© Bill Willingham & DC Comics, Inc.

Just arrived on my doorstep is this handsome oversized hardcover reprinting the first ten issues of FABLES, the fine series I letter. The art is larger, the paper is much better than previous printings, and the art and colors look fabulous. If you haven’t tried this series yet, this is a great way to start. The first two storylines are here, previously printed in the first two trade paperbacks. FABLES has proved its early promise with fine writing by Bill Willingham and great art primarily by Mark Buckingham, but also Lan Medina and others. It continues to be the finest fantasy epic going, and I love working on it.

© Mike Carey and Peter Gross.

Also just arrived is issue 5 of THE UNWRITTEN. Like SANDMAN and FABLES before it, I think this series shows much promise. This issue is my favorite so far, as it expands the scope of the premise beyond the protagonist, Tom Taylor, back into the past and out into the world of Literature at large. The main character is Rudyard Kipling, but also here are Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde, and behind the scenes a mysterious cabal that seems to be exerting control over the lives and careers of writers, and the British Empire as a whole. You don’t need to have read the previous issues to enjoy this one, but if you have, the ending will have more impact. Give it a try.