Jack of Fables #1

Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges & Tony Akins

I went into this book expecting not to like it too much, given that I thought the "Jack in Hollywood" arc of Fables was one of the worst of the entire book's run. But once it gets past the flashback sequences, Jack gets into trouble, as per usual, and the book takes a really interesting turn. The art by Tony Akins is pretty similar to Fables' Buckingham art, and James Jean is covering this spin-off as well, so it's not too far a departure from the original series - it just doesn't take place in Fabletown and it's creating its own cast of Fable characters. Speaking of other Fables, there are some fun guest appearances in the background, and one really shocking return that I wasn't expecting at the end of the book that pretty much sealed the deal for me to pick up the next issue. Anyone unfamiliar to Fables lore need not worry since the brief explanations get readers up to speed quickly enough (and really there's not much to what the Fables are...) I've always kind of thought of Jack as an abrasive character, but he's kind of enjoyable here since he's hit his low-point. He's still kind of a jackass, but at least he's entertaining. A-