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100 BULLETS #33
"Counterfifth Detective Part Three"
Highly Recommended (10/10)
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DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Colors: Patricia Mulvihill & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Will Dennis
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
Reading 100 Bullets is a great experience in both the
short-term and long-term, as Azzarello weaves new characters and familiar
characters together into tight story arcs which play out into a larger story.
The third chapter of "Counterfifth Detective" is a great example, as one of the
most dangerous characters we've seen in the book, Megan Dietrich, shows up to
rub elbows (and probably more) with hard-boiled detective Milo Garret. The plot
gets more complicated, but still easy enough to follow, even as the questions
about motivations and how everything ties in to the Minuteman/Trust story mount,
and as always the book has me on the edge of my seat.
There are big mysteries and
small mysteries in this issue and this story. The question of Milo's face is
answered this issue, in a surprisingly mundane fashion, but other mysteries
involving new characters like Echo and Chet arise to replace it. The larger
mystery, though, is the question of why Milo is involved in all of this, and to
what end all of it is aimed. Is it simply about a piece of art, or is there
something more sinister, related to the war between the Minutemen and the Trust,
hiding beneath it? The presence of Megan Dietrich would argue for the latter, in
which case the question becomes how Milo is involved in all of it.
When we've seen Megan previously in 100 Bullets, she has been in full
control, even when we saw the weaker side of her nature in her dealings with the
rest of the Trust. However, Milo seems to be more than a match for Megan, and
that makes for some solid tension. Milo is a great hero, in the vein of such
interesting bastards as those played by Humphrey Bogart, not necessarily likable
but certainly fun to root for anyway.
As always, a big part of the attraction to 100 Bullets comes from the atmosphere,
which is in the hard-boiled narration and in the artwork. Eduardo Risso does
phenomenal work and character designs this issue, which is no surprise. I
particularly enjoyed the Eisner-esque segment where Chet and Milo descend a
flight of stairs on to the street, without a single panel break, but the
backgrounds of the high class world Milo finds himself in are just as important
and impressive in setting the stage and telling the story. Also, Risso is the
ideal artist for this book if nothing else because he knows how to do tough guys
and sexy women, as proven by Milo, Megan and Echo.
Mixing mystery with atmosphere and unforgettable characters, "The Counterfifth Detective" is another home run from the creative team of 100 Bullets. My
enthusiasm for the series hasn't dampened a bit over the past three years, and I
look forward to where the series takes us for the rest of its run.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
