Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers (Volume Four)

Bill Willingham

This volume was so exciting. I thought there would actually be some appearances of the wooden soldiers, but what actually happened was so much better.  Bigby Wolf has managed to become my favorite character of this series, followed very, very closely by Boy Blue.  His story of the last stand at world’s end made this volume so much more meaningful.  I’m eternally glad they decided to put it before the battle with the soldiers.

Also, it’s like someone writing the comic in the past was reading my blog.  I ask to meet Cinderella in my last review and there she is in this volume!  I guess the readers at the time were also asking for that kind of thing.  I thought I knew the way this arc would end in regards to our mysterious new fable (I won’t say her name because I don’t want to give anything away), and while it did turn out the way I had guessed, a big part of the ending I didn’t see coming.  This series has managed to remain interesting, even though some of the “surprises” were pretty predictable.

I know I am way too sensitive about my book characters, but after a few characters I really liked died, I realized the only way to keep these fables alive would be to make sure the world was still reading their stories.  At work, I suggested we have a fairytale display next month.  If they knew the real reason why, they’d tease me for all of time.  Overall, I thought this volume was great–and the ending!  Way to leave us hanging!  Thank God the next volume (which I’ve already started) isn’t as big as this one.  I had a hard time keeping it on the treadmill at the gym.  I give volume four 5/5!