I discovered Fables in trade paperback format and adore it for some of the same reasons you give. I'm a big "Into the Woods" fan, so I like the slightly skewed versions of the familiar characters. "March of the Wooden Soldiers" is my favorite arc so far. It's a pity Willingham isn't as good a writer doing regular DC Universe super hero characters. His portrayal of Robin and other Bat characters has received some major flack from comics fans, usually so out-of-character it hurts.