Fell (comics)

Fell is a creator-owned comic book series written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Ben Templesmith. Published by Image Comics, the series is known for its distinctive visual style, blending painted artwork with heavy inks and unconventional panel layouts.

The story follows Detective Richard Fell, a police detective transferred from a large, unnamed city to Snowtown, a crime-ridden and unsettling urban environment. The core premise revolves around Fell's attempts to solve bizarre and often disturbing cases while navigating the strange social dynamics and endemic corruption of Snowtown. He is often morally ambiguous, making unorthodox choices in his pursuit of justice.

Fell is characterized by its episodic structure, with each issue typically focusing on a self-contained crime or mystery. This structure allows Ellis and Templesmith to explore different facets of Snowtown and its inhabitants, ranging from organized crime and religious cults to supernatural occurrences and psychological horrors. The series is notable for its heavy themes, dealing with issues such as poverty, drug abuse, societal decay, and the nature of morality.

The comic achieved critical acclaim for its unique blend of crime noir, horror, and social commentary, as well as for Templesmith's striking and atmospheric artwork, which contributes significantly to the series' unsettling tone. Despite its popularity and critical success, Fell has been on indefinite hiatus since 2008, with only nine issues published.