Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm collects issues #6-10 of the Bill Willingham series and picks up after Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile. Caught faking her death in the previous story, Rose Red is sentenced to time at the upstate farm where the non-human fables reside. Upon being accompanied there by Snow White, the duo realize the farm is in the midst of a bloody revolution that threatens to tear the fable community apart.
I enjoyed the series' setup in "Legends in Exile," but I found Willingham's unique characters were occasionally buried beneath their requisite roles in the murder mystery genre. "Animal Farm" is another arc that takes its cues from literature (most notably, yes, George Orwell's Animal Farm), but here it's mostly a backdrop against which the interactions of the Fables characters drive the story. We learn more about the sisterly dynamic between Snow White and Rose Red, more about the Fables' social segregation and its resulting injustices, and more about how the Fables world operates in general. There's a great character bit where Boy Blue must round up a posse to save Snow White, and the resulting party includes Jack, Bluebeard and Prince Charming, all complicit in the last volume's scheming. Truly, a minor spat means nothing when you've lived for centuries. Willingham also reveals the secret to Fable immortality in a way that makes you look back on the longevity of these classic characters.
Mark Buckingham joins as artist with Steve Leialoha back on inks, and they'll be the predominant duo for most of the series' run. Buckingham's character designs will undergo some tweaks as the series progresses, but here you can already see the simple-yet-expressive pencilling that will define the feel of the series. Characters act and move in tune with Willingham's witty dialogue, and the layouts are well staged.
Definitely start from volume 1 of Fables, but volume 2 is where the series really comes into its own.Get more detail about Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm.
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