Jean-Patrick Manchette was a popular French crime novelist known for his many works that rejuvenated the genre. One of his best-known novels is Fatale, a noir crime novel. This story has since been adapted into a graphic novel, published in French in 2014. Now, Titan Comics has collected the graphic novel into an English translation. It’s great to see crime novels being adapted into graphic novels, allowing a wider audience to read the story in a different format.
Fatale was known as a gritty noir crime novel upon release and has gained a wide fan base. This adaption has kept the gritty feel of the novel, and expanded the use of the characters. The story follows Aimée Joubert who we are introduced to in a shocking way. From there, we follow the character to Bléville. Once there, the reader gets to see two sides to her personality. Behind closed doors, the reader sees the creepy and bizarre nature of the character. Whilst in public, we see her as an ordinary civilian with a hidden vendetta. As we follow Aimée Joubert through her acts of betrayal and lies.
Fatale is a classic noir novel, and this has been reflected in this adaption. Readers should expect art of bleak scenery, which manages to capture the overall tone of the novel. The most intriguing part of this adaption is Aimée Joubert. She is a cynical character, who keeps the whole story together. Readers will be eager to discover her true motives, as she becomes entangled in people’s lives, forming alliances for an unknown agenda.
The adaption is true to the novel, and allows for comic readers to have a gritty and hard-hitting crime adaption to enjoy. However, the novel may seem slow to some readers. It is by no means a fast-paced story. Instead, it focuses on the characters, enabling the reader to gain an understanding of their personalities, before shocking the reader with death and destruction. This is a must for comic fans of noir crime fiction, but the slow pacing may put off fans of more mainstream crime comics. It’s a great adaption of a brilliant novel, but may have a limited audience.
MANCHETTE’S FATALE / AUTHORS: MAX CABANES, DOUG HEADLINE (ADAPTED FROM JOHN-PATRICK MANCHETTE) / PUBLISHER: TITAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
