Alan Moore, Stephen Basset and John Totleben showed us what comics could be and made so many other Vertigo titles possible. If you’ve never read their Swamp Thing, you are in for a treat. Check out Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book One then get Book Two.
Do you like your comic books full of literary references? Do you enjoy graphic novels that make you think? Is urban fantasy peppered with unbound creativity and recognizable characters-with-a-twist your thing? If you answered yes to these three questions, not only do we have the same taste in comics BUT I’ve got your back.
In Fables: Legends in Exile, the characters from the beloved stories of our childhoods are driven away from their fairy tale land and forced to live in exile in modern day New York. This simple yet brilliant premise is enough to fuel a complex web of politics, relationships and friendships where villains and heroes need to join forces to survive while finding a way to defeat the Adversary, the mysterious being that conquered their homeland. Join Snow White, Cinderella, The Big Bad Wolf, Pinocchio and many more in a story full of surprises that will keep you guessing until the end and will teach you how deceiving appearances are and how dangerous is to judge a fairy tale by its cover.
The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity, is full of familiar references that initially make a decent premise and guide us softly to the actual core idea of the book, which is nothing short of amazing. Enter the life of Tom Taylor, the adult son of world famous fantasy author Wilson Taylor, as he struggles with the burden of having lived a life in the public eye without doing anything to deserve it, besides sharing his name with the protagonist of his father’s books. When the boundaries of what is real and what is fiction start to melt before Tommy’s eyes, he needs to choose between sinking further in the hole that his life has become, or taking action. Thus Tommy starts a rather atypical hero’s journey where layers of complexity are added at every step leaving him no choice but rise to the occasion, although rather begrudgingly.
A word of caution, read these at your own risk. These first volumes are highly addictive. You’ll be hooked and consequently buy the rest of the series ignoring the urges from your brain reminding you that food and shelter are at least as important as finishing these stories. I know this for a fact, as my library can attest. On the bright side, I also know for a fact that you can get one of these free if you get them through the DC Buy One Get One Free promotion running through 11/28, so don’t miss your chance. [Editor’s note: use code DC16 at cart page!]
Last but not least, the cherry on top of all this is that, if you do get through all volumes from these series, you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic crossover story in The Unwritten Vol. 9, where the worlds of Fables and The Unwritten clash and are forced to form a most unusual alliance. But of course, you still have a long road ahead of you before getting there. And a rather enjoyable one.
Fernando Bessega is Director of Acquisition and Retention at comiXology.
