%20(1).png)
About Fables
Published by Vertigo, Fables is a fairy tale fantasy comic book series created by Bill Willingham. It reimagines classic fairy tale characters where they are exiled from their magical homelands and take refuge in New York City, living in secret in a community called "Fabletown". Whereas, non-human Fables take refuge in a place called "The Farm" which is a remote sanctuary.
Fables follows the story of Fablekind and their exile from their homes by a mysterious and powerful being known as The Adversary. It also explores the darker side of fairy tales and themes like exile, racism, moral ambiguities and tragedy.
During a recent re-read I began to think of what other comics like Fables are out there which comic book fans might want to explore. Below you'll find my list.
Y: The Last Man
Published by Vertigo, Y: The Last Man is a post-apocalyptic comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and with art by Pia Guerra. It follows a mysterious plague which instantaneously wipes out every living mammal with a Y chromosome, except for one man, Yorick Brown, and his pet monkey, Ampersand.
The series focuses on Yorick, Ampersand, Agent 355 and Dr. Allison Mann, who embark on a quest to find a cure to the plague (and Yorick’s lost fiancée, Beth) which has killed every man on the planet. Along the way, Yorick and his friends encounter many obstacles and factions look to stop them including a militant feminist group calling themselves The Amazons who believe the plague is a blessing, and The Israeli Army, who want to use Yorick for their own plans. Along the way there are clues to the origins of the plague leading to the end of this series - which will shock you!
God Is Dead
Published by Avatar Press, God Is Dead is a violent, philosophical and religious driven comic book series written by Jonathan Hickman and with art by Mike Costa. The series follows an earth where the gods of mythologies have returned which sparks a worldwide apocalyptic war of epic proportions.
God Is Dead follows the gods that return to earth and declare their dominance over humanity. As well as the people who choose to worship or rebel against them. With the various factions of Gods fighting amongst themselves, the battles create such devastation that many areas of earth are reduced to a wasteland. By the end, this comic book series will cause you to question your belief system. And if you don’t? Well, you haven’t been paying attention.
Saga
Published by Image Comics, Saga is an epic space opera blending science fiction and fantasy, which is written by Brian K. Vaughan and art is by Fiona Staples. The series follows its two main characters; Alana, a winged soldier from the planet Landfall, and Marko, a horned warrior from Landfall’s moon, Wreath. Despite their physical differences and despite their two race’s being at war with one another, they fall in love and become deserters, leading to the birth of their child Hazel. Who they will do anything to protect.
Saga is told from the perspective of Hazel, the series narrator, as the three of them flee from bounty hunters and factions which would see them dead. The series isn’t all doom and gloom, however, as they make allies across the way including Izabel, a teenager who is also a ghost and who binds herself to Hazel and also acts as her babysitter. Saga explores moments of humor, hope and love, set against a backdrop of war and its impact on individuals, families and societies.
Hinterkind
Published by Vertigo Comics, Hinterkind is a post-apocalyptic fantasy written by Ian Edginton and art is by Francesco Trifogli. The series is based in a world where humanity has been almost entirely wiped out by a mysterious plague, civilization has crumbled, and nature has reclaimed the cities. In this new wilderness, mythical creatures—referred that become known as "Hinterkind" have resurfaced. With the majority of humanity almost extinct, these creatures of myth, legend and fairytales now dominate the Earth.
Hinterkind begins in a human settlement where its small population are struggling to survive. Prosper and Angus embark on a journey to find Prosper’s missing grandfather, venturing into the wild, Hinterkind-dominated world. As they travel, they uncover the truth about the plague that wiped out human civilisation, Angus's heritage as a fae, and the power struggles that exist within the Hinterkind government. Although a fantasy element is at play, Hinterkind is a dystopian story at heart that tackles issues of mythology, environmentalism and the science versus nature debate.
The Wicked + The Divine
Published by Image Comics, The Wicked + The Divine is a mythological existential drama written by Kieron Gillen and the art is by Jamie McKelvie. The series follows a phenomenon known as "The Recurrence." In which, every 90 years a group of 12 gods are reincarnated into the bodies of young people. They become known as The Pantheon and gain incredible powers, even becoming internationally famous, but with the curse of dying within 2 years of being reincarnated.
The series has been praised for its multi-layered storytelling. From tragedy and moral ambiguity to mythology and contemporary dialogue, all the while providing a commentary on the dangers that can come with immeasurable popularity.
Sweet Tooth
Published by Vertigo, Sweet Tooth is a post-apocalyptic comic book written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire. It focuses on Gus, a human-deer hybrid, and his journey across a pandemic ravaged earth. On his way he discovers others like him, hybrid children that part human and part animal.
Eventually, other humans and human factions try to capture him and harness the reason why the hybrids are immune to the pandemic which threatens to kill every human that's still alive. Throughout the series, concepts of friendship, family and survival are explored. Specifically, Gus's kindness versus human depravity and cruelty.
Sandman
Published by Vertigo, Sandman is a dark horror fantasy written by Neil Gaiman and the art is by a varierty of artists. The story focuses on one of the seven "Endless", Dream, who has been imprisoned for over 70 years. He then breaks out of his prison and seeks to undo the damage done to both the dream world and waking world. Damage which can only be undone by recovering his lost artifacts - a helm, a ruby and a pouch of sand.
Throughout the series, Dream meets historical figures, journeys to hell, encounters psychopaths, and even enters a haunt house with John Constantine. A story that is both dark fantasy and supernatural in nature, Sandman is rich in its themes of world-building, folklore, horror, mythology and philosophy.
Wolf Moon
Published by Vertigo, Wolf Moon is a supernatural horror comic book series written by Cullen Bunn and with art by Jeremy Haun. It follows Dillon, a man who previously fell victim to the wolf's possession. Haunted by the experience, he dedicates himself to tracking down and destroying werewolves.
Wolf Moon often shows Dillon grappling with moral dilemmas as he struggles on whether to destroy the curse of the wolf at the expense of the host. Visceral horror, psychological tension and ambient textures are what enhance the spooky atmosphere of this short six issue series and make for a great read if you can track all these issues down.
Rat Queens
Published by Image Comics, Rat Queens is a fantasy comic book series written by Kurtis J. Wiebe and drawn by artist Rob Upchurch. It follows a group of female adventurers who take on a multitude of quests in the medieval town known as Palisade.
Despite its A-typical fantasy tropes, Rat Queens has often been celebrated for its diversity. With characters in the main group of adventurers being a Dwarf, an Elven Mage, a Human Ex-High Priestess, a Halfling and a One-Eyed Transgender Orc. Because of their differences, writer Kurtis J. Wiebe often blends elements of action, humour and relationship building in the development of these characters. It also won a couple of awards; an Eisner in 2014, and a GLAAD in 2015.
Chew
Published by Image Comics, Chew is a dark comedic horror comic book series written by John Layman and with art by Rob Guillory. The series follows Tony Chu, someone who gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats, and uses it to solve bizarre food-related crimes when he eventually becomes an FDA agent.
Chew gets a bit gross as the things Tony eats can sometimes be human corpses (and it helps knowing who killed the person who he is investigating). There's also elements and themes of food culture, morality, absurd humour and grotesque imagery which are explored.
Have you read any of these comics before?
Do you think any of these comics are like Fables?
Let us know in the comments.