The writer Bill Willingham and “Fables,†the series he created, are no strangers to our graphic books best-seller lists. Now the first volume of that book's spinoff, “Fairest,†has joined in, landing at No. 5 on our paperback list this week. Featuring intricate artwork by Phil Jimenez, the story follows Sleeping Beauty after she is woken by Ali Baba, the prince of thieves, who does not have the purest of intentions for the heroine.
Future volumes will play host to rotating creative teams, handpicked by Mr. Willingham, who want to dabble in the “Fables†universe. Lauren Beukes and Inaki Miranda are currently in the midst of their run, which focuses on Rapunzel.
“Fables†and “Fairest†are the highest-se lling ongoing series currently being published by the Vertigo imprint from DC Comics, but overall the imprint has fallen on difficult times in terms of periodical sales. It was announced on Monday that Karen Berger, the executive editor of Vertigo, would be stepping down in March after a 33-year run at DC. Ms. Berger was the steady hand that guided some of the most critically acclaimed and best-selling comics during her tenure as editor, including “The Sandman,†“The Invisibles,†“Preacher†and “Y: The Last Man.†Her presence in the industry will be sorely missed.
As always, the complete best-seller lists can be found here, along with an explanation of how they were assembled.
