Cinderella Super Spy Heads Up the Next Fairest Series "Of Men and Mice" & She Gets a Hardcover Too

Shawn McManus for Fairest Issue #22

If you have been even half-following the Fables news you will be aware that Cinderella is both super spy and Fables super-star, getting her own stand-alone volumes of secret super spy adventures so, being one of Fabletown's most popular ladies, it's no surprise she's getting her own series of issues in the Fairest spin-off as well.

Unlike the Fables comics, the Fairest series is a little more "fantastic", with more magical elements, so I'm curious to see what they do with the Bond girl (who is just as much "Bond" as "girl") of the fairy tale world, especially considering they're revisiting Cindy's original ball. Check the comic panels below for views of the fairy godmother activating Cindy's ride. (I'm guessing this section in the story is pre-recruitment into the intelligence community so... interesting!)

Here's one of the coolest things about the news. The title of the series is: Of Men and Mice (if you don't understand my happy face at this, read on...)

Here's the scoop from NY ComicCon, along with excerpts from an interview from newsarama:

During the Vertigo panel at this past weekend’s New York Comic Con, DC shared new art from the storyline, which kicks off in December with an assassination attempt on Snow White that ties into Cind's origin story at the midnight ball. She investigates in a world-spanning story that takes her from the world of the mundane to the Homelands. 

Nrama: Why do you think Cinderella has become such a fan-favorite character?
Andreyko: She's James Bond as a woman! Her tough-as-nails attitude and ability to do anything that must be done to succeed in her mission is something we rarely see in female characters.
Nrama: It looks like Cindi is returning to the scene of the fairytale ball, where she first met Prince Charming. How did the idea to return to that part of the character's history come about?
Andreyko: Well, the storyline has ties to that fateful night, so a look back, especially at things we haven't seen, is required, and fun.
Nrama: How does the story kick off? This assassination attempt — is it chronicled inFairest? Or is it something that happens in Fables? Anything you can tease about the set-up for the story?
Andreyko: This storyline dovetails into the next big Fables arc and has ramifications for all of Fabletown… beginning with the assassination attempt on one Snow White.
Nrama: Can you reveal anything about the meaning behind the title of this Fairest storyline, "Of Men and Mice?"
Andreyko: Mice play an important role in Cind's past, but what happened after the clock struck midnight?

(You can read the rest of the interview HERE.)

Plus we're going to see a new Fable, from Asia and he/she is blue...

All I can think of are genies right this second but I know they've been covered quite a bit in the Fables series already... AND the first Fairest issues featured a blue imp-like genie too.. hmm. Must brush up on the Asian folklore!

This Issue #22 of Fairest hits stores early in December.

Also recently announced was this special stand alone graphic novel (presented like 1001 Nights of Snowfall) and it, too, stars Cinderella, and is due to be available in late November in hardcover (a limited release to be certain, just like 1001 Nights Of Snowfall was.)

Apparently Fairest Issue #21 is a prequel to the hardcover, Fairest In All The Land (and likely Of Men and Mice as well) and is a self contained story (meaning it can be read out of sequence/by itself) starring Goldilocks. Curiouser and curiouser.. or is that just right? ;)

FAIREST: IN ALL THE LAND is a murder mystery as told by the Magic Mirror—starring Cinderella and featuring many fan favorite characters such as Snow White, Rose Red, Bigby Wolf, Briar Rose, Frau Totenkinder, Goldilocks and many more.