Published: Dec. 1, 2002 and August 1, 2003
Publisher: Vertigo
Received: Borrowed from the library
"Once Upon a Time..."
After the Adversary attacked the land of fables and fairy tales, a few of the characters made it out to the real world. For the last couple centuries, they've been living among mankind. Now, Rose Red has been murdered, and it's up to the Wolf to figure out who did it and why. Then Snow White must check out the Farm--where they send those fabled creatures who are inexplicable to humankind. Something's going on up there, and it's up to Snow White to figure out what it is and put an end to it.
I was required to read these two comic collections for a Fairy Tale course. I enjoyed them to a certain extent, but they also frustrated me. I love seeing fairy tale characters in real life situations. I think retellings can be super fun and enjoyable (I'm obsessed with The Lunar Chronicles for example). However, I felt like these fell just a little short for me. They were fine, but I don't know that I actively enjoyed them.
It seemed like aside from Snow White, the men characters took over the plot. Little Red Riding Hood doesn't make an appearance, but the Wolf does, for instance--not only does he appear, but he's a major character. For every woman that appears, there are several men, and usually the men are revered scoundrels, and the women are nagging wives. I hate that kind of trope. It's insidious sexism.
I'm not sure I would recommend these. If someone was really in to retellings and had read everything else, I might suggest it. Or if someone enjoyed noir-esque comics, I might suggest it, but it would be farther down my list.
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