Fatale

• Title: Fatale #20
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Sean Phillips

Picking up the thread of the ongoing B-story of Nicholas Lash’s rescue and torture by Lance, Fatale begins its final arc as Josephine comes after Lash and the demented former rocker who became obsessed with her years ago during her amnesia period.

With Fatale #20 the waiting, along with Josephine’s hiding, is over. Quickly dispatching disciples of the cult still hunting for her, Josephine draws on her gifts to find Lash aware it opens herself up for detection. Although Lash is grateful for her intervention, he can’t help but notice how easily Josephine deals with a former lover (much like his uncle) who is no longer of any use to her.

Although I’m happy to hear of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ new deal with Image allowing them freedom to tell a variety of stories in the coming months, I’m sad to see Fatale coming to an end. The glimpses we get of Josephine’s suicide attempts remind us of quite bit of backstory yet to be developed, so I’m hoping the pair might return to the characters sometime down the line. Worth a look.

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• Title: Fatale #19
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Sean Phillips

The amnesiac story arc comes to a close for Josephine whose slowly returning memory cautions her to flee town as soon as possible. However, something stronger forces her to return to the band’s home seeking out Lance and the record of the song (inspired by her presence) which left out in the open could do all kinds of irreparable harm (as could the music video footage now in the hands of her enemy).

Fatale #19 not only offers us the final confrontation between Josephine and the cop whose serial killer activities put all the recent events into motion but it also gives us a glimpse into the fate of Lance, who like all men who come into contact with Josephine, is left a broken and obsessed shell of the man he once was.

And before coming to a close we get a big reveal in the Nelson and Nicholas Lash’s storyline as Lash discovers the identity of his murderous savior whose very personal agenda doesn’t necessarily involve the best outcome for his captive. Worth a look.

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• Title: Fatale #18
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Sean Phillips

Music and death are intertwined in the latest issue of Fatale as the group of musicians and their house guest try to come to grips with the death of one of their own who was killed after trying to rape Josephine. Most of the first-half of the comic deals with the band arguing over the proposed course of action which includes hiding the body to protect both themselves and Josephine from questions without any easy answers.

As the story progresses the band listens to the demo of their new song which is later played during the band’s video shoot featuring Josephine dancing in front of a packed club. In both instances the song, inspired by her, and the shoot in which she looses herself to the melody, create very large ripples.

The first hearing of the song begins to jar the amnesiac’s memory, but the out-of-control riot caused in the club allows her enemy to find her as well as force the obsessed serial killer cop to loose control. By the end of the issue Josephine knows who she is, but is it to late to save herself and those who offered her shelter? Worth a look.

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• Title: Fatale #17
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Sean Phillips

Split into two-halves, the latest issue gets us caught up on Nicolas Lash‘s run from the law with his murderous new protector Nelson whose crazy antics and secrets have Lash wondering whose side the man is really on.

The second-half of the issue continues the amnesiac Josephine‘s stay with the rock band who begin showing strain based on her presence including taking unnecessary risks and sole male member of the band who has not shared her bed to demand his turn. Although Josephine’s memory may not have returned, by the end of the issue she will realize just how much power over men, and their life and death, she possesses.

Writer Ed Brubaker continues to gather the storm clouds as well as Josephine’s unsheilded presence comes to the attention of not one but two separate enemies both obsessed with finding her. A really strong issue with great use of foreboding and more top notch art from Sean Phillips. Worth a look.

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• Title: Fatale #16
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Sean Phillips

The latest issue continues the storyline of Josephine still suffering from amnesia in Seattle during the 1990’s. Fatale #16 works well in explaining why Josephine has so many rules with men by foreshadowing dark outcomes for the house mates who she begins effecting, especially after sleeping with two separate members of the band.

Fatale #16 also fills in the past of the serial killer cop obsessed with killing women who look like Josephine since first meeting her more than two decades ago as a child. The realization that she’s still alive, and looks exactly the same as the last time he saw her, is quite enough to drive the already less-than-sane an completely over the edge.

Although this issue is mostly set-up for the death and pain we can see coming, writer Ed Brubaker teases us with an oppressive foreboding that’s contradictory the the sunny nature of “Jane Doe” who doesn’t even realize how effortlessly she’s going to ruin the lives of everyone in the house. Worth a look.

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