Review by Frank Plowright

In the first volume writers Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges introduced both the Golden Boughs Retirement Village, in fact a prison for errant Fables, and a character based on the idea of a literary device. It’s obviously a concept they intended to expand from the start, as here we discover why the Warden is named Revise, and a further literary device supplies a new character. Literary principle is also the heart of The Bad Prince.

Jack’s desire to make himself the centre of every story has worked for him so far, but he’s not considered the consequences, which are that he’s now become a magnet attracting stories to him. It’s why he’s wandering around with a sword through his chest in the sample art.

Once again, Tony Akins draws the majority of the volume, and once again the art isn’t as interesting as it might be. A quick comparison of a scene with Hilary Page and Paul Bunyan drawn by Akins and the same characters in the following chapter supplied by Russ Braun shows Braun’s version as more interesting (and without foreshortening problems). There’s greater definition and they’re seen from different viewpoints. Braun also introduces a feature used going forward, the fantasies of Babe the miniature bull. These start as six repeated panels telling a brief story in thought balloons and from something begun as a time saving device for the artists, these become favourite interludes.

There’s a clever revelation at the heart of The Bad Prince, but it follows much meandering and posturing as the solution to Jack’s problem becomes revisiting the past. The lack of pace, especially after Jack of Hearts, is even remarked on in-story, which is never a smart idea. More interesting is the subplot setting up the following Americana, and introducing the concept of the Literals, investigating the reality of stories.

Before then there’s one final standalone episode as Jack relates how he was also Jack O’Lantern. Drawn by Andrew Robinson, it’s further proof that in the series the escapades of Jack in the past are preferable to the present day material. Here he makes a deal with the devil. What could possibly go wrong?

This is the final of the three paperbacks also collected in the first hardcover Jack of Fables Deluxe Edition.