TWIC: FABLES Hits Issue #100

FABLES, written by Bill Willingham, is one of the greatest on-going stories this century.  Hell, it's alot better than most of the stories those fogies came out with LAST century.  Frickin' 1900s...what happened there?

 Anyway, there's a really good interview with Bill Willingham at Comic Book Resources, and he talks about FABLES #100, and the spin-off series, Jack of Fables.  That series is ending next year with issue #50.

Let's talk about these two titles for a second.  Personally, I only read the collected editions of FABLES (meaning I don't read issue to issue), and I don't read Jack of Fables.  The only time I've read any JoF issues was during the Great Fables Crossover they did.  I really find it confusing and aggravating when inter-twining comic books leave out information in one book that you HAVE to find out in the other title.  There were major things that happened in JoF pivotal to the outcome and conclusion of the Crossover; so to leave FABLES-only readers in the dark was pretty strange. 

However, how else are you getting readers of FABLES to come over and start reading Jack of Fables?  Ahhh, there we go!  Now we're getting somewhere.  And you can see this in other titles as well.  Examples?

Batman, Batman and Robin, Gotham series...

Superman and Action Comics...

Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner: Emerald Warrior

Basically what I'm saying here is this: is this a creative move on the authors' part to make a story more complex and therefore better?  Or is it a business maneuver to get readers to pick up more titles in a world of ever-increasing comic book price tags?  Give me your well-thought out and well-cited answers in the comments section below.  I await with unfettered enthusiasm.