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Fallen #2 Review
Fallen #2 is a Modern Detective Noir written by Matt Ringel, with art by Henry Ponciano and lettering by Toben Racicot. It is Independently Published.
Synopsis:
With the death of Zeus, Fallen #2 deals with the various elements of the Immortal Gods moving certain Chess Pieces into play.
Casper Clay, Zeus’ ward and ancient soldier turned private detective must find the answers. Casper will have to navigate those same lawless underworlds he was once part of but this time without the support of the Olympian family behind him.
As he gets closer to the truth, he learns that there may be more at stake than finding justice for Zeus, the realms of man and god may hang in the balance.
Fallen #2 is available at TheFallenComic.com
Fallen #2 Story
Fallen #2 expands on the dark and ominous underbelly of the Immortal Gods who control the nefarious elements of the criminal world in 1980s America. This second issue goes even deeper in establishing the key protagonist, Casper Clay, as the penultimate hard nosed and nearly broken Detective Stereotype.
Comic book writer Matt Ringel achieves a remarkable feat in establishing a character as fantastically linked to a supernatural otherworld as he is bound by the unwritten rules of Film Noir. Casper Clay looks and feels as intrinsically broken by the death of his mentor, Zeus, as he is comfortable at embracing his spiralling alcoholism.
Here’s a character who seemed meaningless and insignificant in the First Issue only to rise to the occasion and transform into Master Detective as he searches for clues to who killed his Master. Casper Clay is a man as inspired by the role he’s been thrown into as he is reactive to the dangers that lurk at every corner. Ringel’s understanding of Detective Noir is well studied. The beats of his dialogue and pacing of his scripting is sensational in this weird and wacky supernaturally charged way.
Fallen #2 Art
Henry Ponciano’s artwork is a perfect extension of Ringel’s script work. Here’s a world as motivated by the darkness and the danger as it is by the fallacies of humanity. Ponciano’s line work and darker tones are a stupendous personification of the story at play.
The seedy underclass of Immortals and their henchmen could’ve easily looked ridiculous with each passing panel. However, Ponciano has a way of adapting these ‘out-of-time’ Immortals of immense power into bloated mob bosses who are little more than Scarface archetypes. Archetypes that work holistically on every page, in every panel, with every additional tone that is added to enhance the dangerous mood.
Fallen #2 Conclusion
Fallen #2 is an evolutionary step forward in the right direction for this Gang War of warring Godlike factions. Matt Ringel has successfully navigated around a tertiary of missteps to come out on the other side fully formed with a multi-dimensional story arc that begs interest from the reader. Interest that delves into the darker aspects of Film Noir – thanks to Henry Ponciano.
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