Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Review: Fatale, Volume 4: Pray for Rain

Fatale, Volume 4: Pray for Rain Fatale, Volume 4: Pray for Rain by Ed Brubaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is probably the second strongest of the offerings in the series, but you really need to read all the volumes to get the payoff from it.

We find Jo, suffering from amnesia after being “murdered” soon before the story starts, rediscovering her powers. And it’s the discovery of mystery – as opposed to the resolution of it – that makes this series so compelling.

It’s the Pacific Northwest, and the grunge scene is in full flower. Jo stumbles upon a one-hit wonder band down enough on their luck that a couple have taken to small bank robbery work. Once she arrives, the members take conflicting sorts of inspiration from her. There’s also a serial killing cop on her trail (he’s less fun).

Since Jo is “naked” for the first time in decades, the bishop has a sense of where she is. For all her power, she seems vulnerable. There’s a real story at stake this time, the most focused and self-contained since volume one.

And, better still, we get the return of Nick whose present-day investigations weave in and out.

This isn’t the conclusion, but it’s what makes the conclusion worthwhile. Different pieces start to click together, and you can feel the narrative power of the whole.

If you make it this far, there’ll be no stopping you from hurrying out for volume five.


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