Fables 146

"The Thomas Wolfe Syndrome" is the 146th issue of Fables. It was released on 19 November 2014.

Synopsis
The issue opens on Grimble talking with a crow and a wyvern in a far-away land. He explains that he's been given special abilities by "powerful sponsors of great magic", which allow him to cross between worlds. He also explains the purpose of his journey as "cleaning up a small mess", after which he will return to Fabletown. The wyvern then tells Grimble that Tom Wolfe, the apparent leader of that world, doesn't allow beings to leave, and attacks the bluebird.

In Fabletown, at a meeting of several of the important leaders, King Cole declares that Bigby is now an enemy of the community, and must be destroyed at all costs. Everyone agrees except Leigh, who spends an hour arguing that he should be spared, but fails to sway the rest of the leaders.

Meanwhile, Grimble is seen taunting the dead carcass of the wyvern, stating that he still posses the vigor he had as a troll. He then scares off the crow and continues on his journey.

Back in Fabletown, Leigh reprimands Cole for not supporting her argument for Bigby. He says that he didn't want their romance to cloud his judgement, and she angrily retorts that she was seducing him for her own purposes. She demands that the mayor delay the hunt for the wolf and retires to her chamber, where she is surprised to see Rose Red. Rose reveals that, thanks to her new-found powers, she saw through Leigh's glamour and knew of her true intentions. She runs Leigh through with her sword and takes the glass ring, and with it control of Bigby, for herself.

Leigh's blood stains Rose's suit of armor red, and Hope appears with all of the people Rose had previously had visions of, each of them chanting "what you wanted." Rose breaks down and questions whether she is the villain now. Hope's visions inform that she is going to kill Snow, despite her protests and questioning of why. The visions then disappear and are replaced with the cricket that first took Rose to the different agents of Hope. It states that it is going to tell her, without any ambiguity, exactly the nature of her and her sister, and transports her to the house they grew up in. It ends the issue by quoting the Tom Wolfe mentioned earlier, telling her that she can never actually go home again.

Credits

 * Grimble
 * Crow
 * Wyvern
 * Bigby Wolf
 * King Cole
 * Rose Red
 * Snow White
 * Leigh Duglas
 * Maddy
 * Cinderella
 * Flycatcher
 * Frau Totenkinder
 * Prospero
 * Morgan Le Fey
 * Hope
 * Boy Blue (Vision)
 * Colin (Vision)
 * Snow and Rose's Mother (Vision)
 * Cricket

Locations

 * New York City
 * Castle Dark
 * Leigh Duglas' Chamber
 * Snow and Rose's House

Deaths

 * Wyvern
 * Leigh Duglas

Trivia

 * First appearance of the Crow.
 * First (and last) appearance of the Wyvern.
 * Last appearance of Leigh Duglas.