Fixation #1 is an interesting look at toxic fandom
When superfan Taylor Van Owens wins a contest to stay in the legendary Mallard house—the most iconic filming location for the hit vampire book turned movie Blood Mountain—she and her best friend Karrah arrive in Vail expecting to sink their fangs into a weekend straight from a fangirl’s dream. The cast has reunited for a tenth-anniversary celebration, devotees have descended on the small town, and nostalgia hangs thick in the air. But shortly before their arrival, a young woman is found dead inside the Mallard house. The death is quickly brushed off as an unstable fan taking her fantasies too far, but rumors swirl as the police quietly open a murder investigation. With cameras rolling and ravenous Blood Mountain buffs to appease, production works overtime to keep the story from leaking, insisting the fandom is “one big family,” but unease spreads through the town. Resentful locals, jealous superfans, sensitive actors, and desperate producers overwhelm Taylor as she moves in a haze through meet-and-greets, vigils, and book signings. Every interaction feels loaded. Every corner holds a potential threat. Every vampire has a taste for blood. And the killer isn’t finished. They’ll stain the town red to ensure they go down in Blood Mountain history. This isn’t just a random act of violence—it’s a crime of passion a decade in the making. Fixation #1 kicks off an interesting concept that feels like it’s a bit of Scream mixed with Twilight and a focus on toxic fandoms.
Written by Amy Chase, Fixation #1 is a pretty solid start introducing the key characters and teasing the killer threatening a fan celebration for a popular book and movie franchise. The comic, and story, feels like it has a few influences and things it’s playing off of, but it all comes together for a nice horror franchise of its own. A superfan wins a contest to stay at the home of the popular film, but a murderer is stalking the town and has some connection, or beef, with the film and its stars.
Fixation #1 could easily just come off as the start of a horror story but Chase delivers interesting moments and plot points that make the debut a nice commentary on entertainment. A cover up by the studio would be enough but the lack of care about how the fandom is treating each other, as well as a shift in attitude when a star is threatened, feels like there’s more that’s being said. It’s a comic that can be enjoyed on multiple levels, from the slasher enthusiast to those looking for something a little more elevated and meta in their horror.
The art by Savanna Mayer is good. The style fits the genre well but there’s a roughness to it that doesn’t quite click for me. When it comes to the art, there’s nothing necessarily negative but overall it doesn’t play with its concept enough. We see the killer far too often, instead of teasing it out. The “scares” don’t really deliver as much as they should or could. It’s a lot more forward with cards on the table as far as what it reveals instead of teasing things and letting the tension build. Mayer is joined by James Fenner on color and Sandy Tanaka on letters and the trio deliver a comic that’s visually good but doesn’t really stand out from the pack.
Fixation #1 is a solid debut that shows off a lot of potential and interesting aspects. It has a little more to say than being a simple slasher and I want to find out more as to what’s going on. Overall, it’s a good start and fans of horror definitely should check it out.
Story: Amy Chase Art: Savanna Mayer
Color: James Fenner Letters: Sandy Tanaka
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.6 Recommendation: Red
IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
