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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Fables Compendium editions

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

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