The Fade Out #1
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Art by: Sean Phillips
What can I say other than WOW? This comic book is excellent. When I say excellent, I don’t mean like excellent in a comic book sense, I mean in an astronomical sense. This is the most polished opening I’ve read for a series in the last 5-10 years. The tone of the entire piece (yes, piece, because this comic is high art) is spot on. Every nook and cranny in this book has been filled with life in a way that encapsulates the era that it’s based in. The characters are filled with life as well, but there’s a sadness that makes for empathy to course through your veins with every page. I personally think this series will one day be regarded as a classic and if it doesn’t win any Eisner awards, I will be very surprised.
Brubaker is a god. His quill fanning over the page like a comet blazing through the night sky in Hollywood, 1948. His precise plot pacing should be admired and taught in every creative writing class the world over. And on top of all this magic with his writing, I found not one error in development or framing. The man makes comic book writing into, as I said earlier, high art.
And speaking of art, my god, Sean Phillips. You want to talk about someone who carries the mood. This guy takes you into late-40s Hollywood. The streets are there, the landmarks (some fabricated, yes) are there. What a joy it was to see how beautifully the characters were drawn. Earl Rath, who is the main “movie star” in the piece is a dead ringer for Clark Gable and Gregory Peck’s lovechild. You can see it in his eyes anywhere he’s drawn. Charlie, the MAIN character, reminded me of Michael Pitt from Boardwalk Empire and that added the mystique of familiarity to the entire story.
Pick this up. You will NOT be disappointed. Instant classic.
Art by: Sean Phillips
What can I say other than WOW? This comic book is excellent. When I say excellent, I don’t mean like excellent in a comic book sense, I mean in an astronomical sense. This is the most polished opening I’ve read for a series in the last 5-10 years. The tone of the entire piece (yes, piece, because this comic is high art) is spot on. Every nook and cranny in this book has been filled with life in a way that encapsulates the era that it’s based in. The characters are filled with life as well, but there’s a sadness that makes for empathy to course through your veins with every page. I personally think this series will one day be regarded as a classic and if it doesn’t win any Eisner awards, I will be very surprised.
Brubaker is a god. His quill fanning over the page like a comet blazing through the night sky in Hollywood, 1948. His precise plot pacing should be admired and taught in every creative writing class the world over. And on top of all this magic with his writing, I found not one error in development or framing. The man makes comic book writing into, as I said earlier, high art.
And speaking of art, my god, Sean Phillips. You want to talk about someone who carries the mood. This guy takes you into late-40s Hollywood. The streets are there, the landmarks (some fabricated, yes) are there. What a joy it was to see how beautifully the characters were drawn. Earl Rath, who is the main “movie star” in the piece is a dead ringer for Clark Gable and Gregory Peck’s lovechild. You can see it in his eyes anywhere he’s drawn. Charlie, the MAIN character, reminded me of Michael Pitt from Boardwalk Empire and that added the mystique of familiarity to the entire story.
Pick this up. You will NOT be disappointed. Instant classic.
A Look Inside
