Fallen Angel #1

Lee, the Fallen Angel, returns once again to Bete Noire, as she does every night.  Although there is no one is seated at her table, seeking her help, the night will prove an eventful one.  Not only will Doctor Juris, the Magistrate of Bete Noire, be retiring at midnight, his son Jubal taking over the position, but someone from the Fallen Angel's past arrives with a message that could change her life forever.

Wow.

That's really all I can say at this moment, just wow.

I was a late comer to Peter David's book Fallen Angel, having only first heard of it during an early 2005 interview with the writer on Fanboy Radio.  During that interview he lamented how poor sales were sinking his beloved, and critically praised, book.  Curious, I strolled down to the comic book store I frequent and picked up the issue he recommended new readers start with, number nineteen.  The two issue arc of Sacred Cows was impressive enough to get me hooked on the book and to add it to my short list of must read titles.  Sadly DC canceled the book and issue twenty looked to be its last.

Enter IDW, which offered the creator owned book a new home.  Five months, and twenty years in the book, later Fallen Angel has returned, better than ever.

Oh is this a great book, one that deserves to thrive.  The characters are not only well drawn (figuratively as well as literally), but they live on the page.  I wouldn't want to meet Lee in either a darkened alley or a brightly lit room.  She's a violent and scary lady.  But one that, despite all her power, also seems almost sweet and vulnerable.  This makes her a fascinating and mysterious anti-heroine.  Who is she?  What is her secret?  Prepare to find out.

In a more recent interview, again on Fanboy Radio, David proudly stated that this relaunch of Fallen Angel is "The best thing I have ever written."  His pride in his creation is justified.  This book vibrates with an energy and soul that makes it addictive.  If you aren't reading it, then you are missing out on what is quite possibly the best comic book that is being published today.  Sure you might think I am just engaging in pre-release hyperbole, but I am not.  The book really is that good, and I haven't even mentioned J.K. Woodward's glorious artwork yet.

Woodward's painted illustrations perfectly capture the emotional nuances of David's story.  Within one or two panels it is clear why, as David told the radio program Destinies: The Voice of Science Fiction, "This is the go to guy, so let's go to him."  Impressionistic in some areas, photo-realistic in others, Woodward makes David's words come to vibrant life.

I could gush on and on, but it would turn the review into a rant.  All I can do is implore you to support this book; it really is the format at its very finest.