Fables is not noir. Nor is the game positioned as a sequel to the comic for that matter. It has a style, it also has panache but in no way does it resemble Chandler novel. If anything, Fables is Pulp, set in a pre-Giuliani NYC, the comic and the game have you following Bigby (The Big Bad Wolf) as he solves mysteries but for the most part. You’ll notice when reading the comic, that Bill Willingham rewards the readers who have a knowledge of the actual stories of the Fables in question in the mysteries and also play with those expectations. Whenever a murder of a woman comes up Bluebeard is instantly suspected in the game and comic because of his history with his wives for instance. The Farm (animal) Fables all give Bigby endless shit and he is ‘by law’ not allowed to visit the farm because he was so terrible in the pre-amnesty days. The great thing about the comic too for fans is that the creators are hinting in the series of a grand finale to coincide with The Wolf Among Us, teasing the death of Snow White and Bigby.

As far as this first episode of Wolf Among Us goes, there’s nothing separating it from the comic, more so than The Walking Dead. These stories are perfectly constructed for that universe. They also fit the format of the game much more. For instance: Bigby is quite the strong silent type and from listening to the designers, silence was more popular choice in The Walking Dead than they anticipated. The problem was, the game wasn't written well for silent answers mostly because Lee was not the sort of person to let things stew. Bigby is the complete opposite, and the options feel vastly improved this go around. He as a character is much better at being an asshole because go figure, he’s sort of a prick in the same way that Steve Jobs came off as one in life. It's a bullheaded childishness that seems to be bread out of a superiority complex that has the rest of the cast gravitate towards the big lug.

This first episode rewarded readers of the comic big time. You see at the end that Snow White has lost her head. Wolf Among Us being a prequel puts this plot point in the question. Snow White is I would argue along with Bigby, one of the two main characters in the entire comic. Now Bluebeard has been mentioned as a suspect. His fable story being that he lobbed off the head of his wife. It’s unlikely to me that he did anything since this would complicate his role in the comic later. My main suspect would be Ichabod Crane, he’s also a Fable who has headlessness as a key point in their story. He was also within close proximity of both crimes. The ending of his true story is also left ambiguous, leaving Telltale to fill in much of the leftovers much like they did with the Woodcarver.

Not mentioned, but there’s also Princess Langwidere who is regent of the Land of Ev from the Wizard of Oz series. Princess Ozma is an integral character in Fables comics and it wouldn't surprise me if Langwidere in The Wolf Among Us. He whole shtick is that she's a Gibson girl who changes her heads as much as she changes her clothes, with a head for every day of the week, a collector if you would. The fact that the cut was magically done and very precise makes me think that there’s some tomfoolery going on with that aspect of the mystery. The fact that she didn't keep the heads if she did do it puts this in question but I still like the idea of a head collector in Fable-town.

You have any theories Giantbomb?

@granderojo & Steam