Jack of Fables #8
Jack of Fables #8 — titled 'Heaven or Las Vegas' — is the second chapter of the 'Jack of Hearts' arc, the story run that introduced Lady Luck as a recurring antagonist and established Las Vegas as a key setting within the Fables universe's sprawling mythology. The issue deepens the series' defining tonal contrast with its parent title: where Fables played fairy-tale displacement as gritty human drama, this spin-off used slapstick, fourth-wall awareness, and morally bankrupt comedy to interrogate the same folklore. It stands as a representative chapter of the Eisner Award-nominated run that Time magazine's Lev Grossman named one of the Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2007, demonstrating how the Vertigo imprint could sustain a genre-comedy counterpoint to a prestige ongoing.
In "Heaven or Las Vegas (Jack of Hearts Part Two)," Jack wakes up in Las Vegas to a surprising new reality: he's married to the wealthy Holly. As the night’s revelry gives way to danger, the couple is suddenly targeted by the ruthless Belgian Mob, thrusting Jack into a high-stakes game of survival. Written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham, with art by Tony Akins and inks by Andrew Pepoy, and featuring a striking cover by James Jean, this issue blends glamour and peril in equal measure.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The series was born when editor Shelly Bond intervened as Bill Willingham planned to permanently write Jack Horner out of Fables, persuading him instead to launch a dedicated spin-off. Willingham brought in Lilah Sturges — a collaborator he knew from the independent Clockwork Storybook publishing venture — as co-writer; Jack of Fables was Sturges's first mainstream comics work. The 'Jack of Hearts' arc, which #8 continues, was part of the series' early momentum during a period when it earned Eisner nominations for Best New Series and Best Writer, with Todd Klein and cover artist James Jean ultimately winning Eisner trophies for their contributions to the run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Issue title: 'Heaven or Las Vegas' — Part 2 of the 'Jack of Hearts' arc (issues #8–11); cover-dated April 2007, published February 2007.
- Written by Bill Willingham and Lilah Sturges; pencils by Tony Akins; inks by Andrew Pepoy; colors by Lee Loughridge; letters by Todd Klein; cover painted by James Jean.
- Edited by Shelly Bond and Angela Rufino under DC's Vertigo imprint.
- The issue continues Jack Horner's Las Vegas storyline following his escape from the Golden Boughs Retirement Village, pairing him with Gary the Pathetic Fallacy as his sidekick and introducing his short-lived marriage to Holly Wagner, daughter of a casino owner.
- Lady Luck — a Fable goddess from the Americana homeland who sustains herself by consuming the brains of lucky individuals — becomes the central antagonist of the 'Jack of Hearts' arc beginning in issue #7; #8 advances her conflict with Jack.
- The 'Jack of Hearts' arc (issues #6–11) was collected in Jack of Fables Vol. 2: Jack of Hearts (DC/Vertigo, October 2007).
- Jack of Fables was the first mainstream comics work for co-writer Lilah Sturges, who was brought onto the series by Willingham and Bond specifically to provide a distinct comedic voice.
- The broader series was nominated for Eisner Awards in 2007 for Best New Series and Best Writer, with Todd Klein (lettering) and James Jean (cover art) winning Eisner Awards for their work on the title.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Jack of Fables #2 (2007), Fables The Complete Covers by James Jean #[nn] (2015), Jack of Fables: The Deluxe Edition #1 (2017)
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