PETER AND MAX: A Fairytale Brought to the Present

Vertigo/DC Comics | 2009 | 368 pages | List Price $22.99 | Get it for less at Amazon

In the world Bill Willingham constructs in PETER AND MAX: A FABLES NOVEL, the fairytales we grew up with are actually based on people who migrated to Earth from various other worlds®”but, battered by time and word of mouth, those stories only somewhat resemble the original events. PETER AND MAX focuses on the true tales of two brothers, Max and Peter Piper, who became estranged due to a disagreement on a matter of inheritance. While in the modern day, Peter learns that Max has come to Earth to settle the matter once and for all, the truth of the past®”what really happened in those fairy tales we know®”slowly surfaces through the pages.

I admit I was immediately taken with the book when I discovered it had pictures inside, and the charming fairy-tale tone set by the introduction had me further hooked. It’s tough for an author to successfully pull off an adaptation of a fairy tale; partially because it’s something that so many authors have already done, and partially due to the fact that as almost everyone is already familiar with the original tale, they tend to set especially high standards for adaptations. They want the author to justify having used a fairy tale as a base instead of coming up with a story from scratch. Willingham spatters the story with various “A-ha!” moments which allow the reader the satisfaction of making the connections between the fairy-tales they grew up with and the story Willingham weaves. That said, the half of the story that takes place on modern Earth involves very little interaction with modern Earth things®”which leaves the nagging question of why it was so important to set that half of the story on Earth largely unanswered. There were a few plot points that seemed rushed; but, since magic is part of the tale, that speed can be somewhat forgiven.

The story is definitely quirky, mostly lighthearted and fun; though like most original fairy tales, there is also a dark side. It’s an enjoyable read®”especially for those who miss books with the occasional illustration.

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