FADE TO BLACK #1

Writers: Jeff Mariotte

Artwork: Daniele Serra

Publisher: Image Comics

Greg's Review:

    The Fade To Black series is sub-titled No Chance to Survive. Issue # 1 drops us right into the middle of the action – or so we think. But three pages in we realise the six people involved are simply actors rehearsing for a horror movie. However, upon return to the location base camp, the REAL horror begins. All of the film crew have been slaughtered, quite horrifically, and there is no way for our protagonists to contact the authorities or drive back to safety. A 30-mile hike will be required to get them back to the nearest town.

The murderers/stalkers, The Children of the Radiant Night, are a Manson-like group, whose leader has actually targeted one of remaining actors.

    The art is painted and while it looks good as an overall effect, there is so much confusion generated. The faces of the six (and at one time I thought there were five) are poorly represented and names are sparsely used; thus it becomes hard to determine who is actually who. The two girls are recognisable: the fair-haired Angelique and the dark haired Kira. One guy, bald-headed Doug, is also instantly recognisable, but Billy, Mario and Troy [his name unknown until issue # 2] are not so easy to determine. We finally work out that Mario has long hair tied back in a bandana. But, if we have to work this hard to work out to determine the characters, there is something wrong with both the art and the writer’s script.

    By the end of this 1st issue, as I’ve already said, we don’t know the name of the sixth actor or, if in fact, there are actually six people involved. And, by this time, the group has been reduced to five by an arrow killing [we assume] one of the guys.

 Issue # 2 of Fade To Black is reviewed elsewhere on this website, so one can assume I found the read of issue # 1 sufficiently good enough to encourage me to push on with this series.

Story: *** (out of 5)

Artwork: *** (out of 5)

Concept: **** (out of 5)

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