Answers and Questions run about as Valeria’s murder returns to the forefront as All Hallow’s Even hits Tinseltown.
Written by Ed Brubaker
Illustrated by Sean Phillips
STORY ARC CONCLUSION
BRUBAKER & PHILLIPS’ best-selling series so far concludes its second act, as every answer Charlie and Gil find brings them into more and more danger.And remember, every issue of THE FADE OUT is packed with essays and art that are only in the monthly comics.
“The Fade Out” is a complex story. Like… really complex. Like, I was a bit hesitant to review this single issue when so much of it is predicated on the context of the previous seven issues. Suffice to say, this is not the best place to jump on this book. Your best bet is going to be grabbing volumes 1 and (when it releases) 2 and catch up during the hiatus. That being said, Brubaker, Phillips and colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser have crafted one of the finest books comics coming out of Image right now. Plot threads surrounding Charlie and Gil are starting to tighten around them.
What I’ve always loved about this series is that it doesn’t have to resort to violence to set incredible amounts of tension. Don’t get me wrong, there is violence aplenty, as was and is part of the Hollywood scene, and it is depicted lovely, but it is amazing how much the mere threat of violence, the fact that one can tell someone is within an inch of their boiling point. This is shown in the very first page with Brodsky, Studio Security Chief of Victory Street Pictures. We’ve seen him dealing out violence in previous issues, but it is the work of Phillips and Breitweiser on that first panel we see him, from details such as his narrowed eyes and clenched fist, this is a man ready to explode as he awaits a would-be blackmailer.
But it is just more than blackmail afoot on Halloween. We follow Charlie as he accompanies Gil and his family on Trick-Or-Treating and it is a very nice, grounded scene. What with all the drugs, booze, glitz and murder of the Golden Age of Hollywood, it is great to get a breather moment, even up to the point that Charlie and Gil’s wife, Melba, discuss Gil’s incredibly out-of-character good mood and Charlie’s thinking about a new girl. I have to applaud Phillips subtle facial expressions and Breitweiser’s use of lighting to depict Charlie’s far-away look. Almost makes me wish there wasn’t a third-person narration accompanying it.
Also, kudos to the old lady for giving Gil’s kids full-size Butterfingers. Enjoy the sore teeth, brats!
We follow Charlie to the Victory Street Pictures Halloween Party. I have to once again give kudos to Phillips and Breitweiser for their design work on the variety of costumes and sweet suits and domino masks. Say what you want about the social issues, the depravity and the violence of the era, they had some very nice fashion. It’s here that we meet up again with Dottie, the Studio’s PR gal. I have to say, she is the most interesting character in this story for me, partially because I’m still trying to figure her out. Even with characters like Rath, Brodsky and Thursby, who seem to have more fingers pointing at them in regards to antagonists, it’s Dottie that I keep coming back to. It is a testament to Brubaker’s character work that keeps me on my toes.
We now come to the last third of this issue, where it has become impossible to talk about without talking spoilers. The first is the (re)introduction of Tina to Charlie, and the return of Armando Lopez, Maya’s ex-husband. This further brings Brodsky into the forefront, considering he is the link between many of the events. Again, I have to praise the careful plotting going on here.
Only eight issues, but there is so much depth going on within its pages. I will admit, it can be a bit overbearing. This isn’t a book to just breeze through. You need to take your time. Go back if you must. It demands you pay attention to it. But if you give it the attention it needs, if you rise up to its level, it can be pretty rewarding.
Final Verdict: 8.3- Brubaker, Phillips and Breitweiser bring Act 2 to a close with a grand yet gritty flourish. Take the hiatus to catch up and re-examine everything you thought you knew.
