The Mean Seasons, the fifth volume of Fables, is a highly transitional volume, and therefore somewhat unsatisfactory when read by itself. I have a hunch that the subsequent storylines will be such that a temporary pause to set things up was necessary; but it doesn’t much reconcile me to having set off for an overnight trip without the next volume in hand.
The Mean Seasons collects three stories: a one-issue tale of what Cinderella really does with her time; two issues about Bigby in World War II; and four issues of the title story, which spans a year. It’s this last that’s the transitional bit; the others are fine in and of themselves. Fabletown’s Mayoral election is held, and as a result, various characters start down new paths in their lives.
To the extent that there’s a uniting thread in “The Mean Seasons,” it’s Snow and Bigby’s relationship, which is another reason for my dissatisfaction with this volume. I rather liked the two of them before this, but this story feels as though it’s just tossing up obstacles to prolong the drama, like a soap opera or a bad romance novel—by making the two of them annoying. Bleh.
I have every reason to believe that more meaty plot is just around the corner, however, so watch this space.