Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have come to Image Comics with the highly anticipated Fatale. Since the announcement of Fatale, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this series as much as anyone else. I’ve been following Brubaker and Phillips on projects since their work on Sleeper for Wildstorm. Since then both creators have worked on the acclaimed Criminal and Incognito, have built the anticipation up for this project to a fever pitch. Now it’s in our hands and we can truly see if Fatale can live up to the anticipation built around it. I’m here to tell you it does, and then exceeds my expectations more than I ever could have imagined.
As the story starts, it’s set in the present day, introducing us to Nicolas Lash at the funeral of his Godfather Dominic H. Raines, Nicolas is the executor of his estate due to his Dad being good friends with Dominic. After the funeral you get introduced to Jo, who’s connected to Nicolas’ Godfather via the relationship her grandmother had with him. As Nicolas states at the beginning of the book, the funeral was the beginning of his life falling off the tracks in one day. You find out quickly why, as Nicolas finds an unpublished manuscript looking through Dominic’s estate. That’s when everything starts to hit the fan, Nicolas is dragged into a gun fight between Jo and the mysterious people heading into the estate. From there sets up a breathtaking car vs. plane chase that ends in a dramatic fashion. As Nicolas is recovering from the chase, we flashback to 1956 and we begin to learn the history of Jo’s grandmother and Raines.
Brubaker and Phillips are a creative team that if they’re on a project together, you know that you’re in for not just a good story, but a nicely drawn tale as well. Fatale is a story that just entrances you into it’s world 
, as much as Jo does to Nicolas after the funeral. A stunning story, straight from the beginning. Sean Phillips art for this story is the best I’ve seen it to date. With a level of realism putting you in the mood for what Brubaker is setting up with Fatale. In the latter half you learn that the history between Raines and Jo’s Grandmother is unique to say the least, from what you see in this issue this isn’t going to end pretty to say the least. The story with Jo’s husband Walter looks to have some darker tones on it’s own, showing a beautiful splash page revealing details to come by Phillips, then a final page that makes you wonder what Nicolas is in for in the present day.
I can’t stop raving about Fatale, this is truly a comic that has to be experienced. Within one issue you get so much and you’re practically begging to know more by the time it’s over. This is such an impressive first issue and I can’t help but wonder just what Brubaker has up his sleeve for the rest of this series. Sean Phillips has truly out done himself on this first issue, I look forward to seeing what he has up his sleeve in further issues. Fatale is a book that should be owned by everyone. If you’re saying you’re on the hunt for something different, this comic gives you that something different you’ve been looking for. Buying this now also gives you the excellent back matter at the end of the issue, with Jess Nevins giving you a look at H.P Lovecraft. So what are you waiting for? Run, don’t walk to your local comic store and put Fatale on the top of your stack. Fatale starts the 2012 Comic year on the right foot.
