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Discover the Filth Beneath Tinseltown’s Glamour in “The Fade Out” #1 [Review]

By | August 21st, 2014
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Tinsel town! Starlets! Debonair film Lotharios! All this and more in “The Fade Out”!

The reliable team of writer Ed Brubaker, artist Sean Phillips, and colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser bring us a book that uncovers the grime behind the glean of Hollywood in the late 1940s.

Written by Ed Brubaker
Illustrated by Sean Phillips

The first project from their groundbreaking five-year deal at Image will have ED BRUBAKER and SEAN PHILLIPS fans, old and new, at the edge of their seats, as they weave an epic crime story unlike anything they’ve done before.

Hollywood – 1948. A noir film stuck in endless reshoots. A writer plagued with nightmares from the war and a dangerous secret. An up-and-coming starlet’s suspicious death. And a maniacal Studio Mogul and his Security Chief who will do anything to keep the cameras rolling before the Post-War boom days come crashing down. THE FADE OUT is the most ambitious series yet from the award-winning Noir Masters.

Bonus: This 40-PAGE FIRST ISSUE features more story pages, as well as exclusive back pages articles that are only in these single issues!

“The Fade Out” is a book that is immersed in and inspired by the world of movies. The title alone refers to a film technique that occurs when an image on the screen slowly disappears from the audience’s view; this is highly appropriate for this particular story because motives and truths fade in and out of perspective as the issue progresses. The complexity of this world that Brubaker, Phillips and Breitweiser have created becomes richer by the panel. We are immersed into these characters’ lives so quickly that we yearn to discover the difference between the truth and subterfuge. What is truth and what is fiction? In this book, one fades into the other.

The issue begins with the aftermath of a typical movie star “wild party”, as the book so hedonistically displays, and we see the dead body of an up-and-coming actress in her room. Was she murdered? The protagonist of the story, Charlie Parish, is a screenwriter who discovers the body. What ensues is the beginning of a rich story full of perfectly developed characters with voices and personalities that come alive on the page. The introduction of the (so far) six main “Cast of Characters” listed at the beginning of the book, as well as the (for now) peripheral characters is perfectly executed. The innocence and yearning of the “publicity girl” of Victory Street Pictures, Dotty Quinn, is just one example of how every character, no matter how inconsequential they may appear, is fully formed from the outset by Brubaker and Phillips.

One of the primary expressions of depth and reality in this story is through the narration. Like a movie script, an omniscient narrator tells us what is going on and what each character is thinking and feeling. It’s a great method Brubaker uses to spin this yarn because it fits the setting and nature of the story. The juxtaposition of the real and the unreal (not unlike the entertainment industry) comes through the narration and, like a movie, the mystery is enhanced because we want to see what happens next in the “script”. This first issue is one of the most unique and thrilling debuts of the year partly because of this powerful narrative technique.

Narrative style is not the only cinematic trait of this breathtaking book. Brubaker, with the assistance of Phillips, makes each panel count. The book is devoid of any superfluities in both writing and art. At times there will be scenes where panels will open dramatically (or not so dramatically) and then continue to focus on one part of a person or object in the following panels, lending the book a suspenseful and cinematic quality. Anything can be a clue that reveals intentions, crimes, or personality traits. Reading “The Fade Out” is like watching a great crime film noir that is filled to the brim with mystery and “camera” techniques that can lead us to answers or throw us for a loop. Brubaker and Phillips manipulate the reader in subtle and surprising ways.

Although subtlety is the prevalent word when it comes to story and art, Phillips occasionally adds flourishes to his art that shake up the proceedings and are meant to surprise the reader. This is especially noticeable when Phillips’s art suddenly changes style and becomes reminiscent of Bill Sienkiewicz in three flashback panels. The execution of the art’s haziness fits the story perfectly as Charlie attempts to remember the gorgeous woman from the night before and finally recalls the starlet Valeria Summers. Charlie’s memory begins to “fade in”. In another flashback scene, Phillips’s art is sketchy behind Charlie as the omniscient narrator takes him and us down memory lane. The contrast of the two styles of art in the same panel is jarring, yet highly effective.

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Elizabeth Breitweiser proves with her work in the first issue of “The Fade Out” why she is one of the best colorists in comics. Her colors evoke a muted mood that’s pregnant with deception and a sense of horror underneath this realistic world. Shadow drips hauntingly from the walls in a room where Charlie suddenly finds himself in after the “wild party”. Even Breitweiser’s daytime skies set an ominous tone for a dark and mysterious book that straddles the real and unreal. As an integral part of the creative team triumvirate, she understands what Brubaker and Phillips are trying to achieve and succeeds in a stunning manner.

The historical accuracy contributes to the realistic feel of “The Fade Out” and assists in our immersion into this world. At the end of the issue Brubaker states that it is the first time he and Phillips have hired a research assistant. They wanted to be as accurate as they could when it came to the look and feel of Los Angeles in the 1940s. That loving care is definitely on display. One feels immersed in the time period, with the language and the dress styles adding to an already rich story. One can imagine walking on a movie set or strolling down the L.A. streets of yesteryear.

Like many Brubaker and Phillips collaborations, each issue of “The Fade Out” is going to have supplemental material that enhances the story. In case anyone out there is a tradewaiter, I recommend buying this first issue because the back matter will not be in the collected editions. However, this should not be a dilemma. Not only will you be satisfied by a whiz bang first issue, but you get a nice note from Brubaker and the truly heartbreaking true tale of a woman who jumped off the “H” in the legendary Hollywood(land) sign by writer Devin Faraci. Judging from this essay, we’re in for more movie land morsels that will add to the reading experience.

Historical accuracy is just one piece of evidence that proves “The Fade Out” is a labor of love. With an intriguing story, ingenious methods of storytelling, and flawed characters that beg to be understood, Brubaker, Phillips, and Breitweiser are a team worth following through the enigmatic streets of 1940s Los Angeles.

Final Verdict: 9.6 – “The Fade Out” #1 has every quality of a perfect first issue: intriguing story, strong characters, and a flawless marriage of story and art. Add this title and its creators as sure things on the best-of list for 2014 and recipients of a bevy of awards.


Keith Dooley

Keith Dooley lives in sunny Southern California and has Bachelors and Masters Degrees in English literature. He considers comic books the highest form of literature and has declared them the Great American Art Form. He has been reading comics since age eight and his passion for comic books and his obsession for Batman knows no bounds. If he isn’t reading or writing about comics, he’s usually at the gym or eating delectable food. He runs the website Comics Authority with his fiancé Don and can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

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