Preview: Peter & Max, A Fables Novel
August 3, 2009
“For most of his long years Peter Piper wanted nothing more than to live a life of peace and safety in some remote cozy cottage, married to his childhood sweetheart, who grew into the only woman he could ever love. Which is pretty much what happened. But there were complications along the way, as there often are, because few love stories are allowed to be just that and nothing else.”
That’s it, there’s just waaaaaay too many well executed and wholly worthwhile works of imagination out there for my own good! I literally can’t keep up with the announcements and just when I catch up with a particular work, like Hydra, another [4] pop up in its place. And ironically enough, the latest project designed to lure money from my unsuspecting wallet is Peter & Max, a stand-alone novel set in Willingham’s critically acclaimed Fable universe under DC’s Vertigo imprint, starring none other than Peter Piper (and his older brother Max).
Willingham’s Fables takes place in a world that is fun, fascinating and positively peculiar — where your favorite fairy tale characters come to life in completely original ways every bit as compelling as those in the original tales because in Fabletown the characters lives are examined beyond the familiar, where things are not always what they seemed and the passing of time brings all new adventures. Case in point is this new prose novel, a first for the denizens of Fabletown, where the tale of Peter Piper is fleshed out beyond the popular children’s story.
Long ago, in the deepest dark of The Black Forest, two brothers – Peter Piper and his older brother Max – encountered ominous forces that changed them both irreparably. Thus begins an epic tale of sibling rivalry, magic, music and revenge that spans medieval times to the present day, when their deadly conflict surfaces in the placid calm of modern day Fabletown.
PETER and MAX: A FABLES NOVEL features the deft prose of award-winning comic book writer Bill Willingham and lush ink spot illustrations from FABLES artist Steve Leialoha. The novel also reveals secrets of some of the regular FABLES series cast members including Bigby Wolf, Frau Totenkinder and Bo Peep. Included as well is an 8-page bonus sequential comic story by Willingham and Leialoha that serves as a bridge to the FABLES graphic novel collections. And don’t miss the special FABLES #1/PETER and MAX PREVIEW on sale in July!
For an extended .pdf preview of Peter & Max: A Fables Novel, click here and be on the lookout for the hardcover release October 13th.
Follow that Raven... 
I’ve been a big fan of Fables and I’m definitely going to get this. Willingham is one of the best writers in the biz.
Right, I knew you were a big Fables fan LS and that you’d be snatching up the novel right away.
And speaking of Fables, have you been reading the ‘Great Fable Crossover,’ and if so, should I add that to my buy pile once it’s collected? It looks great but I wanted to pick your brain to see what you thought of it if you don’t mind.
Nope, haven’t read the Great Crossover yet (I buy Fables in tpbs as they come out) but I heard from other Fables fans that it’s really good.
And Willingham said the other day that it will be collected in one of the Fables tpbs, which is cool because that means I won’t have to buy any of the Jack of Fables comics.
Ah, I see you’re waiting for the trades as well. I’ve still got a ton of them to pick up but I’ve loved all the single issues I’ve read — which will have to continue holding me over as I purchase the numerous trades.
I’ve heard good and bad about the Jack of Fables series, but given Willingham’s involvement I’ll have to look into it a little closer one of these days.