This week is comics week at the Onion A.V. Club, and they’ve had some pretty fun features so far. The series kicked off with Twelve Memorable Comic Strip Deaths, a good read for those who enjoy their newspaper funnies, and it’s continued with interviews with Chris Onstad, Bill Willingham and Joss Whedon.

For those who haven’t read it, Chris Onstad’s Achewood comic strip is one of the funniest comics in production today, and since it’s online, it’s all available for free. It starts with the basic premise of talking animals, but it distinguishes itself with the care and precision that goes into defining each character’s personality. Ray’s gonzo materialism is offset by Roast Beef’s painful introversion, while the innocence of Phillipe is matched by Mr. Bear’s gentleman sophistication and Lyle’s raging benders.

Many of the strips are one-off jokes, but there are imaginative, branching storylines as well, like the Subway wars, the Badass Games and the Great Outdoor Fight.

Likewise, Bill Willingham’s Fables is one of the consistently best comic books being published today. The premise is that all of the characters we know from fables and fairytales are hiding in plain sight in Manhattan, with strict rules in place to keep their magical natures secret from the surrounding world. They’ve fled their respective homes to escape the armies of the rampaging Adversary, and having constucted their own society, they squabble over what to do next.

Willingham is consistently creative in digging up fabled characters, familiar and obscure, to drive his storylines. While the premise may be derived from children’s tales, his stories reflect their original darkness, with adultery, treacherous politicking and murder. I highly recommend it. The first issue can be read online, and beginners can also start with 1,001 Nights of Snowfall, a stand-along graphic novel that introduces and elaborates upon the cast.