100 Bullets Vol. 5: The Counterfifth Detective [Paperback]

Brian Azzarello (Author), Robert K. Elder (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Set in a brutal world of tough guys and glamorous dames, the noir comic-book 100 Bullets revolves around a pulpy but potent premise: enigmatic Agent Graves offers wronged persons briefcases; each contains an untraceable gun and 100 rounds of ammunition, giving the recipient the means to avenge themselves and elude punishment. While depicting the fates of Graves' beneficiaries, the series has slowly parceled out information about the shadowy organization behind the agent. In this fifth collection (hence the tricky title), small-time PI Milo Garret learns from Graves that the automobile crash that left Garret with an Invisible Man-style bandaged face and holes in his past was no accident, and he decides it's payback time. The elegant simplicity of Risso's shadowy, atmospheric art perfectly suits Azzarello's sparse, hardboiled scripts; this is one of the most effective writer-artist teams in comics. Although sardonic, violence-addicted Garret is the focus here, characters from previous episodes reappear, keeping this from being the ideal entrance-point to the series. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563899485
• ISBN-13: 978-1563899485
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.3 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Mystery

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the best in the series, but still great, January 5, 2004

By 

"ryanman262" (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Bullets Vol. 5: The Counterfifth Detective (Paperback)

First of all, the last reviewer, Michael K. Smith, hasn't read the four books in the series before this one, so please, only take his review seriously if you are sastisfied reading one chapter form the middle of a given story, and no more.

On a most different scale, I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a great series (overall, 5 out of 5 stars, for sure), but the ironic detachment seeping out of the punny characters of this storyline tends to slow it down. I can't say that I think endless, breathless puns make one's writing remarkably appealing. The Counterfifth Detective is too much in the shadow of the last book, which tremendously advanced the storyline and our understanding of the Trust, the Minutemen, and Graves. Very little is revealed here, and in the end, there's a bit of a feeling of disappointment that not much actually happened.

The book is spectacular when read in series with the rest, but, by itself, it falls a bit short of the standards set by the rest of 100 Bullets.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best keeps getting better!, May 5, 2003

By 

Charles Fraga (Key West, Fl United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 100 Bullets Vol. 5: The Counterfifth Detective (Paperback)

The Counterfifth Detective is the fifth collection in the 100 Bullets series, and quite possibly the finest storyline yet. Counterfifth tells the story of Milo Lewis, a private detective on the mend from injuries received in an auto accident, who gets a visit from the series central character Agent Graves and his mysterious briefcase. Unlike other previous beneficiaries of Agent Graves' lethal gifting, Milo senses that all isn't quite what it seems and sets out to do some investigating, the results of which...well, you'll have to read it for yourself to find out! In all, The Counterfifth Detective raises the bar for the already outstanding Tarentino-esque 100 Bullets series, with a tip of the hat to old film noir crime dramas. By the way: If you haven't read 100 Bullets yet, you're really missing out. This series is to books, as The Sopranos is to television; completely landmark and visionary, and totally reinventing the genre. What are you waiting for? Go read it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Countefifth Detective"-4 stars, May 1, 2003

By 

"rsmon77" (Mission, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Bullets Vol. 5: The Counterfifth Detective (Paperback)

In this fifth collection of the truly great "100 Bullets" comic, we are introduced to private eye Milo Garret, a man who recently got out of the hospital after going through the windshield of his car face first. Obivously, he doesn't look too good (he spends the majority of the story with his head in bandages) and is curious how he ended up the way he has. After meeting a man only known as Agent Graves (a constant character in the series)who gives him an opportunity to find out who is responsible for his string of bad luck and the chance to pay them back. But as he's about to find out, the truth of it all may just put him under permanently. The solid writing by Brian Azzarello and the vibrant art of Eduardo Risso continue to amaze me. While you may need to have read the previous volumes of the series to understand several minor plot points, it is still a solid read, with a truly dark, noir-ish ending that will leave you reeling. Recommended.