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Fade from Grace TPB Review posted: 07 June 2006 Writer: Gabriel Benson Artist: Jeff Amano Publisher: Beckett Comics  4.00 out of 5 Stars Reviewed by Louis Vitela

It’s rather amazing how many review copies of comics ComicCritique.Com receives, especially given that I feel like we’re still a fledgling web publication. The unfortunate truth is that given the demands of my day job and managing ComicCritique.Com, some excellent comics linger in my “gotta review” pile far too long. One book from that stack is Fade from Grace, written by Gabriel Benson, with the story and art by Jeff Amano. Fade from Grace defies easy categorization. On the outside it appears to be a superhero adventure story, and that description does indeed fit. At its core, however, it is really a love story.

It’s very clear that Amano and Benson really care about this book and poured themselves into its creation.

The superhero’s name is Fade. Fade’s powers first manifest when his true love is in mortal danger, and he wants nothing more than to save her. In the moment of desperation when it seems there is no hope left, he suddenly finds he can move through the wall and thus saves his love. There’s no pseudo science explanation to attempt to account for Fade’s powers, and that works well for this story. Fade can fade just the same way some people have double-jointed thumbs — it’s the way he’s wired. The story nearly departs from its “no explanation needed” aspect when John (Fade’s civilian identity) visits a doctor who declares him “freakishly healthy,” and follows up with a suspicious, “anything you want to tell me?” It works in the story because it provides some support for the fact that Fade is indeed different from a normal person. At the same time, even in a story like this the “freakishly healthy” remark warrants further explanation, which we never receive. Those panels at the doctor’s office could probably have been left out without impacting the story. (On the third hand, Fade from Grace appears to have been originally released as a miniseries; the doctor’s visit might have given balance to its particular issue.)

Jeff Amano’s art is a perfect fit for the story. His images are low on detail and thick with bright colors and shapes. Though not identical, the work reminds me of the philosophy-laden film Waking Life (highly recommended), the animation for which gave the film both a surreal and a sequential art feel. So too do the bright colors and low detail give Fade from Grace a surreal, dreamlike quality. This matches the characters’ constant amazement at their love for one another and at Fade’s status as a superhero. (For those who watch DVDs for the special features, the back of the Fade from Grace TPB offers some insight into Jeff’s vision for the art in this work.)

Gabriel Benson’s dialogue is excellent. It’s natural and flows very well. I also like how the dialogue gets out of the way at times and allows the art to be the storyteller, making for a perfect synergy of words and art. The passages that most move me are those that feature inner dialogue by Grace (John's true love), where she so eloquently observes the extraordinary events in her life as they pass by. This actually leads to something that I particularly appreciate, which is the multiple levels of meaning in the title itself. “Fade” is the name of the superhero. “Grace” is his wife’s name. Even the “from” in the title has significance: his powers seemed to come about as a result of his love for Grace. There is further meaning in the title, but I can't share more without spoiling the story.

It’s very clear that Amano and Benson really care about this book and poured themselves into its creation. When a comic’s creators are invested in their work, the readers can tell and become invested themselves. I have a single warning for Fade from Grace TPB readers: Jeff Amano’s full-page dedication (just prior to page one) is an ooey and gooey love note to his wife. I’m sure it’s genuine — and I applaud for a truly happy couple — but if you’re not careful that dedication is sweet enough to cause a mouthful of cavities. Cavities and all, it does set a theme that is carried throughout the book, one of pervasive, transcendent love. Four stars and a toothbrush for the Fade from Grace TPB.

 

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