Paperboy Issue #1: LA Noire/The Fade Out

Paperboy is a reoccurring blog designed to pair up a video game with a comic book series. The concepts may not be directly related on the surface, but elements such as pacing, atmosphere and/or themes are similar between both titles. If you are a fan of the game in question, I would highly recommend you search out the comics if you want similar entertainment. Using Destruction's audience, I hope to turn gaming fans on to comics, a personal passion of mine. 

Issue #1: LA Noire/The Fade Out

Welcome to my first Paperboy post! I hope I make this a long running series and I am able to convert a few of you into comic fans. This first post is the EASIEST pair I think I may ever have. LA Noire and The Fade Out are both slow burning, noir dramas. Both are set in LA, and both take place in the 40's.

LA Noire revolved around a detective as he investigated various cases all across LA. Because of the open world design, the story unraveled slowly. You actually had to investigated scenes, chase suspects, interrogate people for clues and more. I, personally, thought the game deserved attention at the time because of it's unique elements that mixed with its story. This design let you grow on the characters and feel them out. 

Everyone had a flaw. There was no "hero". You got into the world and atmosphere of it all. The most memorable aspect for me was when it came time to solve each case and pick up on the characters tells. Their dialog and body language played a part more so here than in any other game at the time. Being a legitimate detective has never been as fun since its release, I think we can all agree on that. What I loved about this game the most was the noir stylings. I am sure most people will agree and because of this you should look no further than one of the masters of comic noir, Ed Brubaker.

Ed Brubaker and his co-creator here, Sean Phillips, have a long history in crime-noir comics. I chose The Fade Out for fans of LA Noire mainly because of the era and setting being identical, but you could really pick up any of their collaborations and be hooked. In The Fade Out, there is a movie star murdered and the unraveling of the events that led up to that murder are uncovered by a film studio writer. He wakes up to find her dead, and no recollection of how he ended up there. Just like in LA Noire, no one in this story is a traditional "hero". The cast is varied and everyone has their own flaws. Everyone has secrets. 

Spending time in the world with each issue always leaves you wanting more. It's the slow-drip storytelling that keeps things interesting. There are some great twists and moments, and you can tell this story was plotted and planned out in detail before the first issue was written. There are clues and characters in every issue that when re-read later, pay off in new ways. The first volume is actually priced at a ridiculously low MSRP of $10. If you got the itch for something atmospheric since playing LA Noire and haven't been able to scratch it; Get The Fade Out.

You can get The Fade Out, and a thousand other great comics, from your local comic shop. Don't know where your local shop is? Use the Comic Shop Locator Service: http://www.comicshoplocator.co...

- -Darren Hupke @darrenhupke

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