Fatale #11 Review Fatale kicks off a series of standalone flashback adventures.

Fatale not really a series where starting anywhere other than the very beginning is recommended. But f you're determined to try, issue #11 offers about as accessible a jumping-on point as you're likely to find. This issue marks the first of four standalone chapters that explore the earlier years of Josephine's troubled life and the general conspiracy of horror Ed Brubaker has been steadily building.

This particular issue shifts to California in the mid 1930s, a time when Jo was less knowledgeable about her curse and desperate for answers. Much of the plot revolves around a Lovecraft-esque writer named Alfred Ravenscroft whose pulp tales seem to echo Jo's own nightmares.

While in general the series is strongly horror influenced, previous arcs also carried other stylistic elements of their respective eras. This issue is more firmly entrenched in the horror realm than any before it. There's a stronger Lovecraftian vibe now -- a true sense that an unspeakable, indescribable evil is lurking just out of reach. This tone remains both in the "present day" segments and in Ravenscroft's flashback tale. I really enjoyed the creepy vibe, and I wouldn't mind at all if Brubaker continued that approach more readily in future storylines. This issue isn't necessarily vital reading in terms of understanding the overarching mythology. The script stops short of actually making clear the vague hints Ravenscroft drops about his and Jo's shared nature. And though it casts the titular femme fatale in a sympathetic light, that's never been a problem before now either. But tonally,  it's perhaps the best issue of the series yet.

Sean Phillips is also in fine form with this issue. Brubaker's script allows for a strong sense of variety. The rural setting is a nice change of pace, and the eerie, surreal desert scenes in the flashback and the dark, haunted panels of the opening and closing scenes are an effective contrast. The concept behind this series is a really great one, and that seems to be reflected in the output of both creators as they continue to deliver some of the strongest collaborations yet.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

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