The Good
It's hard to pinpoint what it is about FATALE that makes this series so exceptional. Could it be, well, everything? I'll just go with that. Everything about FATALE is simply brilliant. From Sean Phillips' art, to the crazy plot twists at every turn of the page. The dark mystery surrounding Josephine, a woman capable of making any man fall under her spell. Everything about this book is just perfect.
Issue #4 of FATALE is gradually bringing characters and plot points together. We see a news clipping that we saw in issue #3 resurface in this issue, and it seems to be connected to the underlying theme in the story. Who is committing these "grisly murders"?
How can one woman weave a spell so powerful that she has the ability to bring any man to his knees? Specifically one that has lost both his wife and unborn child in a devastating homicide? How is it that the only thing that can subdue Hank's visions of his massacred wife is the thought of Josephine? More importantly, what could this cult want with Josephine, anyway? What powers does she harness that they would murder to obtain?
You definitely don't get any answers to questions in this issue. Instead, the plot continues to thicken and by the time you reach the final page of the book you'll be left with even more questions. Great plot, brilliant story, pacing and characterizations. The story will leave you at the edge of your seat wanting more.
The Bad
Nothing bad here!
The Verdict
If you thought that things couldn't get more interesting after the third issue of FATALE, then you haven't read the fourth issue. Things get darker and more complicated with issue #4. They are also beginning to connect on a deeper level. The lives of these characters are seemingly combined, and they are all connected through Josephine. Yet, how tight is her grasp over the lives of these men? The fact that we are four issues into this series and we still don't have a clear idea of who the villains are is also very interesting. By leaving us guessing Brubaker keeps us hooked. Fantastic story so far, but not the best jumping on point. This is one series that is definitely worth going back to the first issue to read.