30 Days of Fatale: Betrayal at Every Turn

Fatale #2 was released on February 1st, 2012, preceded by a five-page preview and accompanied by the first of four additional printings of the first issue.  This second issue would have a total of three printings of its own, all featuring different colorings of Sean Phillips' portrait of Hank, Jo, and a semi-automatic handgun.

The issue focused completely on Hank Raines' story in San Francisco in 1956, entirely omitting Dominic's story set in the present day.  On reviewing this issue, I noticed that almost every scene focused on one betrayal or another committed by one of the three main characters.

• Pages 1-4:  Jo tosses Booker's apartment, looking for an "heirloom" so she can escape her virtual prison as his kept woman.
• Page 5:  Hank has broken faith with his partner Johnny -- Dominic's father -- who discovers that Hank has run their expose early.  Hank published Johnny's photos of Booker taking a bribe from a mobster, just to help Jo in her plan to break free from Booker.
• Pages 6-10:  Booker makes progress in his plan to sell out Jo to cure his cancer, as he finds out that he was successful in his attempt to contact the Bishop at the end of issue #1.
• Pages 11-16:  Hank is confronted by Johnny, both about running their story early and about his betraying his wife for Jo.  Hank continues his love affair with Jo, who continues to manipulate him to rid herself of Booker and retrieve her "heirloom."
• Pages 17-20:  Booker meets with the Bishop and offers him Jo.  The Bishop tells him about Hank's front-page story and offers to clean up that mess as well.
• Pages 21-22:  As Hank dwells on Jo, he's being watched by the Bishop's goons.
• Pages 23-24:  Hank's infidelity is discovered by his pregnant wife Sylvia; thanks to Hank's decision to run his story on Booker early, she's also paid a fatal visit by the demonic Bishop.

The Bishop is this issue's only major character whose behavior here is honest -- purely evil, but honest.

Detail of the original inks of issue #2, page 19, artwork by Sean Phillips, still available for sale at Splash Page Art.