It’s been over a decade since the last issue of Fables hit the stands, and honestly? I still can’t believe we got the gang back together. When DC announced the return of Bill Willingham’s beloved series under the Black Label imprint back in 2021, I was equal parts thrilled and terrified—thrilled because the world of Fabletown never really let go of my imagination, terrified because some reunions feel forced. Fast forward to 2026, and I’ve just finished rereading the whole revival stack. No kidding, those first teases had me digging through old longboxes like a kid hunting for buried treasure.
If you somehow missed the original run, Fables wasn’t just a comic; it was a phenomenon. Fourteen Eisner Awards, including Best New Series in 2003, and a storyline so compelling that it spawned the masterful Telltale game The Wolf Among Us (still waiting on that sequel, by the way). The series ended with issue #150 in 2015, leaving us all wondering if Snow White, Bigby Wolf, and the rest would ever grace the page again. Then DC dropped three separate bombshells, and I’ll never forget the morning I scrolled through the announcements—coffee mug frozen mid-air.
Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham
The first thing that grabbed me by the collar was Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham. A six-issue miniseries, written by Willingham himself, drawn by Brian Level, with inks by Jay Leisten and colors by Lee Loughridge. From the moment the covers surfaced, I knew this wasn’t going to be your typical crossover.
I mean, come on—it’s Batman versus the Big Bad Wolf. The pitch practically sells itself. The story drops Bigby right into the heart of Gotham City, and the noir atmosphere is thick enough to cut with a knife. Seeing these two detectives—one a brooding vigilante, the other a reformed predator with a nose for trouble—sniff around the same mystery felt like watching a chess match where both players refuse to blink.
Willingham later admitted he’d been dreaming up this pairing since the very first year of Fables. In a press release, he said, “Batman is a detective, and Bigby is a detective, and I love a well-crafted story crossing over characters from two different fictional worlds. It’s automatically a fish-out-of-water story for at least one of the main characters, and that sort of story always works.” Reading that, I felt a wave of relief. The creator got it. And he’d planted the seeds for interdimensional travel long before the Fables books ever revealed their cosmic mechanics.
After devouring the entire miniseries, I can confirm: the fish-out-of-water angle lands perfectly. Bigby’s dry humor crashing against Batman’s gravelly stoicism had me chuckling out loud. And let me tell you, the variant covers were collectibles I chased for months.
Fables #151 and the New Arc
But the true heart of the return was Fables #151, launching in May 2022 and continuing for twelve issues. This wasn’t a reboot or a reimagining—it picked up exactly where #150 left off, yet it still welcomed newcomers like an old friend opening the door wide. The core creative team returned: Mark Buckingham on pencils, Steve Leialoha on inks, Lee Loughridge on colors, and Todd Klein on letters. Seeing those preview pages for the first time… it felt like no time had passed at all.
Willingham promised a “great new character,” and oh boy, did they deliver. I won’t spoil who it is, but this figure weaves through the narrative with such elegance that I found myself rereading dialogue just to catch every clue. Buckingham’s art? He keeps getting better, as Willingham himself put it: “I know I’ve said that several times before, but can I help it if he keeps getting better and better?” I can’t argue with that. Every line, every expression, felt both nostalgic and fresh.
One of the greatest joys was catching up with the characters I’d missed—Snow, Rose Red, the cubs, and of course, Bigby himself. Reading #151 through #162 felt like attending a family reunion where you’re afraid everyone’s changed, only to discover the same old magic is still there, richer for the years.
Holiday Cheer and Justice League Cameos
Then there was Cursemas, a 48-page standalone holiday special. I remember picking it up that first festive season and being pleasantly surprised to see members of the Justice League wandering through the Fables universe. It was a lighter, more whimsical treat—the kind of one-shot you leave on the coffee table to revisit every December. Willingham managed to bake in the warmth of the season without losing the edge that makes Fables so special.
All three projects live under DC’s Black Label, which meant the mature themes I adored from the Vertigo days remained intact. No watered-down fairy tales here—just sharp writing, moral ambiguity, and the kind of artwork that makes you stop and stare.
Looking back from 2026, I’m grateful these stories exist. The return didn’t just rekindle my love for a series; it reminded me why I fell in love with comics in the first place. If you’re still on the fence, trust me—dive into Fabletown. The wolf is waiting.
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