As you can probably tell from the Books section of this blog, I enjoy spotlighting a few books from time to time. It’s definitely an area of my writing that has gone somewhat unfulfilled—comics, video games, and movies receive the bulk of my love and attention writing-wise, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost heart for a good book. Quite the opposite, actually.

So I’ve decided to try something new. Keep an eye out for Rad Ink, a new ongoing feature over at RadNerd that promises nerdy book reviews. I’m kicking it off with Peter and Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham. Head over to the website to scope out the full review, but here’s a preview:

Most books and comics never make it out of their papery, multi-colored form or burst out of their speech bubbles, and that’s okay—we nerds like ‘em just the way they are. Here at RadNerd, we don’t always need fancy pants movie adaptations endorsed by big budget Hollywood mouths or plastered with Nicholas Cage’s face. A little less Nick is good for everyone. We love movies and TV just as much as the next joe, but sometimes going back to to the roots of what we adore just sounds better. You know … all those crazy words and stuff. Letters are like atoms for the literately-inclined.

Bill Willingham broke that single medium rule by breaking his popular Fables series out of its panel-defined shell, giving the world Peter and Max: A Fables Novel. Yeah, you heard me. Novel. Got it? Good. Screw comic blockbuster, Willingham and his right-hand, illustrating man Steve Leialoha decided to appeal to the bookworm in all of us … or at least try to coax its shriveled body out into daylight again.

Fables has been on my must-read list for awhile, so I was pretty happy to find a shiny review copy of the new Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 waiting for me in the mail. It retails for about $30, which isn’t too shabby for a deluxe book. Here’s a preview of my review:

Bill Willingham’s popular series Fables continues to reshape our cherished fairy tales into a modern, edgy new form, and now Vertigo has recast the magic that first captured the comic’s audience with a deluxe printing. The book splits into “Legends in Exile” and “Animal Farm” and also features a collection of color artwork and sketches titled “Treasures from the Woodland Vaults”; otherwise, there’s not much new to be discovered if you’re already familiar with the series.

“Legends in Exile,” the first arc, introduces the eccentric and memorable characters of Fablestown (pencilled by Lan Medina). From the classic and alleged beanstalk-climber Jack to the murderer turned detective Bigby Wolf, and the disciplined and stern Snow White in charge to her promiscuous and dishonest ex Prince Charming, Willingham’s focus on reinventing the characters of old cements his comic as a success. Many great and long-remembered comics began with a murder mystery, and Fables follows the same path when Snow White’s sister, Rose Red, becomes the center of bloody attention. In between dealing with the Beauty and Beast’s marital rough patches and keeping her manipulative ex-husband at bay, Snow White joins the Fable once infamously known as the Big, Bad Wolf in solving the puzzle of Red’s whereabouts—dead or alive.

To read the full article and learn more about the highs and lows of the trade, check out my review over at the Girls Entertainment Network.