Ed Brubaker Sean Phillips
The Solicitation
GUNS! SEX! SECRET CULTS! AND MONSTERS!
Nothing the BEST-SELLING and AWARD-WINNING creators of SLEEPER, CRIMINAL and INCOGNITO have done so far will prepare you for the explosive debut of FATALE!
A reporter in 2012 stumbles on a secret that leads him down the darkest path imaginable... to a seductive woman who’s been on the run since 1935, a mobster who may be an immortal demon monster, and the stories of all the doomed men who’ve been caught in their decades-long struggle.
FATALE blends noir and horror to tell a riveting epic unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Preview
The Story
Nicholas Lash is the main character that we follow along. He is the reporter mentioned in the solicitation. He is burying his godfather in the beginning of the book when a strange woman comes around that knocks him off his feet. He notices some symbols on his godfather's tombstone that belong to some weird group he was with. The interesting part is that his grandfather was an atheist, so it is a bit intriguing.
The woman, Josephine, is a little more than she appears to be. Skipping over a couple of events, they get in a car accident, he gets hospitalized, and then he discovers a picture of his godfather and Josephine from the 1950's. she hasn't aged a day.
Brubaker knows how to deliver a these investigative stories like no other. I know he can pull of a great mystery and he has a way of giving characters a voice that sound like their own without being too stereotypical, which is how some voices can appear in a noir type of story.
Basically, the story is as enjoyable and as intriguing as any other of Brubaker's. I like it, and its a nice change of pace from the superhero stuff. If the preview didn't get you, then this comic simply will not be for you.
The Art
Phillips has always had an art style that I appreciated. No big splash pages, just enough play with the lights and shadows that seeing it in black and white has as much ambiance as color. He has a style that reminds me of Eduardo Risso from 100 Bullets that has more developed backgrounds and works within the panels of the comic instead of splashing images into one another. This is a comic that anyone new can get into and follow along quite well.
The Cover
I got the third printing, black and white variant of the Beast edition. Even in black and white it grabs you. Some octopus head thing in a suit with a gangster's machine gun? How can that not make you stop and notice it? There is a white frame around the comic as well that works great and makes the comic stand out on the shelf.
Grades
Words: 10/10 - off to a great start.
Pictures: 10/10 - I appreciate this art so much.
Recommend: Highly. Great first issue that sets the tone and lets you know what to expect from this series. I'm down with it.
Buy Next Issue: Bought it with the first one, I think I may not regret that decision.
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