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100 BULLETS #35
"Counterfifth Detective Part Five"
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 |
It takes a
special kind of skill to write a story that is complex, suspenseful and full of
questions without frustrating the reader, but that's exactly what Azzarello and
Risso are doing with "The Counterfifth Detective." The lead character has
questions about his identity and all the mysterious people in life, not to
mention the central question of his case, and a lot of these questions are
mysteries to the readers as well, but there's enough information in the book for
any regular reader of 100 Bullets to figure out what's going on. Though the
exact shape of the story is still out of reach, waiting to be revealed in the
final issue, the general story is clear enough to be fascinating.
Milo Garret is the narrator
of the book, and he has a great "voice." It's something like Sam Spade by way of
Quentin Tarantino, and it would probably make even the most mundane story
interesting. Of course, this isn't a mundane story. It involves pre-programmed
brainwashing, art thieves, murder, and a couple of competing conspiracies, not
to mention the femme fatales and the interest of the police.
Eduardo Risso is always impressive, and he doesn't disappoint in this issue. The opening scene, showing a glimpse of what kind of business Milo used to be involved in, is a phenomenal cinematic sequence. Risso captures the cinematic flavor of Reservoir Dogs or L.A. Confidential in sequences that seem to have influences from those films, and
his work never fails to put me into the moment of the story. He also draws some
of the most stunningly sexy women in comics, whether it's Megan or Echo, and his
dangerous and rough men, like Lono and Milo, are no slouch either.
There are a few important conflicts going on in this arc, brought to the forefront this issue. Milo is struggling with himself, with who he wants to be, as much as he is struggling with the case. Is he just a private detective involved in something larger than himself, or does he want to go back to being involved in all of this? He has enemies and friends on both sides of the Minutemen/Trust war, and seeing which side he chooses will make for an interesting conclusion to the arc. Azzarello has made a habit of establishing characters on both side throughout 100 Bullets, so Milo's choice is anything but a
foregone conclusion.
100 Bullets is the ideal crime/conspiracy comic, from a couple of creators who have unparalleled creative chemistry. While Azzarello has become a coveted name in the industry these days, 100 Bullets was one of his earliest projects, and it remains my favorite of all
of his work.
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