Friend of the Devil: A Reckless Book
Ed Brubaker, writer; Sean Phillips, artist; Jacob Phillips, colors
Image Comics, 2021
Ethan Reckless finds his way into the central mystery here by accident. After solving a case with the help of a librarian named Linh the two begin an affair. Then while watching one of his old films in the movie theater he calls home she spots her little sister Maggie in the background--Maggie had disappeared eight years earlier after heading to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. Ethan gets his hands on the police report about her missing person case and consults a film expert he knows about the movie's production details. He heads to Hollywood and starts following the leads, and the news goes from bad to worse. A cult called the Church of the Fallen appears to have been involved: people with a connection to them tend to turn up dead. Ethan finds his way to the cult leader--who has adopted a new identity, but is no less dangerous--and finds the answers he has been seeking. It is a bittersweet conclusion, because while it gives Linh closure, it also ends their relationship. Another powerful entry in this series of original graphic novels. Looking forward to the next one!
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