Horror

• Title: Fatale #20
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Sean Phillips

Picking up the thread of the ongoing B-story of Nicholas Lash’s rescue and torture by Lance, Fatale begins its final arc as Josephine comes after Lash and the demented former rocker who became obsessed with her years ago during her amnesia period.

With Fatale #20 the waiting, along with Josephine’s hiding, is over. Quickly dispatching disciples of the cult still hunting for her, Josephine draws on her gifts to find Lash aware it opens herself up for detection. Although Lash is grateful for her intervention, he can’t help but notice how easily Josephine deals with a former lover (much like his uncle) who is no longer of any use to her.

Although I’m happy to hear of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ new deal with Image allowing them freedom to tell a variety of stories in the coming months, I’m sad to see Fatale coming to an end. The glimpses we get of Josephine’s suicide attempts remind us of quite bit of backstory yet to be developed, so I’m hoping the pair might return to the characters sometime down the line. Worth a look.

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• Title: Fatale #19
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Sean Phillips

The amnesiac story arc comes to a close for Josephine whose slowly returning memory cautions her to flee town as soon as possible. However, something stronger forces her to return to the band’s home seeking out Lance and the record of the song (inspired by her presence) which left out in the open could do all kinds of irreparable harm (as could the music video footage now in the hands of her enemy).

Fatale #19 not only offers us the final confrontation between Josephine and the cop whose serial killer activities put all the recent events into motion but it also gives us a glimpse into the fate of Lance, who like all men who come into contact with Josephine, is left a broken and obsessed shell of the man he once was.

And before coming to a close we get a big reveal in the Nelson and Nicholas Lash’s storyline as Lash discovers the identity of his murderous savior whose very personal agenda doesn’t necessarily involve the best outcome for his captive. Worth a look.

[Image, $3.50]