The Good Prince

I think this may be Fables' finest hour. It is the story of the Frog Prince, and his transformation from a humble janitor named Flycatcher to King Ambrose of Haven.

Willingham has really accomplished something great here. Over the past nine volumes, he's been quietly establishing Flycatcher's personality traits, and here brings them to the fore, creating a transition for Ambrose that happens quickly but is still fully believable. With a supporting cast as varied as Lancelot, Bluebeard, and Shere Khan, Ambrose's tale is written as a traditional fable, but still fully within the Fable world.

I really enjoyed the presentation of a “third option” in the war between Fabletown and the Adversary, as well: while the conflict between the two of them does create for an interesting drama, it's good to know that there are characters who don't want to get involved with that, but would rather create a peaceful life for themselves. It helps make the Fables world, as well as the main conflict of the series, much more believable.