Fallen Angel #2 [Ray T]

Posted: Sunday, August 17, 2003
By: Ray Tate

"Waning Moon"

Writer: Peter David
Artists: David Lopez(p), Fernando Blanco(i), Nathan Eyring(c)
Publisher: DC

The second issue of Fallen Angel resumes a few hours after the first. David Lopez, the Phantom's Fernando Blanco and colorist Nathan Eyring show a moment of title character Lee being purely sexy. The amount of skin shown is carefully calculated. Sexy is often about what is not shown rather than what is shown and how a character moves as opposed to what is exposed. Lee's sexiness is further exuded by the natural color palette: pale skin, instead of burnt orange, striking red hair, chilling blue eyes and solid black shadows with a nuance of gray-brown for warmth. Writer Peter David enhances the aesthetic with a display of Lee's intellect as well as a taste of her secrets. Together they have created an extraordinary woman whose feet any man would kiss.

When the plot proper starts, Lee exhibits her mysterious ways of fighting; again, it's about what is not shown that makes the scene work. She also meets with another denizen of Bete Noir and creates for readers the first philosophical argument over what is good versus what is evil. Fallen Angel is not a preachy book, but there are lessons to be learned.

Mr. David gives Lee pragmatic characterization. Her reasoning sounds harsh and cynical and definitely outside the parameters of the casual super-hero thinking. Even Batman does not think in such terms, but the reader must be forced to admit, grains of truth can be found in her rationale. Thus, we're left with a quandary, and given her previous discussions with the superbly characterized Asia, we still don't know quite where Lee stands on the issue. What can be said is that she definitely repays favors. Her goal is to do good. The definition of good however becomes cloudy.

What is concrete is the joyously traditional punchout between Lee and the antagonist, unless of course he is a protagonist. For some time now, I've been bemoaning the pointless slug-fest, and instead, Mr. David gives a reason behind the battle and has Lopez, Blanco and Eyring choreograph something that doesn't seem outlandish but exciting and engrossing. Lee's shows of strength become out of the ordinary, and her toughness becomes surprising because of the way the fight is executed. Fallen Angel is fun, sexy, thought provoking, beautifully written and beautifully drawn. Why aren't you reading?