OVERVIEW: I loved Fatale, but I’m biased. When I see a book written by Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips, I don't ask questions; I immediately buy it, read it, and enjoy myself.  While I consider Kill or Be Killed their best work, Fatale isn’t far behind. It’s a mash-up of noir tropes, cosmic horror, and drama. And it's awesome.

Fatale revolves around Josephine, an archetypal femme fatale. She doesn't age. Men (and women) lose their minds around her. Violent cultists want her sacrificed to their cosmic gods (reminiscent of Lovecraftian horrors). On top of that, Jo struggles to understand and control her powers. The authors used a well-known noir trope of the amnesiac character to complicate her life and justify her being clueless.

The story spans decades, but the main plot happens in modern times. Jo's history is filled with men entranced with her and helping her to survive (as guardians, collaborators, and lovers). All of them pay dearly for getting involved with her. It’s a noir story at its heart, so nothing ever goes as planned for anyone.

At first, everything we learn about Jo comes through the men who meet her. As the story progresses, we get more and more vignettes from her point of view. It becomes clear the authors play with the femme fatale archetype and the ways in which such figure influences others.  We learn little about poor bastards who crossed her -  merely glimpses of who they were before meeting her and throwing away their lives just to be with her.  

Much of the story is about sex, and yes, we get lots of sex scenes. For Jo, it's almost an act of self-preservation although she has sex for various reasons - out of grief, pity, as a way to forget her own troubles or give moments of happiness to those she'll use to survive. I won't tell you what Josephine really is and how is she tied to cosmic horrors, but we get a spectacular explanation that will make things clearer.

Anyway, Jo never asked for any of this and her fate is filled with grief and despair. Deep inside, she knows her corrupting nature will get to everyone (including her son). She's willing to do anything it takes to end this but it's not clear if death would be a solution (starting with the fact she can't die, not really, finishing with cosmic horrors).

The writing is top-notch and the art is spectacular. It's one of the most visually striking graphic novels out there. Sean Phillips' artwork and Dave Stewart's colors make the panels attractive and help to create an oppressively foreboding atmosphere.

All told, it's a horrific read, brutal, dark, and gritty, but also fascinating. It proves we're all on the losing side of eternity but it's not really a surprise, is it?