Fatale #2 Review

Introduction:

Fatale is back in chapter two of the new series by crime noir masters Brubaker, Phillips, and Stewart. Brubaker and company continue to turn the genre on its head with the heavy influence of the supernatural and the occult. It is a fresh twist on the stories this group have been weaving in recent years and I welcome it.

Vitals

Title: Fatale #2
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Covers: Sean Phillips
Colors: Dave Stewart
Content: Fatale is rated for mature readers and contains nudity, violence, language, scenes of the occult, and adult situations.
Publisher: Image Comics
Cost: $3.99

Story:

Fatale #2 picks up where the first story leaves off and starts to fill in the gaps with answers as to whom this femme fatale is and what her motives are. It would appear that there are others out for her blood and deals are struck and alliances are made to get their hands on this beauty or to protect her from harm. In both cases the answer is whatever the cost to attain these goals.

It would seem that whatever ends up happening, it will not end well for anyone associated with Josephine good or bad, because this girl will stop at nothing to preserve her way of life. Those around her seem to be nothing more than pawns to use and throw away. Will anyone survive her plans or will Josephine herself meet an untimely end? Things are moving forward to answer that question and others.

Review:

After reviewing the first issue of Fatale, I wondered where Brubaker would take the story. In this second installment of the series, some answers are given but the fabric of the story is only starting to weave together. The true nature of Josephine, nor her enemies, isn't completely revealed, but a lot is shown and we can piece together the hints to make strong educated guesses.

Everything from the first issue continues here in terms of quality. The art and coloring is strong and dynamic, fitting well with the subject matter. Brubaker is doing an excellent job of revealing enough to answer some questions, but not enough that we aren’t wanting more.

There wasn’t a ton of action this time around, but things are quickly moving to what has got to be an epic struggle between these forces. One is surely evil, but the other is very unknown and we don’t know whether we should root for Josephine or wish her demise.

Conclusion:

I for one am very glad that Brubaker, Phillips, and Stewart are tackling this subject matter as the combination of crime and supernatural themes is such a great mix. They truly lend well together and come off like a early times of Hellblazer or a great Cthulhu story. It is a great series so far and it is shaping up to be what has got to be a frontrunner for best comic of 2012.