“ | I always like suspecting Jack. He's been such a perpetual load in my pants since day one of the Exile. | „ |
~ Bigby Wolf to Snow White |
"Chapter Two: The (Un)Usual Suspects" is the second issue of Fables, with a cover date of August 2002. It was published on June 12, 2002.[1]
Publisher's summary
Bigby Wolf, Fabletown's one-man police force, interrogates some shady suspects for Rose Red's probable murder, including Bluebeard, a known ladykiller...literally. Snow White reveals the salacious act that destroyed not only her marriage but her relationship with her sister, and penniless philanderer Prince Charming decides to sell his royal title over the internet.[1]
Plot
The story starts the day after the events of "Old Tales Revisited." Colin, one of the Three Little Pigs has escaped from The Farm and spends the night at Bigby's apartment. He says Bigby owes him for his attacks before the General Amnesty. But there are limits to Bigby's patience, and he is sending Colin back to the Farm. Colin however escapes before he can be returned.
Bigby discusses the case of Rose Red's murder with Snow. He says that while the blood found in Rose's apartment is hers, he doesn't know yet if she has actually been killed. He also tells Snow he considers her a possible suspect. Cinderella is taking fencing lessons from Bluebeard and tells him about Rose Red's death. Prince Charming leaves Molly's apartment, after "borrowing" some money from her and asking her to do his laundry. He meets with Snow White for lunch at the Eggman. Charming wants her help in selling the title to his lost kingdom.
Bigby and Snow interrogate Jack. He says that Rose and him had argued a year before, and she had dated Bluebeard for a while. Jack says that he then reconciled with Rose, and that Bluebeard might have killed her for going back to Jack. Bigby and Snow then go to interrogate Bluebeard. Bigby openly accuses Bluebeard of murdering Rose. Bluebeard angrily denies this and says they had not broken up. He offers proof that they were secretly engaged to be married and says that he will be offering a million dollar reward for the capture of her killer.
Appearances
Characters
- Bigby Wolf ("Biggs")
- Bluebeard (first appearance)
- Cinderella (first appearance)
- Colin (first appearance)
- Dorothy Gale (first appearance; statue)
- Flycatcher
- Grimble
- Hobbes (first appearance)
- Jack Horner
- King Cole (first appearance; flashback)
- Molly Greenbaum
- Prince Charming
- Red Riding Hood's grandmother (first mentioned)
- Rose Red ("Rosey") (flashback)
- Snow White
- Toto (first appearance; statue)
- Trusty John
Locations
- The Homelands (first appearance; flashback)
- Colin's straw house (mentioned)
- Prince Charming's Fable world (first appearance; flashback)
- Mundane world
- Boston (first mentioned)
- Dublin (first mentioned, in song)
- Europe (mentioned)
- The Farm (mentioned)
- New York City
- Fabletown
- Chateau d'If Fencing Academy (first appearance)
- Edward Bear's Candies (first appearance)
- Grand Green Florist Shop (first appearance)
- Ford's Laundry (first appearance)
- I Am the Eggman Diner (first appearance)
- The Woodland Luxury Apartments
- The basement (first appearance)
- Detention cell
- Bigby's apartment (first appearance)
- Bluebeard's castle (first appearance)
- Business Office (mentioned indirectly)
- Jack Horner's apartment (first mentioned)
- The Woodland's garden (first appearance)
- The basement (first appearance)
- Midtown Manhattan
- Dry cleaner (mentioned)
- Molly Greenbaum's apartment (first identified as being located in Midtown Manhattan)
- Port Authority baggage check (mentioned)
- Rose Red's Greenwich Village apartment (mentioned)
- Fabletown
Fictional species
Multispecies
Species
Items
- Glass slippers (first mentioned)
- Magic beans (first mentioned)
- Numblin's seven league boots (first mentioned)
Other
Continuity
- Colin's actual reason for sneaking down to the city is revealed in Fables #6 — "Road Trip: Part One of Animal Farm," where it is explained that his cousins, discontent with being remanded to the Farm, sent him on a mission to Fabletown, to seek out others sympathetic to the animal Fables' cause and recruit them.
- Colin refers to his past encounters with the Big Bad Wolf (aka Bigby) as told in the story of the "Three Little Pigs."
- It's revealed that Snow White was Prince Charming's first wife, while he later married and divorced Cinderella; and that the reason why Snow White divorced him was he had an affair with Rose Red.
- According to Prince Charming, the annual Remembrance Day celebration is less than two weeks away.
- The full story of Snow White and Prince Charming's marriage and how it ended is explored in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall — "The Fencing Lessons," Fables #96 — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Chapter Three of Rose Red" and Fables #97 — "Dark Age Party Girl, Chapter Four of Rose Red."
- Bluebeard refers to Prince Charming's reputation at sword fighting.
- Jack Horner says he has been involved with Rose for four years.
- Bigby mentions two of Jack's past scams: Trying to steal Numblin's seven league boots to win a marathon and selling a map to the location of his magic beans. He also mentions the time Jack was known as "Jack the Giant Killer."
Trivia
- Flycatcher is shown singing the old English folk song "Frog Went a-Courting."
- As he leaves Molly Greenbaum's apartment, Prince Charming is singing the Irish folk song "Molly Malone."
- Colin is seen being driven away in a truck in the background when Snow White and Prince Charming are having lunch.