Fables #81

This haunting chapter of Vertigo's beloved Fables series opens with a cover by James Jean that evokes the tender gravity of a Renaissance pietà — a cloaked woman cradling an armored, unconscious figure amid cascading deep-red roses and scattered fairy-tale totems. The surrounding border of small whimsical icons (a teapot, a bunny, a tiny pig) contrasts beautifully with the mournful central image, giving the piece an otherworldly, bittersweet quality. With Willingham, Buckingham, and Pepoy continuing "The Blue Horizon" — chapter five of The Dark Ages arc — this April 2009 issue carries the emotional weight its stunning cover promises.