Skip to content

Please note that when you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Thanks!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks!

Fables Reading Order, Bill Willingham’s Vertigo classic series (with The Wolf Among Us, Fairest, Jack of Fables, and Everafter)

Fables Reading Order

Comic book series created by Bill Willingham and published by Vertigo, Fables is like if Once Upon a Time was dark, edgy and really high quality.

The series is about people from fairy tales and folklore who really exist in magical realms but they were forced out of their worlds by The Adversary and now live in exile in ours. They’re calling themselves Fables and, those who are looking like humans live in New York City, in a community known as Fabletown. The others live at “the Farm” in upstate New York.

One of the main characters is the reformed Big Bad Wolf – also known as Bigby – who is now Fabletown’s sheriff. He works with Snow White who is a member of Fabletown’s government and Old King Cole is the mayor. At the beginning, Fables told different kinds of stories, from a murder mystery to a caper story. As The Adversary resurfaced, the war began to take over everything.

Fables Comics Reading Order:

First, an optional prequel. The Wolf Among Us is a comic book adaptation of the popular Telltale Games. Not written by Bill Willingham, the series is nevertheless considered canon by some, though that seems to have changed lately with the development of the sequel.

Fables Reading Order Icon

Jack of Fables Reading OrderThough the first volume was released later, this is where the first spin-off begins. Jack of Fables is about the solo adventures of Jack… He is a divisive character, but if you like him, there are 50 issues to read. He left Fabletown in issues #34-35 of the main series. You can start to read Jack of Fables at that point, but it’s not an obligation.

  • Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
    A graphic novel prequel collecting prequel short stories. Can read it before, but definitely before the volume 9: Sons of Empire.

Jack of Fables Reading OrderYou’re reading Jack of Fables? It’s time to reconnect with the character and discover more of his adventures taking place, in general, in parallel to Fables. (thanks to Bill in the comments!)

  • Fables: War and Pieces
    Collects Fables #70-75.
  • Peter & Max: A Fables Novel
    An optional prose novel that takes place long ago, in the deepest dark of The Black Forest. Two brothers — Peter Piper and his older brother Max — encounter ominous forces that change them both irreparably.

Fables Reading Order IconAfter Jack of Fables, more spin-offs were published. The Cinderella series by Chris Roberson paved the way for Fairest which offered complimentary stories. You can skip them if you want, but if you love the Fables universe, they add some substantial developments.

  • The Unwritten Fables
    Collects The Unwritten #50-55.  A non-canon (understand really optional) crossover event between Mike Carey’s The Unwritten and Fables. It’s a What If? story. It’s better to read it after Volume 16: Super Team.

Fables Reading Order Icon

Several years after the conclusion, Fables is back under the Black Label umbrella for a new 12-issue arc, beginning exactly where the original left off, and a crossover with Batman.

  • Fables #151-162
    Recently completed. No trade paperbacks for the moment, but a Deluxe Edition will be released in May 2024 (see below!)
  • Batman Vs. Bigby! A Wolf In Gotham
    Collects Batman Vs. Bigby! A Wolf In Gotham #1-6. Willingham has stated this story takes place a year or so after the new arc.

Fables Reading Order Icon

Taking place after the main Fables series ended (though before some few last stories in Farewell), Everafter is a sequel (not written by Bill Willingham) about an elite network of agents—Fable and Mundy alike—traveling the globe to battle the magical threats that have arisen across the newly enchanted Earth.

Other Collected Editions of Fables

Fables Deluxe Editions

Fables Reading Order Icon

Fables Compendium editions

For the 20th anniversary of Fables, DC released a box set collecting the four compendiums.

Pin
Tags:

15 thoughts on “Fables Reading Order, Bill Willingham’s Vertigo classic series (with The Wolf Among Us, Fairest, Jack of Fables, and Everafter)”

    1. Carole
      Reply

      Hi Graeme,

      From the story point of view, Hidden Kingdom is set prior to the main series and can be read at any time after Rapunzel is introduced (Fables #52). Even as a standalone story, one to be introduced to the Fables universe, it still works.

      Issue #14 takes place in continuity, after Rose Read at least (and before Fairest in all the land).

      It can be read, no problem, after Wide Awake. So, it’s a personal preference. I made a re-read of the whole series in the first part of this year (except for Peter & Max) and I place it before Wide Awake in the reading order to avoid a sort of “flashback and standalone story” in this part of the story. Don’t hesitate to tell me if there is some continuity concern that I missed, I’ll change the place of volume if that’s the case!

  3. Flume
    Reply

    Hi. Just wanted to say thanks and that this was very helpful. I finished 150 last week and am finishing up my own list, which isn’t much different but is for issue to issue rather than collections. I’ll be crediting you for helping set up the framework I used.

    1. Carole
      Reply

      Hey Mark,

      The two Everafter trade paperbacks are on the list. It is placed after everything else – after the end of Fables (and the new return), as it is a sequel (taking place when Connor is a young adult).

      I hope it helps!

  8. Tod
    Reply

    Hey Carole,

    Thanks for putting together this reading order, greatly appreciated!

    I own the hardcover deluxe editions for books 1-9 and am looking to pick up the story again. After reading your list, I’m curious as to which of the stories (if any) aren’t included in the hardcover deluxe editions or compendiums?

    If I’m reading through all of this correctly, the following are (optional and) not included with the hardcover deluxe edition books or the compendiums. Correct?

    1. Fables the Wolf Among Us: Vol. 1 (issues #1-8) & 2 (issues #9-16)
    2. Jack of Fables #1-32, #36-50 [#33-35 are in Deluxe #10 & Compendium #3)
    3. Peter & Max (novel, not a comic)
    4. Fairest #1-33
    5. Batman Vs. Bigby!

    As far as cost goes, it looks like the compendiums are the way to go unless I want to drop a lot of coin on a few of the hardcover deluxe editions (#15 is WTF-priced).

    1. Carole
      Reply

      Hey Tod,

      Simply put, the hardcover deluxe edition books or the compendium collects the essential of Fables written by Willingham (the main series, the issues necessary for the crossover with Jack of Fables, and some one-shots or other graphic novels that are part of the story, really).

      You don’t need the rest to understand the story. So, yeah you will not find what you have listed in it, as well as the two Cinderella miniseries(though, I think a Compendium Fairest would be a good idea as it is a series that really complement the main ones in my eyes).

      Money-wise, the Compendium edition is always the best bet! Those solid editions give you the most story to read for less money (it also takes less place on the shelf!)

      1. Tod
        Reply

        Thanks for the quick reply and confirmation, Carole! Looks like Compendiums 3 & 4 are in my near future, along with most of the extras. Looking forward to re-reading the first 9 and then experiencing the rest for the first time! 🙂

  10. Bill
    Reply

    Hi!

    I found your reading order and appreciated it! Im curious why you listed Jack of Hearts and Bad Prince before Good Prince considering publication order and events referenced in Good Prince and Sons of Empire seem to be out of order with your reading (such as Kevin Thorns memory and placement still in Fabletown). It seems like it’s intended that we read Bad Prince after the events of Good Prince.

    1. Carole
      Reply

      Hi Bill!

      Thanks for your comment! I don’t know exactly what happened here, especially as the symmetry with the titles gave it away those two collected editions are linked a little bit.

      Despite a publication that started later, I think we wanted to acknowledge when the character left Fabletown and limit as much as possible the back and forth between the series.

      In that spirit, I made the changes suggested by your comment and put with Jack of Hearts and Bad Prince the next trade, Americana. My memories about the Jack series are blurry (to be honest, I’m not fond of the character so not really that invested in that part of the universe).

      Tell me if it’s good for you, and don’t hesitate if you find another mistake!

  12. Graeme Kelly
    Reply

    Hey doing a re read through and noticed clamour for glamours should be read before fairest in all the land .

    Clamour leads straight into fairest in all the Land from what I can gather .

    Thoughts??

    1. Carole
      Reply

      Hey Graeme,

      On my next reading, I’ll add notes because Fairest in trades can be the complicated affair!

      If my memories serve me right, the trade is included here because the main story references events taking place in Fables later on. So the last issue leads into Fairest in All The Land, but the Clamour for Glamour arc needs to be read later.

      I need to look into this more closely to be sure, though.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *