Fairest, Vol. 2: The Hidden Kingdom by Bill WillinghamMy rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Once again, Bill Willingham and company have created a fresh spin on a fairy tale. And he takes Rapunzel to a very adult and at times disturbing journey to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Rapunzel has been looking for her children for many, many years. Even though she was forced to forget them, she never really does. That was a poignant note in this story. An interesting touch was that Rapunzel's hair grows continually, and she experiences very rapid growth spurts of her hair under strong emotion. You can guess how that plays into the story! Her companion is one of the Crow brothers, who is also her hairdresser. Her time in Japan opens the doorway to a story full of Japan's very imaginative, and in some ways very frightful folklore.
If you're like me and Japanese horror movies scare the you know what out of you, you might find this volume therapeutic. There is an interesting twist on the drowned maiden in the well. And I will never look at hairballs the same way again.
There are some dark elements in this one, probably the most out of all the Fables/Fairest volumes I've read, so reader beware. Having said that, I loved it just as much as the other ones. Rapunzel is both sympathetic and at times, really kind of scary. I've never thought much about her, so this volume definitely has me seeing her in a different light.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars
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