Fatale #1 (Image – Brubaker / Phillips / Stewart)

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.

Quite some time ago, Ed Brubaker (Criminal, Captain America) wanted to write a story combining mythology, history, horror, and magic together. Unfortunately, he abandoned the project and moved on. Lucky for us, he returned to the idea with his partner in crime, Sean Phillips (Incognito, Criminal) in 2011. Together, they created Fatale, a story where crime and mystery meets Lovecraftian horror…and a lot of other things. Most people familiar with the creative team’s past books will most likely love this fresh and unique product. I have not read any of them (not yet at least), but this first issue was a real treat for me.
The story begins with a dark, depressing funeral. Lovely. This is the funeral of Dominic Raines, a bestselling author of several novels. At the funeral is Dominic’s godson, Nicolas Lash, who inherits Raines’ home and possessions. While digging through the house, Nicolas comes across an unpublished manuscript written by Dominic. He is led to believe that this was Dominic’s first story ever…but it seems that this inheritance might put Nicolas in some danger. Most of the book takes place in 1956, a year before the manuscript was written. There is so much I could give away, but I’d rather you read it yourself. But it does include mysterious cults, dirty cops, and Nazis. What could be better?

Like Brubaker’s Captain America (which I actually have read), this book was wonderfully written. In the letter at the end of the issue, he mentioned that he abandoned the idea before because he didn’t believe it worked to his style. He could not be more wrong. This blends his traditional mystery style with horror, and he does a fantastic job on it while creating a story that’s completely unique.  The characters in the book are very well introduced as well. No one wants to read a book with characters who are complete strangers to them and Brubaker lets the reader know them right off the bat while still making them interesting. Sean Phillips has a marvelous talent when it comes to shading. There is so much in this book that has yet to be explained. Sean Phillips uses his marvelous shading techniques to express that part of the story visually. This book is eerie, mysterious, and wonderfully drawn.

Unlike most first issues, Fatale is jam-packed with content and gives us a lot, but not too much, to take in and wait for in the next issue. Pick it up and give it a chance.

-The Answer