Here's the thing: I was instantly in love with the art of this comic book series. I also really like the setting—Golden Era of Hollywood has always appealed to me, and the overall mood definitely fits. But the plot... Is there a plot? This volume is almost entirely all setup with characters I honestly found way too similar (and therefore confusing). Initially I thought this was about to be this elaborate murder mystery, but then it kind of fizzled into subplots. This COULD be a slow builder of a story, but honestly it didn't grab me enough to be excited for more, so I'm not sure I'll even pick up the next volume. It's not terrible, but it's not very exciting either. The only reason I can get volume 1 of The Fade Out to 3 stars is the art/setting. Great presentation, but definitely style over substance.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.