fatale: death chases me

fatale: death chases me
ed brubaker & sean phillips
graphics/mystery/horror
image comics
published 2012

In modern times, Nicolas Lash stumbles upon a secret that will lead him down the darkest path imaginable...to a seductive and ageless woman who's been on the run since the 1930s.  And in 1950s San Francisco, reporter Hank Raines crosses paths with that same woman and gets caught in a vicious triangle between a crooked cop and a man who is more monster than man.  But who is Josephine and what is her secret?  And how many men will die and kill for her?

I picked this up more out of curiosity than a real desire to read an Ed Brubaker book that wasn't Batman.  But I found that I loved it.  The mystery, the creep factor and the artwork are all plus tens.  I loved every page even when I thought after flipping through initially I wouldn't care much for the art.
The story is well told and fast paced.  There are times when the artwork makes certain male characters vague so it takes a moment to figure out who the focus is on, but it's not that big of a complaint.  The best thing about the book is that it's obviously a continuing series and there's more mystery to be uncovered, but I didn't feel left hanging.  I want to read more, but I wasn't left at a point in the story where you're more upset than curious.  Gooooood stuff!