"The End" Week: Fell #9!

We've seen any number of comics here that were cancelled and then relaunched, or the numbering transferred, or some other nonsense; but today we have a book that's either the end, or merely the last issue to date. From 2008, Fell #9, written by Warren Ellis, art by Ben Templesmith.

Running nine issues from 2005 to 2008, Fell was Ellis's experiment of a comic with a smaller page count, but a lower price, and hopefully offset by a more-packed storyline and whatever interesting "back matter" would fit. I'm not sure about financially, but it was a critical success and won a couple Eisner awards. Then between Ellis losing a number of files when his computer went down (including Doktor Sleepless, which I'd still like to see finished, Warren) and both Templesmith and Ellis moving on to other projects, Fell #9 remains the last issue to date. (Depending on who you ask, #10 could be at some level of completion, but Image may be unwilling to publish the series at the rate of an issue every decade or so...)

This issue, Detective Richard Fell continues his work in the disturbing "feral" city Snowtown. Having been transferred there under still sketchy circumstances, he seems to be adapting; although his superior officer wonders if maybe Fell isn't headed for trouble. Nonetheless, Fell convinces him to let him handle a hostage situation call, which he does, although he admits freely to making it all up as he goes, just like anyone else. This series was intended to be pretty readable in single installments, yet there's still more than a little foreshadowing this time...if it's still foreshadowing when the foreshadowed event never turns up.