Aside from a drunk kinkajou that has almost nothing to do with the primary story, this volume is astonishingly sad. With a title like "The Dark Ages", I was certainly not expecting unicorns and rainbows. We say goodbye to Prince Charming, an scoundrel-turned-hero. Pinocchio's desperately trying to bond with Gepetto, Fabletown's #1 most hated citizen. And then there's Blue. Poor guy. He's always been Fabletown's truest hero and yet all he wants to do is play his trumpet and settle down with a nice redhead (Blue does have good taste, no?). His comments to Rose Red are some of the best in the series.So what's wrong?Mister Dark. He's too, well, dark. I found him more terrifying than the Corinthian from the "Sandman" series. He might have been at home there, but it's just too creepy for a series like "Fables".I don't think I will ever again open anything with a lock on it unless I can see its contents first. I also may have slept with a nightlight on after rereading this volume. I am officially done with Fables. The last few volumes have become increasingly rambling, with few events worth caring about and the continuous hick "us v them" - or perhaps more accurately: white vs brown - attitude towards the Arabian fables. A white western writer kills Prince Charming in such a manner that he dies a "hero", as we have seen in countless films, books, TV shows, even on the news - but it's only Arabs who consider this a positive thing, right? And Nordic mythology (where much of these Western European fables are originated) never condones dying for a cause, right?In addition to this and the other examples of unresearched ignorance evident in every volume since Arabian Nights, there was the whole friend zone revenge scene between Blue and Rose Red. Guys, if you get friend-zoned, know that it's only because your love interest is a heartless broken bitch and not because you're actually a bit of a loser.Yeah, I think I'm done. Fables has been mediocre from the start, at best a lazy sort of soap opera and constantly striving to hit a note it never seems to attain. Poor writing at its best.
What do You think about Die Dunklen Jahre (2011)?
The story isn't as well-developed as in previous volumes.
—kev
