Fatale Volume 4
By Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Color by Elizabeth Breitweiser
Ed Brukaker and Sean Phillips’ story of the femme fatale Josephine and her journey through the ages is a story you don’t want to miss. In the fourth volume, we catch up with Josephine after she left a particularly brutal situation. Scared and alone, and amnesiac Josephine is picked off the side of the road by Lance, a grunge-rock artist of the 90s. As with the other men in Josephine’s life, he immediately falls in love with her. His bandmates also come under her spell, and their lives quickly spiral out of control.
Since Josephine lost her memory, she lost the control over her curse that she so carefully cultivated. Passions run wild amongst the band members, and Josephine gets caught up in the frenzy. It’s not until the results of her curse become undeniable that Josephine is brought back to her reality and commits to going back into hiding.
Meanwhile, Nick is abducted by a strange, crazy man on the hunt for Josephine. This thread connecting these two men is weak, and Nick is anxious to separate from the crazy man. The history of the man is tied intimately to Josephine, much like Nick’s. The two men where loved by Josephine and lived, becoming empty until they meet her again.
The fourth volume of this series highlights Josephine’s power as the femme fatale and the danger of seduction. At times, Josephine doesn’t understand the pull men have towards her. Due to her amnesia, she welcomes the men with open arms, fully embracing what feels natural to her. This volume tells a compelling story of lust, insanity, and regret. For horror fans, Fatale is a great book for you.
THE VERDICT
Even for those who have not read any of Fatale, you’ll enjoy this volume. There is a great balance of tying to the entire series while also telling a great story. For those interested in reading Fatale, this is a decent jumping-on point and will tie right into issue 20.
