"Wait! Don't go yet! You didn't answer anything!" And so the end volume of what still counts as a wonderful undertaking in the world of adult fantasy comics, well, kind of underwhelms. I didn't really expect a pat, formulaic kind of story – there was only ever a hint of that kind of thing a few times, early on, about a decade or more before this book rounded off the whole mythos. And unfortunately, that was what I so loved about the early books – the cod-Shrek riffing off of fairy stories and folk tales. This book ticks all the boxes – for the creatives behind it, but not for fans of actual, you know, story. More guest artists than you could throw a mahl stick at, more cameo characters being rounded up and perhaps off, and still a huge void where something interesting happening could so easily have been inserted. So little of this feels at all essential, or even really welcome.

Still, by now I think – with all the copious spin-off series – we all were aware that Willingham was seeing this whole thing as a cash-cow. I mean, something needed to keep that there blue ox company.

It's truly bittersweet to have to say goodbye to Fables. Willingham still manages to make a story that is worth it and wraps things up well enough (with multiple sequels and spin-offs still possible and happening, of course).