Title: Fairest 1: Wide Awake

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 160

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seriously Series

New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator Bill Willingham presents a new series starring the female Fables. Balancing horror, humor and adventure in the Fables tradition, Fairest explores the secret histories of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red and others.

The first 6-issue tale follows the misadventures of Briar Rose immediately after the events of Fables #107 (collected in Fables Volume 16: Super Team), in which she was stolen away by the goblin army. Following this first collection, Willingham will serve as a consultant on all story arcs and introduce new writers from other mediums to the Fables mythos.

A very delightful spinoff series from the Fables series.  I loved hearing more about Briar Rose after she fell asleep to defeat the emperor.  And we get Lumi and Ali Baba as great side characters.  I had to remind myself of what happened in Fables 16, but once I jogged my memory, it was a great ride.  And we even get a bonus story starring a film noir Beast.  This volume really peaked my desire to read the rest of this series.  Off I go!

Fairest:

• #1 Wide Awake
• #2 Hidden Kingdom
• In All the Land
• #3 The Return of the Maharaja
• #4 Cinderella - Of Mice and Men