Comic Book Review: The Fade Out - Issue 1 - Image Comics

“The Fade Out”  Issue #1

Written By: Ed Brubaker

Art By: Sean Phillips

Synopsis:

Charlie Parish, a Hollywood screenwriter, wakes up in a bathtub after an evening of revelry with the Los Angeles celebrities of 1948. Confused as to his whereabouts and how he arrived in a bathtub are all pieces to a smaller puzzle he’s about to discover.  Charlie is slowly piecing together the events of the previous evening when he stumbles upon a dead body in the room next to the restroom where he woke up. Scared and alone Charlie must decide who he can talk with about this discovery but more importantly he has to live with the fact he was inebriated and incapacitated in the room adjacent to where the murder took place.  Some dialogue occurs that details more specifically what occurred that evening before he blacked out and he meets with Phil Brodsky, head of studio security, to discuss matters further. Charlie leaves the meeting feeling better about the situation but shortly after makes a startling discovery that could make him person of interest number 1 to the police investigating the murder, if they ever find out. 

Opinion

I feel reading a well written period piece is always enjoyable. Add the drama and intrigue of a murder mystery to this post World War 2 Hollywood story and now you have a winning combination. The characters are written so well that even though we are meeting them for the first time in this story it feels like we have known them much longer. The art captures each emotion the characters express and feel so accurately that as I read the story I was completely swept away into this world being created. By the end of the issue when a startling discovery is made I couldn’t wait to read the second installment in this series and it didn’t take long for me to decide this will be a story that will be in my collection going forward. I also love the first page that gives you an introduction to each character important to the issue you are about to read. 

Two thumbs up with a wink and smile. 

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