Percolations

A Comic Book?

I am not a fan of the graphic novel so I generally tend to skip right over anything having to do with the genre. The Book-Blogs, however, are all a buzz about a recently published book from the comics’ house Vertigo, written by Bill Willingham.

Now for those who are not familiar, like myself, Bill Willingham is a comic book author, and pens, from my understanding of the comic graphic world, an infamous series called Fables.

It was the wicked cover that drew me to Peter and Max, and from what I have surmised so far, the novel is set in the imaginative realm of the comic book series Fables. It is a stand-alone prose novel starring Fables characters. You know, the fairy tale characters we all grew up with: Snow White, Rose Red, the Beast and Belle, the Big Bad Wolf and Peter Piper, the ‘peck of pickled peppers’ Peter Piper, and his brother, Max.

Now before you stop reading and start rolling your eyes, understand that Willingham's new novel doesn't require knowledge of the comic it's based on. He keeps everything clear enough that readers new to the series won't be confused.

And while it toys with notions of mythology and its origins, Willingham’s work keeps true to the spirit of the Brothers Grimm: dark, fast-paced, moving and entertaining, with a few surprises along the way. Or so I’m told.

It's worth taking a minute to point out how beautifully rendered Steve Leialoha’s illustrations are. They imbue a European-quality that makes them curiously old-fashioned in a story-book sort of way, and from what I gather, his ink illos pepper Willingham's book, giving a visual effect to the conjuring of the words.

Peter and Max follows a population of fairy tale characters seeking shelter in our world after their enchanted lands were conquered. The story-line follows two brothers - Peter Piper and his older brother Max, who encounter ominous forces. It is a tale of sibling rivalry, magic, music and revenge that spans medieval times to the present day, where their deadly conflict surfaces in the placid calm of modern day Fable town.

I’ve really been enjoying the drift toward the mature reader of  Fairy Tales and Folklore these days, and I’m certain I will enjoy this rendering as well. I’ll let you know.
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