this series as it has gone on.  The first one was just magical, but whether I'm just getting tired of the characters or the writing, I'm not sure.  I think if this were more about the fables themselves, and maybe their interactions with each other instead of about a war (and now a new big bad they have to deal with) I might like it better.

I really liked the first issue, "Around the Town" the best, and the rest was just okay.  I enjoyed both the story and the artwork.  Most of this volume was illustrated by Mark Buckingham, who is the regular illustrator, but I actually liked the work of Michael Allred, even if I didn't recognize Pinocchio at all at first.

I would still recommend the Fables series as a whole, especially if you like fairy tales.