10 Best Ed Brubaker Comics Fans Must Read
1. The Fade Out
The Fade Out is quintessential Brubaker and Phillips. It’s a 1940s crime thriller with noir dripping from every page.
There are tropes a-plenty as the story concerns a murdered starlet, a corrupt FBI agent, shady Hollywood moguls, and the hunt for a murderer that leads the reader down the darkest of alleys.
The story was, unlikely though it may seem, partially inspired by the life Ed Brubaker’s uncle, John Paxton – a Hollywood screenwriter on the 1930s and 40s. It opens with screenwriter Charlie waking in his room to find the body of a murdered actress. Along with his blacklisted friend, Gil, he sets about trying to find the person responsible.
Though an original story, The Fade Out so impeccably captures the tone of the period that it could easily be an adaptation of a movie or novel from the time.
As a Brit living in England Sean Phillips struggled to recreate the Hollywood of the 1940s and so brought a consultant onboard for added authenticity.
Incredibly, neither creator thought that the premise would prove to be a popular one. But they were able to take advantage of their exclusive deal that meant Image Comics were committed to publishing anything they created without the need to pitch.
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