Issue #98: Comic Books For The Week Of Wednesday, September 1, 2010:

Fables #6 (special $1.00 reprint) (Vertigo/DC)
Superman: Last Family Of Krypton #2 (of 3) (Elseworlds/DC)

Fables #6 (special $1.00 reprint) (Vertigo/DC) *  *  *  *  *

Even though this is not a reprint of the first issue of Fables, it is worthy of a special reprint because it is the first issue of the title's second storyline, Animal Farm. It picks up where issue #5 left off. As punishment for her involvement in the events of the first Fables storyline, Legends In Exile, Red Riding Hood will have to go to the Fables farm. At their farm live all of the fairy tale characters who cannot pass for "mundies", like the Three Little Pigs. She is taken there by her sister, Snow White. Without spoiling that first storyline I'll just say that it was a mystery. The basic premise of the title Fables, which is still being published, is that the Fable characters of fairy tales have been driven out of their various kingdoms by an enemy known only as The Adversary. A few centuries ago these exiles settled in the area around what became New York City. The regular humans, or "mundies" (for mundanes) don't know that living and breathing fairy tale characters live among them.  I have read the first Fables trade paperback, but even if you haven't, there is enough exposition in the natural flow of the story to give the reader an idea of what has happened previously. It fits in the story without feeling like it's patched into the issue, interrupting the flow of the story. I can't wait to read the rest of the story.

Superman: Last Family Of Krypton #2 (of 3) (Elseworlds/DC) *  *  *  *  *

This is as good of a mini-series as I had hoped. Not only do we get to see interesting versions of Superman's supporting cast, but it's just a great story, period! The issue covers quite a few years in the lives of the El family. As Gary Frank is drawing Christopher Reeve as Superman in Superman: Secret Origin, Last Family artist Renato Arlem portrays the teen Kal-El as a certain super powered teen in a current television show. Kal-El's siblings face their lives on Earth in different ways. Kryptonite makes its way to Earth, and some groups actively work to rid the planet of Kryptonians. My favorite part of the issue was the twist ending. What a pleasant surprise. I did not see that coming. the final issue can't be published soon enough.

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