Fables, Vol. 19
Trade Paperback | Kindle Edition
Written and Created by Bill Willingham
Illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Shawn McManus
Inks by Steve Leialoha
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Lettered by Todd Klein
Cover by Mark Buckingham
Vertigo Comics
Release Date: December 24, 2013
Cover Price: $16.99

Bill Willingham gives us another installment of his nigh-legendary series in Fables, Vol. 19. Before this trade paperback continues the story of the exiled “Fables” in Fabletown, NY, the first third of this edition features the collected back-up stories of Bufkin, the flying monkey with no wings and Lily, his miniature-sized girlfriend.

The collected back-up stories are illustrated by Shawn McManus. His slightly-cartoonish style works well for Bufkin’s revolution in Oz. Couple that with Willingham’s writing, and this self-contained story masterfully transitions from a revolutionary war against a tyrant, into an adventurous love story that follows the odd-couple of Bufkin and Lily until their beautiful end.

Fables Encyclopedia
Hardcover | Kindle Edition
256 pages
Introduction by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham
Written by Jess Nevins
Cover by Adam Hughes
Vertigo Comics
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Cover Price: $39.99

The Fables Encyclopedia, by Jess Nevins, covers issues 1 – 121, and 1001 Nights of Snowfall. After only a few pages, it became clear to me that this is an indispensible tome, serving to compliment, and enhance the issues it covers. Hopefully, there’ll be a second volume in another decade or so.

It’s loaded with panels from the comics, helping to refresh memories for more obscure characters, and includes enriching sidebar comments from Bill Willingham “” check out his notes on the Hope character “” cryptically cool! Plus, there are also fourteen pages of issue by issue annotations, as well as lots of behind-the-scenes tidbits, and clever revelations, such as artist Mark Buckingham‘s inspiration for Tom Harrow.

Doctor Who #10
Written by Andy Diggle and Eddie Robson
Art by Andy Kuhn and Charlie Kirchoff
Covers by Mark Buckingham and Charlie Kirchoff
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 19, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99

The latest issue of IDW’s Doctor Who enters the second part of a new story arc called Sky Jacks, which (plot wise) is about as mad as many of the episodes of the long-lived and much-loved television series. The current issues have now moved on from the Pond days of the Matt Smith Eleventh Doctor era, and now Clara Oswald, our new companion, is included in the IDW series.

The opening of this issue features a reunion between Clara and the Doctor – both have been sucked into a dimensional universe thingy of some kind through a white hole, that’s made their arrival more than timey wimey: for the Doctor, he’s been there three years (and now has a huge beard), and for Clara, it’s only been a few hours.

Doctor Who, Vol. 3 #4
Written by Brandon Seifert
Art by Philip Bond and Ilias Kyriazis
Colors by Charlie Kirchoff
Cover Art by Mark Buckingham and Charlie Kirchoff
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 9, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Do you like some of that wibbly wobbly jiggery pokery stuff from the cosmos of the Time Lords? Well, the latest issue of Doctor Who Volume 3 might just be up your alley.

Issue #4 of IDW’s ongoing adaptation of Doctor Who centers in on an adventure with Amy and Rory, obviously set before their departure in the television episode of “The Angels Take Manhattan.” The finale of a two-part story, “The Doctor and The Nurse Part Two” actually stands well on its own, so newcomers won’t get too lost in the missing elements of the plot if part one remains unread.

The Goon #42
Written by Eric Powell, Tom Sniegoski
Art by Eric Powell, Mark Buckingham
Colors by Bill Farmer, Eric Powell
Letters by Mate Piekos
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: September 26, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50

How in the hell have I been missing out on The Goon for so long?! I was just recently introduced to Eric Powell‘s excellent series and I was floored by this amazing throwback horror comic with a dark sense of humor.

The comic takes place in an alternate Depression-era setting where monsters lurk around every corner just looking to get the jump on the Goon and his partner in crime, Franky. The Goon is a thug who’d fit right in with Batman’s rogue’s gallery. Only here there’s no Batman and the Goon will gleefully stomp a mudhole through whatever goblin crosses his path. This makes him a hero of sorts, but only because in a world brimming with demons, he’s the lesser evil.