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geekwayne's review
3.0
In 'Fatale, Vol. 4: Pray for Rain,' a beautiful woman with amnesia is found by a group of grunge musicians in mid-90s Seattle. Who is this strange woman and why are men so attracted to her?
The band Amsterdam has had one big hit. They're looking for their next hit, but their writer has no inspiration. When one of the band finds Jo and brings her home, she brings her own death and destruction, whether she remembers or not. The band finds a new song, but the cost might just be too high.
I live in the Seattle area, so I liked the setting. The band seemed like some of the local bands of the time might be. The story feels like a set up for the next volume as a lot of pieces seem to be moving into place. Ed Brubaker writes a good dark story and art by Sean Phillips gives rainy Seattle a noir feel. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series finishes.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
The band Amsterdam has had one big hit. They're looking for their next hit, but their writer has no inspiration. When one of the band finds Jo and brings her home, she brings her own death and destruction, whether she remembers or not. The band finds a new song, but the cost might just be too high.
I live in the Seattle area, so I liked the setting. The band seemed like some of the local bands of the time might be. The story feels like a set up for the next volume as a lot of pieces seem to be moving into place. Ed Brubaker writes a good dark story and art by Sean Phillips gives rainy Seattle a noir feel. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series finishes.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
howiedoowinfam's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
arf88's review
4.0
These volumes are repetitive, a man gets bewitched by Josephine at the start, and by the end his life is ruined or he's dead. Despite the repetitiveness, Brubaker has managed to keep past volumes interesting, and this one is no exception.
duparker's review
4.0
Continuing the winning style and storytelling that has made this series an exceptional read. I love the gritty and offputting storyline and the realistic artwork. I'd love to read this as a book.
caitcoy's review
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up. This volume wraps up Jo’s past and finally brings everything full circle with Nicolas Lash.
Present Day - Nicolas Lash is in jail awaiting trial for the murder of the woman who stole the manuscript from him in volume two. Then the book appears in his jail cell, apparently having been published since it was stolen from him. But then he realizes pieces are missing from it and is on a mad hunt to figure out what the hell is going on. A hunt that will bring him into the path of an unbalanced man who appears likely to become fully insane at the drop of a hat.
Seattle, 1995 – Lance, a member of a one-hit-wonder band, Amsterdam, finds a young amnesiac woman wandering along the road. He takes her to the mansion he can now barely afford so that she can recover both her health and her memory. The entire band plus one of the bandmate’s girlfriends lives in this mansion while they try to make sure they don’t stay a one hit wonder. Meanwhile, a psychotic killer learns that the woman he had finally captured after years of pursuing her has escaped. It quickly becomes clear to the band members that the woman Lance rescued is unusual to say the least. And her allure sets more than one against another at the same time that she’s acting as muse to their song writer as well as their singer. Things spin out of control quickly and finally Jo’s memories are brought full circle back to the present day and Nicolas Lash.
At this point so many men have come through Jo’s life and been destroyed by contact with her that’s it hard to still feel a connection with or empathy for them. But it was really interesting to see just how much her influence affects the men around her. I liked that this one focused more on the long lasting effects rather than just the immediate “Let’s have sex until you go crazy and/or kill yourself” effect that she seems to have on them.
I especially love that we finally get to see the loose ends being connected. The suspense has been building throughout this series to get to the point where Nicolas Lash finally finds out why Jo involved herself with him and I can’t wait to see what unfolds.
I didn’t love this one quite as much as volume three but I liked seeing the full force of Jo’s effect on the men that come into her life and I’m very curious to see how Brubaker and Phillips will bring this awesome series to a close.
Present Day - Nicolas Lash is in jail awaiting trial for the murder of the woman who stole the manuscript from him in volume two. Then the book appears in his jail cell, apparently having been published since it was stolen from him. But then he realizes pieces are missing from it and is on a mad hunt to figure out what the hell is going on. A hunt that will bring him into the path of an unbalanced man who appears likely to become fully insane at the drop of a hat.
Seattle, 1995 – Lance, a member of a one-hit-wonder band, Amsterdam, finds a young amnesiac woman wandering along the road. He takes her to the mansion he can now barely afford so that she can recover both her health and her memory. The entire band plus one of the bandmate’s girlfriends lives in this mansion while they try to make sure they don’t stay a one hit wonder. Meanwhile, a psychotic killer learns that the woman he had finally captured after years of pursuing her has escaped. It quickly becomes clear to the band members that the woman Lance rescued is unusual to say the least. And her allure sets more than one against another at the same time that she’s acting as muse to their song writer as well as their singer. Things spin out of control quickly and finally Jo’s memories are brought full circle back to the present day and Nicolas Lash.
At this point so many men have come through Jo’s life and been destroyed by contact with her that’s it hard to still feel a connection with or empathy for them. But it was really interesting to see just how much her influence affects the men around her. I liked that this one focused more on the long lasting effects rather than just the immediate “Let’s have sex until you go crazy and/or kill yourself” effect that she seems to have on them.
I especially love that we finally get to see the loose ends being connected. The suspense has been building throughout this series to get to the point where Nicolas Lash finally finds out why Jo involved herself with him and I can’t wait to see what unfolds.
I didn’t love this one quite as much as volume three but I liked seeing the full force of Jo’s effect on the men that come into her life and I’m very curious to see how Brubaker and Phillips will bring this awesome series to a close.
r_lea's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mjfmjfmjf's review
4.0
Creepy but gripping. Absolutely not high art, and it is definitely horror. But the story pulls you and keeps you turning the pages. And it always stays just this side of not going too far. Dark. And the through-story is still moving way too slow. But pretty cool.
jakekilroy's review against another edition
4.0
There's something comical to the seriousness of this one — who she initially chooses (if she truly even does), what happens with the guy's social network (if you could even call it that), and how she responds to it all (if you could even blame her). But it's sinister fun. There's something driving all this home in the end, I assume, rather than it all being some oddball collection of stories about her being the nosedive muse that she is, but I'm not totally sure all the clues are there to be wrapped up in the end. It's just some delightfully pulpy weirdness regardless.