Reviewer: Andy Campbell
Story Title: Broken English (Chapter 1 of Arabian Nights [and Days])
Writer: Bill Willingham
Pencils: Mark Buckingham
Inks: Steve Leialoha
Colors: Daniel Vozzo
Letters: Todd Klein
Cover: James Jean
Assistant Editor: Angela Rufino
Editor: Shelly Bond
Publisher: Vertigo
How do you follow up on a storyline that at long last revealed the identity of the Adversary? Bill Willingham shows us how with this issue of Fables, which is the funniest that I’ve read in a long while. In his usual style, Willingham has several subplots going on in each issue, but the main plot in this story is where the humour is. Sinbad and his Arabian entourage show up at Fabletown…the problem is, nobody speaks their language, and they don’t speak English! Hilarity ensues, as the man speaking for Sinbad attempts some English phrases…and ends up with a garbled mess, like: “Where…king? Where…sex…bicycles?” Prince Charming and Beauty lose their minds trying to figure out what’s going on, and I love every minute of it.
The art is perfect, as always, as the team of Buckingham and Leialoha remains one of the most solid in all of comicdom. Props also go out to letterer Todd Klein, who writes the Arabian dialogue in a different font to distinguish the two languages being spoken, instead of the usual brackets and footnotes (e.g.
