And yes, we’re going to be tough on spoilers this time. Why do you think we shrinkwrapped the book?
99 comments on “FALLEN ANGEL #14 — whatdja think?”
I would have thought that sex with Juris would have been an easy indicator for others to see that Lee hates herself.
Sorry, what I meant to type was that Amazon UK lists Fallen Angels instead of Fallen Angel.
Typing with a curious nearly two year old on your lap is not so easy 🙂
Fallen Angel does seem to get better every issue. #14 was fantastic, Peter.
“I think that changed with this issue. In fact I think it changed with the first page of the issue – Bete Noir went from being just another sleazy, slightly enigmatic New Orleans knock-off, to some kind of analogy to Purgatory, or to the Outer Circle of Hëll thatdidn’t make it into Dante’s Inferno. And that peaked my interest.”
The true nature of Bete Noire–including the city’s real name–will be revealed in issue #18. When Thomas observed that it seemed I was “ramping up the voltage,” that’s pretty much right. Issues 1 through 18 really form one big novel, and now we’re driving toward the climax of it (which, if sales don’t turn around, will never be collected, which is what tends to happen with all of my best work, so I’d get it now if I were you.) Back in issue 12, Doctor Juris makes mention of a Hierarchy that oversees Bete Noire, and we learn that he’s effectively a prisoner there. Well, issue 15 sets up a major head-to-head between the Angel and the Hierarchy, and by the end of the arc, we learn why Juris is a prisoner, what Bete Noire is, and Lee’s true role in it all.
PAD
Testing the non- typekey usage.
“The true nature of Bete Noire–including the city’s real name–will be revealed in issue #18.”
Why wait till then? The city’s true name is Ottumwa, Iowa. Radar O’Reilly is the mastermind behind everything that’s going on.
Rick
P.S. I liked the issue.
Welp, Cowboy Pete, I thought Bennie was going to rob/molest/do something bad to the kid but Holy Hëll, I never saw that coming! It has to be one of the best comic shocks I have seen in a long time. Also, I am not going to give up and put this book at everyone even harder, read this great book dámņ you!!!
“The true nature of Bete Noire–including the city’s real name–will be revealed in issue #18.”
Peter,
Have you gotten any assurances FA will actually complete this first novel and print through #18?
Chip
Chip,
Fallen Angel #17 was in the November Solicits released by DC this Monday. It is scheduled to come out on November 3rd. The blurb for the story does NOT list it as “Final Issue” or anything like that, so I’d guess that it will goes at least as far as Issue #18 and that we’ll find out what Peter is refering to. I’m not an authority, but solicit infomation will ususally explicitly state when an issue is the final one…which I hope won’t be until about Issue #250ish or later…
Hm. I have to wonder if comic readers really do demand that character motivations have to be more explicit that what FALLEN ANGEL’s.
Queen Anthai’s remark is right on target, as PAD has said, and all the pieces and clues that allowed Queen to pull together this characterization have been lying around in plain sight for readership to put together on their own (though probably not as eloquently). This is, after all, just the result of the author SHOWING us the characterization, rather than TELLING us.
And though I was a step behind Queen’s analysis, I rather like the way it was done (after all, I could have done the same thing and drawn the same conclusion if I wanted….)
“Hm. I have to wonder if comic readers really do demand that character motivations have to be more explicit that what FALLEN ANGEL’s.”
You know, I almost wonder–I can’t be sure, mind you, but I almost wonder–if it’s gender related.
I mean, fans knew nothing concrete about Wolverine’s background, or Cable’s for that matter, for years on end. The question of motivation was the mystery of the entire “Prisoner” TV series, it was never answered, and people have been cheerily debating it for years. We know Bruce Wayne’s career as Batman was triggered by what he saw in the alley, but what really makes him tick? Is it vengeance? Is it altruism? It is a secret death wish, that he’s really hoping to join his parents and this is the best way he can think of to do it without just committing suicide? Lots of ways to go, lots of possibilities. Lots of guys.
But introduce an enigmatic female character, and suddenly readers complain because I don’t spell out everything about her by issue #2. I mean, Lee’s breakdown in #9 and her talk with Dolf in #10 tells you everything you need to know to grasp her motivation, and guys are still left scratching their heads. But a FEMALE fan, she connected with no problem. Totally got it.
The simple fact is this: To most guys, women are a mystery. They don’t know why women do what they do, and they get frustrated over it. So here’s a heroine who acts like a real woman rather than a man with breasts, and maybe guys figure…I dunno…maybe they figure, “If I want to spend time with a female I don’t understand, I’ll talk to my girlfriend.”
PAD
“If I want to spend time with a female I don’t understand, I’ll talk to my girlfriend.”
BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!
That quote is priceless!!!
I think I found my latest signature.
The above comment you made rings truth, Peter.
Joe V.
Mr. D, your wisdom is unassailable. That’s why I, and a great many other males, have simply given up on trying to deal with women. We’re simply nice to them in the hopes that they’ll let us get away from them without ruining us and making us feel miserable.
And no, it isn’t only comic book readers or genre fans that feel that way (although a lot of us do). I’m convinced that many men become gay through the sheer impossibility of dealing with women. (Which means that prejudice against gays comes from men who stubbornly refuse to accept the fact that gays have developed a solution to the problem of women.)
One of the sharpest writers on this subject was Terry Southern, whose movie, “Lord Love a Duck,” had a brilliant man destroyed because he refused to recognize that the woman he loved was essentially a destroyer. In the 1960’s, it was assumed that there was no other choice but to be destroyed. Today, of course, we have an alternative; comic books.
“Hm. I have to wonder if comic readers really do demand that character motivations have to be more explicit that what FALLEN ANGEL’s.”
You know, I almost wonder–I can’t be sure, mind you, but I almost wonder–if it’s gender related.
But introduce an enigmatic female character, and suddenly readers complain because I don’t spell out everything about her by issue #2. I mean, Lee’s breakdown in #9 and her talk with Dolf in #10 tells you everything you need to know to grasp her motivation, and guys are still left scratching their heads. But a FEMALE fan, she connected with no problem. Totally got it.
There’s something to this, I think. I enjoy the book immensely, as does my wife (and we both buy our own copies, both to support the book & to avoid arguments over who gets to read it first. *g*)
Both of us have pretty much come to the same conclusion about Lee that Queen Anthai does above (though Anthai writes it more eloquently than I could). Yet many guys I know seem to be rather puzzled by the character. I won’t say most, ’cause it’s about a 50-50 split. Certainly the salesguys at the store I buy it from don’t get it.
On the other hand, all the women we know who have read it really like the character. A lot. It’s an admittedly small sample, just some friends/coworkers we’ve encouraged to read it, but I’m thinking that the 25-35 female crowd would really enjoy the book.
Perhaps an interview in Cosmo, or boost by Oprah would help sales? Just dreaming, I know, but some way to reach that demographic might be good. There is the obstacle of “reading a funny book”; we got some interesting reactions when suggesting it as reading material. But once people tried it, they liked it, especially the female readers.
The simple fact is this: To most guys, women are a mystery. They don’t know why women do what they do, and they get frustrated over it. So here’s a heroine who acts like a real woman rather than a man with breasts…
That’s one of the things I really like about PAD’s heroines: they don’t act like men with breasts, and he doesn’t write the other extreme either, the heroine who solves everything by empathizing a lot but never has to actually make a tough call.
As an aside, my niece is now getting to read my copies of the PAD run on Supergirl, ’cause it’s head and shoulders above 99% of the stories out there when it comes to good female characters. Still a little young to read FA though.
(hope this works, preview isn’t working)
Peter:
Reading the comments above, made me think that instead of moving FA to Vertigo, perhaps FA should be moved to the new line of Manga comics? Why? It seems that manga trades are selling to teenage girls. Who knows, maybe this can be utilzed as a basis for saving FA.
Queen Anthai:All hail the queen !!!! That was an eloquent and beautifully expressed comment on Fallen Angel.
I had similar thoughts on Lee but some of your insights were deeper than mine.
” So here’s a heroine who acts like a real woman rather than a man with breasts”
Yeah , you know thats why i like Lee ,she doesnt come off as Wolverine with a shot of estrogen.I actually like the Mystery and dont need the big reveal about her straight out the box.I have my own little story for her in my head and want to see if I am close.
BTW anybody besides me see the TNT film Purgatory??Basically it was town in the old West where people like doc Holliday and the like went when they died.There were specific rules to living there,and violation resulted in going to Hëll.All the temptations were there ,you had to choose you own fate.Eric Roberts played a Thief who cam into town trying to take things over and ran into more than he could handle.The point is thats how I see Bete Noir.I think Lee is there in a redemption/what else do I have to do with my time scenario.There are definitely some unique elements in Bete Noir.
Back to women in fiction,i do find myself enjoying Birds Of Prey ,Fallen Angel and Batgirl.However i detest Claremont’s version of female heroes.Maybe cause he sometimes in my opinion tries so hard he makes them overcompetent if there is such a thing.
Thomas :Comics are great but nothing beats a good woman ,brother.Yes they can be mysterious,complex, frustrating ,intimidating and sometimes utterly insane but if you can find something better let me know:)
I’ve wanted to mention this a few times before, but it always seems like it will shift the topic a bit so I’ve waited.
Mentioning that maybe readers seem to have less problem enjoying male characters with a mysterious/unrevealled background might be an unproven theory.
It seems like people forget that when Wolverine became an X-men, young/teenage fans didn’t know that Marvel had no intention of revealing his origin. We bought X-men, and the Claremont/Millar mini because we thought/hoped each issue was going to be the one to finally tells everything we want to know about the character.
Now as adults, we get to look back and say “of course they were always going to keep Wolverine mysterious” but back then, we didn’t know that. If around the time of Wolverine’s induction to the X-men Marvel had announced “we won’t be revealing most of his secrets for at least 20 years” how do you think that would have affected his growing popularity? It would be interesting to know.
I always hear people say that “everyone loves a mystery” and that the fun is in not knowing, but it seems that sales figures would disagree. Like when surveys show that most people report they listen to mainly classical music, but sales figures show that far and away it’s really rock-n-roll most people buy/listen too.
Comics-wise, The Phantom Stranger is a mysterious male character with virtually nothing known about him and just how popular is he? How many monthly books has he starred in? Etc.
The part that made it initially hard for me to decide to stick with Fallen Angel was knowing right from the start that it is set-up with a mystery that will NEVER be resolved. How many people who tried the series and ultimately passed on or never tried it all it felt the same way?
I know the usual arguments against my line of thought and they usually point to some thing like the prisoner TV show, but that show was a cult hit was it not? Didn’t the non-mysterious version of it -Secret Agent Man- have higher TV ratings?
Reading the comments above, made me think that instead of moving FA to Vertigo, perhaps FA should be moved to the new line of Manga comics?
Unfortunately, the CMX line is all translated Japanese series, and even if they were running American manga-style series FA would have to go through some major stylistic changes to fit. Marketing the book on the basis of having strong characters couldn’t hurt, but that’s a lot harder than, say, marketing on the basis of having a popular artist. (As John Byrne has said, people don’t tend to look at a cover and say, “Hey, that book looks well written!” One can quibble over how far that’s true, but there’s certainly a nugget of fact there.)
Great issue. I thought it was hilarious and loved the Casablanca reference to further underscore the series premise. And just when we think we’re getting just a nice little character piece with a break from the regular pacing…we get hit with the last two pages.
PAD — All I have to say is thank you for writing this series.
Well, I think my point had to do more with that this character ISN’T a mystery.
For heaven’s sakes, IT’S ALL RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF US. Like in real life. And we just have to be smart enough to put the pieces together.
Hm. Am I saying that the readership doesn’t like to be considered smart enought to do that?
[Though there’s another thing to consider. If Lee was a MALE character….would comic readers accept the book more?]
Peter David: Why do you think we shrinkwrapped the book?
Luigi Novi: Well, I figured the Sky Captain promotional material had something to do with it. 🙂
(Btw, speaking of which if anyone wants to read my Spoiler-Free review of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (a movie whose teaser trailer left me skeptical, but which converted me after watching it), you can read it at http://64.33.77.146/discus/messages/8/24611.html?1093028179.)
Seriously, I
I brought the week’s haul home, handed the ones that my stepdaughter is following over, and she retreated to her room.
I knew exactly when she finished “Fallen Angel” — a voice behind the door said (rather loudly) “Oh wow”.
Any other week, just about, FA #14 would have been my choice for Top Comic That Mikey Buys.
But, ya know, it was the “Batman Adventures” story (which is, i understand, the last in that series, dammit) that takes that honour this week.
If you haven’t read it, go get it — even if you’re a longtime Batman fan, and you think you’ve seen everything that can be done with Joe Chill… you haven’t till you read this one.
“But a FEMALE fan, she connected with no problem. Totally got it.” -Peter David
Yeah, and I’m wondering if that’s not kinda sick that I’m relating to/empathizing with a dead-soul character. 🙂
Queen Anthai: “Yeah, and I’m wondering if that’s not kinda sick that I’m relating to/empathizing with a dead-soul character. :)”
By no means is that sick that just means you fit in around here.:)
After all for years i understood Angelus and Spike on the buffy the vampire slayer more than some of the humans(except Giles).You’re not sick
ya just got issues!!:)
Straws!!! Bring straws! man did i Laugh!
While not as eloquent, I wrote this on the DC board months ago … so some male readers do get it, PAD.
“The real story of Fallen Angel is trying to understand the convoluted and tragic figure of Lee. There is a great sadness in her that drives her to do what she is doing, some event that has only been hinted at in the title so far.
Her acts of justice seem to only ease her pain slightly. Whatever it is that pains her is deep. Her psychological defense to this pain seems to be two-fold. One, she lashes out at those who prey on others. Two, she doesn’t think about what is hurting her and as a result she isn’t dealing with it in any healthy way. She seems to be trying to bury her feelings, or ignore them, as if by steeling her soul she will be as invulnerable on the inside as she is on the outside.
This tough exterior … this emotional indifference … has led Lee to do some morally questionable acts. There is an ‘ends justify the means’ mentality in Lee, a code of justice that seems born from her past tragedy.
The last storyline shows and introspective Lee at her worst and then at her best as she tries to reconcile her place in her world.”
Now, Peter, I hate to say this because Fallen Angel is bar none my favorite monthily read, but this week Fallen Angel only tied for my favorite book of the week. But on the bright side, you were up against Girl Genius.
Though there’s another thing to consider. If Lee was a MALE character….would comic readers accept the book more?
No, because it would make this pregnancy storyline read like bad Smallville fanfic.
“One, she lashes out at those who prey on others.”
And this is why #14 was a big disappointment which puts in question whether I’ll continue with it.
OK, I can see she’s not as pro-active as some other character – Spider-Man comes to mind – in that she’s not out patrolling for purse snatchers and the like. Instead, she waits to be asked to help, by and large. Fair enough.
So? Please explain to me why the heck Benny is still alive, or at least walking around free? Now that we know his secret, and we know that Lee does, too, how can we possibly take her seriously if she allows him to go on doing it. And, no, beating up on him because he did it to one of her clients certainly doesn’t count. We know she’s aware he does this to other people but apparently hasn’t stopped him once and for all. There’s one heck of a difference between not being proactive and knowingly allowing something to go on doing that sort of thing.
“So? Please explain to me why the heck Benny is still alive, or at least walking around free?”
Why do YOU think?
PAD
Not meaning any sarcasm whatever, I don’t have your amazing imagination and story construction skills [it’s a compliment, honest!] and thus am at a loss to figure out why, other than the Hierarchy are somehow keeping him on the street and making sure nothing terminal happens to him such that he can keep on doing what he does.
What does he do? Issue #1 may be seen to suggest he does some policing for the powers-that-be. Unless he disposed of the individual who had been wearing the uniform to begin with. The latter option speaks for itself. The former then can be seen as his protecting the Hierarchy, rather than the citizenry. And, given the means he uses, this again suggests he should be taken out of circulation by anyone with a sense of right or wrong.
In which case, if I were in Lee’s position, I’d probably say “screw it, this place is just too far gone, I’m outta here.”
Having enjoyed your delightful plot twists and well-thought-out writings in FA and elsewhere, I know you have a subjectively valid (from Lee’s point of view) reason why she hasn’t done so. At this point I’m just not sure it will be enough to ‘salvage’ her for me after this.
See, you commented on how people don’t seem to mind Wolverine’s lack of a concrete past and so forth. I haven’t read him in several years. But, for a long time, while I may not have liked him, I did respect the character.
Why? Because, not unlike your character of Stone, he wouldn’t hesitate to risk his life (OK, given how tough he was this wasn’t always much of a risk, but never mind) to come to the aid of even total strangers. One gets the impression in #14 that Lee is very selective in who she can be bothered to help. I have a hard time respecting someone like that.
Yes, I know, she can’t help EVERYBODY. There will always be some form of ‘selection’, even if only by circumstances. But one would think that, if she saw someone who is clearly a threat to the well-being of apparent innocents, she would not sit idly by and ignore it. There IS a difference between people who choose to have harm done them (drug addicts) and someone who has it done to them (Benny’s victims?). That a large part of the book may be involved in finding out why this is so doesn’t make her any more likeable or, for the moment, worthy of respect. Later? I can’t say. Right now I’m just not sure I’ll be sticking around that long.
“So? Please explain to me why the heck Benny is still alive, or at least walking around free?”
Why do YOU think?
PAD
For my money ,I think Benny is still alive for the same reason Spiders,Snakes,Sharks and other predators exist.They are doing what is in their nature.Lee took offense in that this was a specific client of hers.Maybe she has a understanding or deal with him as far as his feeding habits and this was a violation.Other than that he was just doing what comes natural to him.
You could just as much question why Mariah,or Asia is still around.I need to go check but we havent scene Lee really kill anyone have we?Im sure i will be corrected if she has but the only she killed was a Demon and the Hellhound.
You could just as much question why Mariah,or Asia is still around.I need to go check but we havent scene Lee really kill anyone have we?Im sure i will be corrected if she has but the only she killed was a Demon and the Hellhound.
I always figured that she didn’t kill Asia for the same reason that Agent K never completely atomized Jack Jeebs. He is scum… but he is low level yet well connected scum. As we saw when she was fighting the demon, spook Asia enough and he will help her. Plus, Lee can use him to catch baddies who are a little higher up the totem poll.
“For my money ,I think Benny is still alive for the same reason Spiders,Snakes,Sharks and other predators exist.They are doing what is in their nature.Lee took offense in that this was a specific client of hers.Maybe she has a understanding or deal with him as far as his feeding habits and this was a violation.Other than that he was just doing what comes natural to him.”
That’s on the right track.
See, here’s the truth of it: Everything and everyone in Bete Noire serves a specific function. They have something they’re there to do. And the longer you’re there, the more the city gets into you, and you into it. The more it protects you. The more it preserves you.
And Benny’s been there a long time. A real. Long. Time. Longer than Dolf. Longer than Juris. Longer than just about anybody (which is my way of saying that, no, those people who thought he was actually Benito Mussolini were wrong.) He’s one of the first citizens and, as such, has very special status.
The Fallen Angel doesn’t kill him for two reasons: 1) She understands that he serves a function, and 2) She couldn’t kill him if she tried. She knows this because she did try once…in a story that, who knows, maybe I’ll get to tell.
Is the city capable of such dark doings? Next issue, we’re going to see our first aerial view of Bete Noire…and its layout should make you understand some stuff.
PAD
“And Benny’s been there a long time. A real. Long. Time. Longer than Dolf. Longer than Juris. Longer than just about anybody (which is my way of saying that, no, those people who thought he was actually Benito Mussolini were wrong.) He’s one of the first citizens and, as such, has very special status.
The Fallen Angel doesn’t kill him for two reasons: 1) She understands that he serves a function, and 2) She couldn’t kill him if she tried. She knows this because she did try once…in a story that, who knows, maybe I’ll get to tell.”
Hmm, I can think of one guy who’s been around a very long time who wasn’t allowed to be killed by divine fiat. Although he wasn’t exactly known for swallowing people whole.
“Hmm, I can think of one guy who’s been around a very long time who wasn’t allowed to be killed by divine fiat. Although he wasn’t exactly known for swallowing people whole.”
Yeah, and as I remember it, he was a vegetarian to boot.
Might be going Adkins.
Predators do serve a purpose. Yes.
We still don’t allow lions and polar bears free reign of the cities to nibble on the citizenry. We either shoot them or put them in cages. And do the same to human predators.
Maybe Lee can’t kill Benny, but it’s obvious she can make life unpleasant for him. And I’m betting she can probably come up with a way to jail him (in spite of his clearly elastic body) such that the populace is not endangered by his revolting habit.
I’ve read several posts here from people who are on the verge of dropping this book. It may be a case of Too Little Too blah blah, but I’m on the verge of picking it up. Been following the threads here on PADs site, checked out some reviews over at Newsarama, bought the trade and #14, and I think I’m gonna make an effort to get the back issues.
I haven’t collected a comic in over 4 years. Nothing I’ve seen till now has made me want to ad to my already overflowing collection from 10+ years of reading comics. Until now. The story PAD is weaving here is (no real surprise here) on a par with some of the better novels/epics available (insert any number of titles/authors OTHER than Robert Jordan here).
So, PAD, if you buy into the “if I can just reach ONE person,” then count your effort to increase sales as successful. You got me.
this book is AWESOME. seriously. i’m not talking about this issue alone, but the series as a whole. i almost skipped it when it was first released, but noted Peter David’s name and i HAD to get it. no regrets since. I really hope this book will NEVER get cancelled!
Well, I just bought #14 and all the back issues I was able to get my hands on (everything except #1, 3, 5, and 9; looks I’ll be needing the trades too).
Verdict: I regret not being on board from the beginning. I’d collected your entire HULK run and the second half of your CAPTAIN MARVEL series; I feel that what you’re doing here seems to be the natural progression from those excellent stories. The characters are more ambiguous, the humour is blacker, the themes are darker, mystery abounds, and, as #14 demonstrates, surprises are in store.
Why didn’t I buy it in the first place? Well, I admit that I don’t buy everything that you write. Sometimes it takes me awhile to come on board. Mind you, somehow FA#1 just never got noticed by me. I don’t remember seeing much promotion for this book over the past year. If this was VERTIGO I probably would have tried it before this (I bought SEAGUY: deliciously surreal). Recently I started haunting the message boards and saw somebody recommending FA on his/her tagline. I also noticed you mentioning FA during pieces about your new HULK series. Based on my past experience with your writing I decided to jump in and I’m glad I did.
I hope FA isn’t cancelled, but given its placement on the TOP 300… it looks grim. What kind of improvement would be necessary to carry on past #18? If it cracked the TOP 100 would DC give it the green light?
Thought: if DC lets FA go, and the new HULk series sells well, Marvel does have its new ICON line of creator owned pet projects.
Good luck,
JDP
Anyone think that maybe The Shard is the reason Lee’s expecting?
posted by marc: “Anyone think that maybe The Shard is the reason Lee’s expecting?”
Nah, I’m pretty sure she did it the old-fashioned way. The alternative would, of course, lead to splinters. 🙂
Oh, and by the way, THANKS FOR THE SPOILER WARNING, SIR!
*end sarcasm*
Spoiler:
The shard granting Lee exactly what she needs could lead into a “divine birth” and all sorts of interesting possibilites for a “fallen Angel”
Knowing what we now know about Benny does explain his many different hats he has been shown to wear.
Nice to know i was on the right track about why Lee didnt smoke Benny and does explain my question about Mariah (who i like )and Asia(soso)
If everything in Bete Noir has a function or purpose then Lee would essentially break up the natural order of things by killing some of these people.What long term effects would result?Hmmm?
Star Wolf :While Benny’s eating habits may be a
bit unsavory ,consider this.He did not break into
a house and have a nice feast of young virgins.He preyed on someone in Bete Noir who was basically waving a sign saying n”i dont belong ,im a tourist come get me!” While not saying his behavior was right ,i stand by the natural predator similarity.
If you go in the ocean ,in a wet suit ,in the early morning ,near an area where you often see Seals ,turtles,and the like to take a swim,you may get mistaken for Mr Sharky’s dinner.If you go into Bete Noire,looking lost you may get eaten by Benny.
As far as Lee making his life unpleasant,or jailing him…maybe she cant,or for her own reasons wont do so.Plus if as Peter states everything has a purpose again to use the
Discovery channel,Predators usually only clash out of self defense,defending territory or over common prey,Maybe there have been few instances of Benny and Lee crossing paths in a negative way.
I enjoyed the issue a lot. I bought two comics today, she-hulk and fallen angel and loved them both.
I live in switzerland (although am english) and unfortunately fallen angel was not sold at the one comic shop in zurich. I have beena fan of PADs work for a long time – Hulk, Supergirl etc. and was very interested in the title as soon as it was being promoted on this website – if it hadn’t been for this site I wouldn’t have known about it. Anyway despite my interest the comic shop in z
Where is Bete Noire (i.e. what is the real name of the city)? Well, if we look at the evidence, there
Considering the nature of Bete Noire, it might be kinder to get eaten by Benny than to wait around for one of the other fates that the city has in mind for tourists.
• 
I would have thought that sex with Juris would have been an easy indicator for others to see that Lee hates herself.
Sorry, what I meant to type was that Amazon UK lists Fallen Angels instead of Fallen Angel.
Typing with a curious nearly two year old on your lap is not so easy 🙂
Fallen Angel does seem to get better every issue. #14 was fantastic, Peter.
“I think that changed with this issue. In fact I think it changed with the first page of the issue – Bete Noir went from being just another sleazy, slightly enigmatic New Orleans knock-off, to some kind of analogy to Purgatory, or to the Outer Circle of Hëll thatdidn’t make it into Dante’s Inferno. And that peaked my interest.”
The true nature of Bete Noire–including the city’s real name–will be revealed in issue #18. When Thomas observed that it seemed I was “ramping up the voltage,” that’s pretty much right. Issues 1 through 18 really form one big novel, and now we’re driving toward the climax of it (which, if sales don’t turn around, will never be collected, which is what tends to happen with all of my best work, so I’d get it now if I were you.) Back in issue 12, Doctor Juris makes mention of a Hierarchy that oversees Bete Noire, and we learn that he’s effectively a prisoner there. Well, issue 15 sets up a major head-to-head between the Angel and the Hierarchy, and by the end of the arc, we learn why Juris is a prisoner, what Bete Noire is, and Lee’s true role in it all.
PAD
Testing the non- typekey usage.
“The true nature of Bete Noire–including the city’s real name–will be revealed in issue #18.”
Why wait till then? The city’s true name is Ottumwa, Iowa. Radar O’Reilly is the mastermind behind everything that’s going on.
Rick
P.S. I liked the issue.
Welp, Cowboy Pete, I thought Bennie was going to rob/molest/do something bad to the kid but Holy Hëll, I never saw that coming! It has to be one of the best comic shocks I have seen in a long time. Also, I am not going to give up and put this book at everyone even harder, read this great book dámņ you!!!
“The true nature of Bete Noire–including the city’s real name–will be revealed in issue #18.”
Peter,
Have you gotten any assurances FA will actually complete this first novel and print through #18?
Chip
Chip,
Fallen Angel #17 was in the November Solicits released by DC this Monday. It is scheduled to come out on November 3rd. The blurb for the story does NOT list it as “Final Issue” or anything like that, so I’d guess that it will goes at least as far as Issue #18 and that we’ll find out what Peter is refering to. I’m not an authority, but solicit infomation will ususally explicitly state when an issue is the final one…which I hope won’t be until about Issue #250ish or later…
Hm. I have to wonder if comic readers really do demand that character motivations have to be more explicit that what FALLEN ANGEL’s.
Queen Anthai’s remark is right on target, as PAD has said, and all the pieces and clues that allowed Queen to pull together this characterization have been lying around in plain sight for readership to put together on their own (though probably not as eloquently). This is, after all, just the result of the author SHOWING us the characterization, rather than TELLING us.
And though I was a step behind Queen’s analysis, I rather like the way it was done (after all, I could have done the same thing and drawn the same conclusion if I wanted….)
“Hm. I have to wonder if comic readers really do demand that character motivations have to be more explicit that what FALLEN ANGEL’s.”
You know, I almost wonder–I can’t be sure, mind you, but I almost wonder–if it’s gender related.
I mean, fans knew nothing concrete about Wolverine’s background, or Cable’s for that matter, for years on end. The question of motivation was the mystery of the entire “Prisoner” TV series, it was never answered, and people have been cheerily debating it for years. We know Bruce Wayne’s career as Batman was triggered by what he saw in the alley, but what really makes him tick? Is it vengeance? Is it altruism? It is a secret death wish, that he’s really hoping to join his parents and this is the best way he can think of to do it without just committing suicide? Lots of ways to go, lots of possibilities. Lots of guys.
But introduce an enigmatic female character, and suddenly readers complain because I don’t spell out everything about her by issue #2. I mean, Lee’s breakdown in #9 and her talk with Dolf in #10 tells you everything you need to know to grasp her motivation, and guys are still left scratching their heads. But a FEMALE fan, she connected with no problem. Totally got it.
The simple fact is this: To most guys, women are a mystery. They don’t know why women do what they do, and they get frustrated over it. So here’s a heroine who acts like a real woman rather than a man with breasts, and maybe guys figure…I dunno…maybe they figure, “If I want to spend time with a female I don’t understand, I’ll talk to my girlfriend.”
PAD
“If I want to spend time with a female I don’t understand, I’ll talk to my girlfriend.”
BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!
That quote is priceless!!!
I think I found my latest signature.
The above comment you made rings truth, Peter.
Joe V.
Mr. D, your wisdom is unassailable. That’s why I, and a great many other males, have simply given up on trying to deal with women. We’re simply nice to them in the hopes that they’ll let us get away from them without ruining us and making us feel miserable.
And no, it isn’t only comic book readers or genre fans that feel that way (although a lot of us do). I’m convinced that many men become gay through the sheer impossibility of dealing with women. (Which means that prejudice against gays comes from men who stubbornly refuse to accept the fact that gays have developed a solution to the problem of women.)
One of the sharpest writers on this subject was Terry Southern, whose movie, “Lord Love a Duck,” had a brilliant man destroyed because he refused to recognize that the woman he loved was essentially a destroyer. In the 1960’s, it was assumed that there was no other choice but to be destroyed. Today, of course, we have an alternative; comic books.
“Hm. I have to wonder if comic readers really do demand that character motivations have to be more explicit that what FALLEN ANGEL’s.”
You know, I almost wonder–I can’t be sure, mind you, but I almost wonder–if it’s gender related.
But introduce an enigmatic female character, and suddenly readers complain because I don’t spell out everything about her by issue #2. I mean, Lee’s breakdown in #9 and her talk with Dolf in #10 tells you everything you need to know to grasp her motivation, and guys are still left scratching their heads. But a FEMALE fan, she connected with no problem. Totally got it.
There’s something to this, I think. I enjoy the book immensely, as does my wife (and we both buy our own copies, both to support the book & to avoid arguments over who gets to read it first. *g*)
Both of us have pretty much come to the same conclusion about Lee that Queen Anthai does above (though Anthai writes it more eloquently than I could). Yet many guys I know seem to be rather puzzled by the character. I won’t say most, ’cause it’s about a 50-50 split. Certainly the salesguys at the store I buy it from don’t get it.
On the other hand, all the women we know who have read it really like the character. A lot. It’s an admittedly small sample, just some friends/coworkers we’ve encouraged to read it, but I’m thinking that the 25-35 female crowd would really enjoy the book.
Perhaps an interview in Cosmo, or boost by Oprah would help sales? Just dreaming, I know, but some way to reach that demographic might be good. There is the obstacle of “reading a funny book”; we got some interesting reactions when suggesting it as reading material. But once people tried it, they liked it, especially the female readers.
The simple fact is this: To most guys, women are a mystery. They don’t know why women do what they do, and they get frustrated over it. So here’s a heroine who acts like a real woman rather than a man with breasts…
That’s one of the things I really like about PAD’s heroines: they don’t act like men with breasts, and he doesn’t write the other extreme either, the heroine who solves everything by empathizing a lot but never has to actually make a tough call.
As an aside, my niece is now getting to read my copies of the PAD run on Supergirl, ’cause it’s head and shoulders above 99% of the stories out there when it comes to good female characters. Still a little young to read FA though.
(hope this works, preview isn’t working)
Peter:
Reading the comments above, made me think that instead of moving FA to Vertigo, perhaps FA should be moved to the new line of Manga comics? Why? It seems that manga trades are selling to teenage girls. Who knows, maybe this can be utilzed as a basis for saving FA.
Queen Anthai:All hail the queen !!!! That was an eloquent and beautifully expressed comment on Fallen Angel.
I had similar thoughts on Lee but some of your insights were deeper than mine.
” So here’s a heroine who acts like a real woman rather than a man with breasts”
Yeah , you know thats why i like Lee ,she doesnt come off as Wolverine with a shot of estrogen.I actually like the Mystery and dont need the big reveal about her straight out the box.I have my own little story for her in my head and want to see if I am close.
BTW anybody besides me see the TNT film Purgatory??Basically it was town in the old West where people like doc Holliday and the like went when they died.There were specific rules to living there,and violation resulted in going to Hëll.All the temptations were there ,you had to choose you own fate.Eric Roberts played a Thief who cam into town trying to take things over and ran into more than he could handle.The point is thats how I see Bete Noir.I think Lee is there in a redemption/what else do I have to do with my time scenario.There are definitely some unique elements in Bete Noir.
Back to women in fiction,i do find myself enjoying Birds Of Prey ,Fallen Angel and Batgirl.However i detest Claremont’s version of female heroes.Maybe cause he sometimes in my opinion tries so hard he makes them overcompetent if there is such a thing.
Thomas :Comics are great but nothing beats a good woman ,brother.Yes they can be mysterious,complex, frustrating ,intimidating and sometimes utterly insane but if you can find something better let me know:)
I’ve wanted to mention this a few times before, but it always seems like it will shift the topic a bit so I’ve waited.
Mentioning that maybe readers seem to have less problem enjoying male characters with a mysterious/unrevealled background might be an unproven theory.
It seems like people forget that when Wolverine became an X-men, young/teenage fans didn’t know that Marvel had no intention of revealing his origin. We bought X-men, and the Claremont/Millar mini because we thought/hoped each issue was going to be the one to finally tells everything we want to know about the character.
Now as adults, we get to look back and say “of course they were always going to keep Wolverine mysterious” but back then, we didn’t know that. If around the time of Wolverine’s induction to the X-men Marvel had announced “we won’t be revealing most of his secrets for at least 20 years” how do you think that would have affected his growing popularity? It would be interesting to know.
I always hear people say that “everyone loves a mystery” and that the fun is in not knowing, but it seems that sales figures would disagree. Like when surveys show that most people report they listen to mainly classical music, but sales figures show that far and away it’s really rock-n-roll most people buy/listen too.
Comics-wise, The Phantom Stranger is a mysterious male character with virtually nothing known about him and just how popular is he? How many monthly books has he starred in? Etc.
The part that made it initially hard for me to decide to stick with Fallen Angel was knowing right from the start that it is set-up with a mystery that will NEVER be resolved. How many people who tried the series and ultimately passed on or never tried it all it felt the same way?
I know the usual arguments against my line of thought and they usually point to some thing like the prisoner TV show, but that show was a cult hit was it not? Didn’t the non-mysterious version of it -Secret Agent Man- have higher TV ratings?
Reading the comments above, made me think that instead of moving FA to Vertigo, perhaps FA should be moved to the new line of Manga comics?
Unfortunately, the CMX line is all translated Japanese series, and even if they were running American manga-style series FA would have to go through some major stylistic changes to fit. Marketing the book on the basis of having strong characters couldn’t hurt, but that’s a lot harder than, say, marketing on the basis of having a popular artist. (As John Byrne has said, people don’t tend to look at a cover and say, “Hey, that book looks well written!” One can quibble over how far that’s true, but there’s certainly a nugget of fact there.)
Great issue. I thought it was hilarious and loved the Casablanca reference to further underscore the series premise. And just when we think we’re getting just a nice little character piece with a break from the regular pacing…we get hit with the last two pages.
PAD — All I have to say is thank you for writing this series.
Well, I think my point had to do more with that this character ISN’T a mystery.
For heaven’s sakes, IT’S ALL RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF US. Like in real life. And we just have to be smart enough to put the pieces together.
Hm. Am I saying that the readership doesn’t like to be considered smart enought to do that?
[Though there’s another thing to consider. If Lee was a MALE character….would comic readers accept the book more?]
Peter David: Why do you think we shrinkwrapped the book?
Luigi Novi: Well, I figured the Sky Captain promotional material had something to do with it. 🙂
(Btw, speaking of which if anyone wants to read my Spoiler-Free review of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (a movie whose teaser trailer left me skeptical, but which converted me after watching it), you can read it at http://64.33.77.146/discus/messages/8/24611.html?1093028179.)
Seriously, I
I brought the week’s haul home, handed the ones that my stepdaughter is following over, and she retreated to her room.
I knew exactly when she finished “Fallen Angel” — a voice behind the door said (rather loudly) “Oh wow”.
Any other week, just about, FA #14 would have been my choice for Top Comic That Mikey Buys.
But, ya know, it was the “Batman Adventures” story (which is, i understand, the last in that series, dammit) that takes that honour this week.
If you haven’t read it, go get it — even if you’re a longtime Batman fan, and you think you’ve seen everything that can be done with Joe Chill… you haven’t till you read this one.
“But a FEMALE fan, she connected with no problem. Totally got it.” -Peter David
Yeah, and I’m wondering if that’s not kinda sick that I’m relating to/empathizing with a dead-soul character. 🙂
Queen Anthai: “Yeah, and I’m wondering if that’s not kinda sick that I’m relating to/empathizing with a dead-soul character. :)”
By no means is that sick that just means you fit in around here.:)
After all for years i understood Angelus and Spike on the buffy the vampire slayer more than some of the humans(except Giles).You’re not sick
ya just got issues!!:)
Straws!!! Bring straws! man did i Laugh!
While not as eloquent, I wrote this on the DC board months ago … so some male readers do get it, PAD.
“The real story of Fallen Angel is trying to understand the convoluted and tragic figure of Lee. There is a great sadness in her that drives her to do what she is doing, some event that has only been hinted at in the title so far.
Her acts of justice seem to only ease her pain slightly. Whatever it is that pains her is deep. Her psychological defense to this pain seems to be two-fold. One, she lashes out at those who prey on others. Two, she doesn’t think about what is hurting her and as a result she isn’t dealing with it in any healthy way. She seems to be trying to bury her feelings, or ignore them, as if by steeling her soul she will be as invulnerable on the inside as she is on the outside.
This tough exterior … this emotional indifference … has led Lee to do some morally questionable acts. There is an ‘ends justify the means’ mentality in Lee, a code of justice that seems born from her past tragedy.
The last storyline shows and introspective Lee at her worst and then at her best as she tries to reconcile her place in her world.”
Now, Peter, I hate to say this because Fallen Angel is bar none my favorite monthily read, but this week Fallen Angel only tied for my favorite book of the week. But on the bright side, you were up against Girl Genius.
Though there’s another thing to consider. If Lee was a MALE character….would comic readers accept the book more?
No, because it would make this pregnancy storyline read like bad Smallville fanfic.
“One, she lashes out at those who prey on others.”
And this is why #14 was a big disappointment which puts in question whether I’ll continue with it.
OK, I can see she’s not as pro-active as some other character – Spider-Man comes to mind – in that she’s not out patrolling for purse snatchers and the like. Instead, she waits to be asked to help, by and large. Fair enough.
So? Please explain to me why the heck Benny is still alive, or at least walking around free? Now that we know his secret, and we know that Lee does, too, how can we possibly take her seriously if she allows him to go on doing it. And, no, beating up on him because he did it to one of her clients certainly doesn’t count. We know she’s aware he does this to other people but apparently hasn’t stopped him once and for all. There’s one heck of a difference between not being proactive and knowingly allowing something to go on doing that sort of thing.
“So? Please explain to me why the heck Benny is still alive, or at least walking around free?”
Why do YOU think?
PAD
Not meaning any sarcasm whatever, I don’t have your amazing imagination and story construction skills [it’s a compliment, honest!] and thus am at a loss to figure out why, other than the Hierarchy are somehow keeping him on the street and making sure nothing terminal happens to him such that he can keep on doing what he does.
What does he do? Issue #1 may be seen to suggest he does some policing for the powers-that-be. Unless he disposed of the individual who had been wearing the uniform to begin with. The latter option speaks for itself. The former then can be seen as his protecting the Hierarchy, rather than the citizenry. And, given the means he uses, this again suggests he should be taken out of circulation by anyone with a sense of right or wrong.
In which case, if I were in Lee’s position, I’d probably say “screw it, this place is just too far gone, I’m outta here.”
Having enjoyed your delightful plot twists and well-thought-out writings in FA and elsewhere, I know you have a subjectively valid (from Lee’s point of view) reason why she hasn’t done so. At this point I’m just not sure it will be enough to ‘salvage’ her for me after this.
See, you commented on how people don’t seem to mind Wolverine’s lack of a concrete past and so forth. I haven’t read him in several years. But, for a long time, while I may not have liked him, I did respect the character.
Why? Because, not unlike your character of Stone, he wouldn’t hesitate to risk his life (OK, given how tough he was this wasn’t always much of a risk, but never mind) to come to the aid of even total strangers. One gets the impression in #14 that Lee is very selective in who she can be bothered to help. I have a hard time respecting someone like that.
Yes, I know, she can’t help EVERYBODY. There will always be some form of ‘selection’, even if only by circumstances. But one would think that, if she saw someone who is clearly a threat to the well-being of apparent innocents, she would not sit idly by and ignore it. There IS a difference between people who choose to have harm done them (drug addicts) and someone who has it done to them (Benny’s victims?). That a large part of the book may be involved in finding out why this is so doesn’t make her any more likeable or, for the moment, worthy of respect. Later? I can’t say. Right now I’m just not sure I’ll be sticking around that long.
“So? Please explain to me why the heck Benny is still alive, or at least walking around free?”
Why do YOU think?
PAD
For my money ,I think Benny is still alive for the same reason Spiders,Snakes,Sharks and other predators exist.They are doing what is in their nature.Lee took offense in that this was a specific client of hers.Maybe she has a understanding or deal with him as far as his feeding habits and this was a violation.Other than that he was just doing what comes natural to him.
You could just as much question why Mariah,or Asia is still around.I need to go check but we havent scene Lee really kill anyone have we?Im sure i will be corrected if she has but the only she killed was a Demon and the Hellhound.
You could just as much question why Mariah,or Asia is still around.I need to go check but we havent scene Lee really kill anyone have we?Im sure i will be corrected if she has but the only she killed was a Demon and the Hellhound.
I always figured that she didn’t kill Asia for the same reason that Agent K never completely atomized Jack Jeebs. He is scum… but he is low level yet well connected scum. As we saw when she was fighting the demon, spook Asia enough and he will help her. Plus, Lee can use him to catch baddies who are a little higher up the totem poll.
“For my money ,I think Benny is still alive for the same reason Spiders,Snakes,Sharks and other predators exist.They are doing what is in their nature.Lee took offense in that this was a specific client of hers.Maybe she has a understanding or deal with him as far as his feeding habits and this was a violation.Other than that he was just doing what comes natural to him.”
That’s on the right track.
See, here’s the truth of it: Everything and everyone in Bete Noire serves a specific function. They have something they’re there to do. And the longer you’re there, the more the city gets into you, and you into it. The more it protects you. The more it preserves you.
And Benny’s been there a long time. A real. Long. Time. Longer than Dolf. Longer than Juris. Longer than just about anybody (which is my way of saying that, no, those people who thought he was actually Benito Mussolini were wrong.) He’s one of the first citizens and, as such, has very special status.
The Fallen Angel doesn’t kill him for two reasons: 1) She understands that he serves a function, and 2) She couldn’t kill him if she tried. She knows this because she did try once…in a story that, who knows, maybe I’ll get to tell.
Is the city capable of such dark doings? Next issue, we’re going to see our first aerial view of Bete Noire…and its layout should make you understand some stuff.
PAD
“And Benny’s been there a long time. A real. Long. Time. Longer than Dolf. Longer than Juris. Longer than just about anybody (which is my way of saying that, no, those people who thought he was actually Benito Mussolini were wrong.) He’s one of the first citizens and, as such, has very special status.
The Fallen Angel doesn’t kill him for two reasons: 1) She understands that he serves a function, and 2) She couldn’t kill him if she tried. She knows this because she did try once…in a story that, who knows, maybe I’ll get to tell.”
Hmm, I can think of one guy who’s been around a very long time who wasn’t allowed to be killed by divine fiat. Although he wasn’t exactly known for swallowing people whole.
“Hmm, I can think of one guy who’s been around a very long time who wasn’t allowed to be killed by divine fiat. Although he wasn’t exactly known for swallowing people whole.”
Yeah, and as I remember it, he was a vegetarian to boot.
Might be going Adkins.
Predators do serve a purpose. Yes.
We still don’t allow lions and polar bears free reign of the cities to nibble on the citizenry. We either shoot them or put them in cages. And do the same to human predators.
Maybe Lee can’t kill Benny, but it’s obvious she can make life unpleasant for him. And I’m betting she can probably come up with a way to jail him (in spite of his clearly elastic body) such that the populace is not endangered by his revolting habit.
I’ve read several posts here from people who are on the verge of dropping this book. It may be a case of Too Little Too blah blah, but I’m on the verge of picking it up. Been following the threads here on PADs site, checked out some reviews over at Newsarama, bought the trade and #14, and I think I’m gonna make an effort to get the back issues.
I haven’t collected a comic in over 4 years. Nothing I’ve seen till now has made me want to ad to my already overflowing collection from 10+ years of reading comics. Until now. The story PAD is weaving here is (no real surprise here) on a par with some of the better novels/epics available (insert any number of titles/authors OTHER than Robert Jordan here).
So, PAD, if you buy into the “if I can just reach ONE person,” then count your effort to increase sales as successful. You got me.
this book is AWESOME. seriously. i’m not talking about this issue alone, but the series as a whole. i almost skipped it when it was first released, but noted Peter David’s name and i HAD to get it. no regrets since. I really hope this book will NEVER get cancelled!
Well, I just bought #14 and all the back issues I was able to get my hands on (everything except #1, 3, 5, and 9; looks I’ll be needing the trades too).
Verdict: I regret not being on board from the beginning. I’d collected your entire HULK run and the second half of your CAPTAIN MARVEL series; I feel that what you’re doing here seems to be the natural progression from those excellent stories. The characters are more ambiguous, the humour is blacker, the themes are darker, mystery abounds, and, as #14 demonstrates, surprises are in store.
Why didn’t I buy it in the first place? Well, I admit that I don’t buy everything that you write. Sometimes it takes me awhile to come on board. Mind you, somehow FA#1 just never got noticed by me. I don’t remember seeing much promotion for this book over the past year. If this was VERTIGO I probably would have tried it before this (I bought SEAGUY: deliciously surreal). Recently I started haunting the message boards and saw somebody recommending FA on his/her tagline. I also noticed you mentioning FA during pieces about your new HULK series. Based on my past experience with your writing I decided to jump in and I’m glad I did.
I hope FA isn’t cancelled, but given its placement on the TOP 300… it looks grim. What kind of improvement would be necessary to carry on past #18? If it cracked the TOP 100 would DC give it the green light?
Thought: if DC lets FA go, and the new HULk series sells well, Marvel does have its new ICON line of creator owned pet projects.
Good luck,
JDP
Anyone think that maybe The Shard is the reason Lee’s expecting?
posted by marc: “Anyone think that maybe The Shard is the reason Lee’s expecting?”
Nah, I’m pretty sure she did it the old-fashioned way. The alternative would, of course, lead to splinters. 🙂
Oh, and by the way, THANKS FOR THE SPOILER WARNING, SIR!
*end sarcasm*
Spoiler:
The shard granting Lee exactly what she needs could lead into a “divine birth” and all sorts of interesting possibilites for a “fallen Angel”
Knowing what we now know about Benny does explain his many different hats he has been shown to wear.
Nice to know i was on the right track about why Lee didnt smoke Benny and does explain my question about Mariah (who i like )and Asia(soso)
If everything in Bete Noir has a function or purpose then Lee would essentially break up the natural order of things by killing some of these people.What long term effects would result?Hmmm?
Star Wolf :While Benny’s eating habits may be a
bit unsavory ,consider this.He did not break into
a house and have a nice feast of young virgins.He preyed on someone in Bete Noir who was basically waving a sign saying n”i dont belong ,im a tourist come get me!” While not saying his behavior was right ,i stand by the natural predator similarity.
If you go in the ocean ,in a wet suit ,in the early morning ,near an area where you often see Seals ,turtles,and the like to take a swim,you may get mistaken for Mr Sharky’s dinner.If you go into Bete Noire,looking lost you may get eaten by Benny.
As far as Lee making his life unpleasant,or jailing him…maybe she cant,or for her own reasons wont do so.Plus if as Peter states everything has a purpose again to use the
Discovery channel,Predators usually only clash out of self defense,defending territory or over common prey,Maybe there have been few instances of Benny and Lee crossing paths in a negative way.
Nice interview PAD did w/ Rich Johnston.
http://dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/tommy85.html
Joe V.
I enjoyed the issue a lot. I bought two comics today, she-hulk and fallen angel and loved them both.
I live in switzerland (although am english) and unfortunately fallen angel was not sold at the one comic shop in zurich. I have beena fan of PADs work for a long time – Hulk, Supergirl etc. and was very interested in the title as soon as it was being promoted on this website – if it hadn’t been for this site I wouldn’t have known about it. Anyway despite my interest the comic shop in z
Where is Bete Noire (i.e. what is the real name of the city)? Well, if we look at the evidence, there
Considering the nature of Bete Noire, it might be kinder to get eaten by Benny than to wait around for one of the other fates that the city has in mind for tourists.