It is about time for things to blow up with Charlie and Gil. These two have been going at it. Whether it has been face to face or behind each other's backs. Either way, the need to either beat the shit out of each other and move on or beat the shit out of each other and break up. So when I opened this issue and saw that Charlie and Gil were going to be examined further, I couldn’t wait. Just who the hell are these people, because as much as I judge them, the readers barely know them. See that is the thing that I love about Brubaker so much, he makes you question your own ideas or even your own morals. You start to wonder, well what would I have done in his position? or he isn’t that bad if you really think about? or even, my favorite, the other people are just as terrible or stupid or whatever. Then you have fallen in a trap. At least that is what I think. I hate Charlie. I have said it on several occasions, but even then it was hard for me to write. At moments, he can be nice or sweet or even not guilty. That’s how I opened this issue. I don’t know why, but I felt compassion for him. What?! When realizing what happen to him when he was younger makes you question things. But damnit. I refuse to fall into this trap further. I hate Charlie. He is guilty of something, whether he killed Val or let someone kill Val or lead someone to Val or got so drunk that he didn’t stop the killing of Val. He is guilty.
Okay I just ranted a bit, but again that is what Brubaker makes you do.
Then there is Gil who I love. I can’t help but love him no matter how many faults he has. Although me loving him so much is a fault. I should be rationale, but I’m not. Get over it. But I started to see something in this issue that I hadn’t been rationale about. So I’m going to be really confusing in a second so bear with me. Charlie and Gil are alike... in some ways. They both make dumb choices, they both are no good nothings, and they most certainly both care. Shit. So why do I choose one over the other? I just said, I’m not looking at these characters rationally. Confused yet, I am.
What isn’t confusing is the pain that each of these characters is going through. Sean Phillips captures these moments perfectly. The guilty faces, the innocent faces, the drinking faces, the happy faces, are so well done that you really see every characterization moment come to life. And with Elizabeth Breitweiser putting every shadow where it needs to be casted and giving those dark tones on every dark apartment and dimly lit bar makes for one hell of a moment.
The Fade Out hasn’t done me wrong yet and if you truly pay attention to every issue, it will not let you done either. The plot flows and the characters come to life, but most importantly the readers feel something when reading this comic.
Score: 4/5
The Fade Out #9 Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Sean Phillips Colorist: Elizabeth Breitweiser Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 9/16/15 Format: Ongoing; Print, Digital