(2006) Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, David Hahn & Steve Leialoha, Titan Books, £9.99, trdpbk, 192pp, ISBN 1-84576-124-3
This is the sixth collection of the ongoing title containing issues 34-41. The two-part opening story, "Jack Be Nimble", follows Jack's career as a Hollywood mogul before we crash into the five-part "Homelands" story arc. Boy Blue, having stolen a cloak of invisibility and the Vorpal sword, infiltrates the Fables' homelands in order to spy and to return the body of Pinocchio to his creator, Geppetto. While there he launches an audacious assassination attempt against The Adversary and learns the terrifying secret of the enemy's true identity. Meanwhile, in a story called "Meanwhile", we discover that Honest John is not so honest, and Prince Charming sets Mowgli (yes, from The Jungle Book, do try to keep up...) on the trail of Bigby Wolf. By this stage in the proceedings you're either already sold on this lovely title, or you hate it and have stopped reading it. I think it's excellent, with only the very slightest of quibbles about the consistency of the artwork, for which I forgive it since not everyone can be Mark Buckingham (if you see what I mean). Still highly recommended.
Tony Chester
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