Fatale is widely regarded as one of the top-ten horror comics available. Surely, this little noir gem by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is making good on that promise with their almost surreal detective story.
Book 1: Death Chases Me introduces us to the contemporary leads, but the real star of the story is Josephine. A woman looking like the clichéd femme fatale, but with a dark secret. Immortal and forever beautiful, her strange magic affects men and what seems to be a Lovecraftian cult behind her.
That may sound a little much and bizarre, but the way the story unfolds, with flashbacks to the 1950s mixed in with current events, really works.
The style perfectly contributes to both the story and the atmosphere. While it is listed as a horror comic, and there are definitely some horror elements to be found on the pages, I wouldn’t say it’s very scary at all — unless you scare easily. If you’re a seasoned horror fan, it’s nothing that will induce nightmares. But if you are sensitive to cults, monsters, bloody murder and more such mayhem, maybe give this a miss.
If you’re not a horror fan, but you are equally not deterred by such things, the first book of Fatale is definitely one to check out.
Thoughts on Book 2, anon!
