FALLEN #2, from Red 5 Comics on 4/12/2023, catches up to Casper Clay a year after Zeus’s death when one of the gods approaches Casper to help find the killer. Casper soon finds the world is spiraling out of control.
The Details
- Written by: Matt Ringel
- Art by: Henry Ponciano
- Colors by: Henry Ponciano
- Letters by: Toben Racicot
- Cover art by: Henry Ponciano
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $3.95
- Release date: April 12, 2023
Is It Good?
Fallen #2 flips the script on the shocking murder in issue #1 by turning it into a respectably good detective noir story. Set a year after the events of issue #1, Matt Ringel recasts Casper Clay as the hardest of hard-boiled detectives intent on solving a murder almost nobody wants him to solve, and it’s a darn fine read.
When last we left Casper Clay, the gods forbade him from getting involved in Zeus’s murder investigation and cast him out of their presence. Now, Casper takes odd jobs as a detective when the ultimate femme fatale shows up at his door to ask for help.
Ringel’s script hits all the right marks for a solid detective noir story. Casper leans into the stoic, cynical detective who refuses to be shaken by the lowest of human behavior. The pacing is buttery smooth, the dialog flows with a sing-song rhythm as Casper verbally spars with one god or another, and the harder Casper digs, the more dirty secrets come to light.
The minor down point is the lack of “magic” in this issue. The promise of the premise is a murder mystery involving the Olympian gods, but with the exception of one or two panels, and an odd height difference between gods and humans, you wouldn’t know there was anything magical about the characters in Casper’s life. Ringel nails the detective noir aspects, but the whimsical components are a little lacking.
Ringel’s fantastic script is supported by Ponciano’s moody, shadow-filled art. In detective noir comics, shadows and silhouettes are practically a character unto themselves, so Ponciano does the genre justice with stark contrasts between shadow and light in every panel.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our FALLEN #1 review to find out how Zeus met a brutal end.
We begin one year later after the events of issue #1. Casper is now a private detective. His latest job finds him looking for the missing daughter of a wealthy family. The number of disappearances appears to be increasing, and Casper fears the missing girl is part of a larger problem.
Between beating up thugs and getting beat up in return, Casper receives an unexpected visit from Aphrodite at his office. She requests Casper to track down Zeus’s murderer, against the wishes of the rest of Zeus’s family. Casper knows he’ll step into trouble if he agrees, but like any good detective, he does it anyway.
We conclude the issue with a dead body, trouble on the party circuit, and an example about to be made.
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Final Thoughts
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FALLEN #2 turns the unusual murder of Zeus into a proper and well-executed detective noir story. The script and art complement each other beautifully with snappy banter amid moody shadows. That said, the magical murder mystery is a little light on magic.
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