Fables #82

Written by Bill Willingham
Art by David Hahn and Peter Gross

This is a transitional issue of Fables, as Willingham wraps up some of the events from the Dark Ages arc, and gets things set for the Great Fables Crossover, beginning next issue.

In the wrapping up category, we see some of the emotional fallout from Boy Blue's death last issue, as Flycatcher, Pinocchio, and Rose Red grieve in their different ways. Mowgli's story is wrapped up as well, in another excellent back-up featuring art by Peter Gross.

In terms of set up, there is an interesting conversation between Frau Totenkinder and Stinky the Badger about the nature of Fable-ness, as Stinky starts talking about Kevin the Literal, without realizing it. I'd wondered before how Willingham was going to tie the action in this title to what's been going on in its spin-off book. Between that and the fight brewing at the end of the main story, the Crossover looks to be a very interesting tale.

The art on this issue is handled by David Hahn, an artist I'm not very familiar with. He captures the look of the Fables quite well, and draws Pinocchio as a believable child (this is my only complaint about Buckingham's work on this comic). The cover art is by Mark Buckingham, a suitable replacement for James Jean.