As the sort of people who would read a fairy tale blog, you probably already believe that fairy tales are not just for children. In my opinion, neither are comic books. In fact, there are more and more comic books out there geared toward mature audiences.
That being said, fairy tales and adult comic books are a match made in heaven. Vertigo’s “Fables,” although it is not the only adult fairy tale comic (Its main competitor is probably Zenescope’s “Grimm Fairy Tales.”), is arguably the best.

“Fables” is based on the premise that all of our favorite fairy tale characters are real beings from magical parallel worlds. After being chased from their homes by “the Adversary,” they fled to New York City, where they began a secret community right under the noses of us “mundies,” meaning “mundane, non-magical people”–sort of the “Fables” version of J. K. Rowling’s “muggles.” These “fables,” as they call themselves, are essentially immortal, and are kept alive by the mundies’ belief in them and love of their stories.
Their lives in New York City, however, are not a paradise. The Adversary is still out to get them, and they have their own drama to deal with. Snow White is now the deputy mayor of Fabletown, the Big Bad Wolf has taken human form and works as the town Sheriff, Prince Charming is sleeping with anything that moves, and Cinderella works at a shoe store, which gives her time to moonlight as a Fabletown secret agent. Let’s just say that these are not your little sister’s fairy tales, and you should never read them to her. These are definitely meant for mature audiences.
Overall, “Fables” is a brilliant series. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll marvel at the darkness its creators have brought to the series, and you’ll love every second of it. Not only that, but there’s also a spin-off series to keep you occupied; “Jack of Fables” chronicles the often sordid adventures of Jack Horner following his banishment from Fabletown.
This is a perfect example of modern fairy tales done correctly. This series has been running for almost ten years (since 2002), and I am hoping for at least another ten.
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