Product Description

The Question -- one of the stars of the hit series 52 -- returns in a new graphic novel written by acclaimed thriller novelist Greg Rucka.

The Crime Bible, introduced in the pages of the hit series 52, is a near-mythical text passed on behind the scenes from master criminal to master criminal in the DC Universe. This trade paperback explores a subset of The Crime Bible known as the Five Lessons: the lesson of deceit, the lesson of lust, the lesson of greed, the lesson of murder, and the fifth part, entitled "The Parable of the Faceless." Only three copies of The Crime Bible exist, and two are in the possession of The Question, an anti-hero with no face. Can she track down the final copy?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #424725 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-24
• Released on: 2008-06-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up—A series of interconnected stories relating to the so-called Religion of Crime, The Question is gory, dark, and creepy. Half of the stories are set in a modern city with secretive, behind-the-scenes deals, affairs, and underhanded activities. The other half feature fantastic elements such as a stunning young woman who lacks all facial features and an intergalactic ghost ship. The artwork is varied, sometimes featuring overly muscled men and hourglass women, sometimes more lifelike figures, all in computer-enhanced rich colors. A lengthy essay explicating and expanding the story line follows at the end—either a sign of a deep story or one that is poorly edited. While this title might have some appeal to horror fans, most libraries can skip it.—John Leighton, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Greg Rucka is a novelist and comics writer. His comic credits include his creator-owned series Whiteout and Queen and Country (both of which won Eisner awards) and Elektra for Marvel Comics. The bulk of his comics work is with DC Comics, for whom he has also written Batman, Gotham Central, 52 and more. His novels, largely featuring Atticus Kodiak, have also won acclaim. He is currently writing DC's Checkmate series.

Customer Reviews

A new Question for a new era
In the aftermath of 52, the legacy of Vic "Charlie" Sage, AKA The Question, was passed on to burned out cop Renee Montoya, and the Crime Bible was introduced to readers as well. Five Books of Blood collects the five issue mini-series from Greg Rucka (Checkmate, OMAC Project, 52) and a host of artists, where Renee treks after a Monk of the Dark Faith who is spreading evil in his wake. Through these Five Lessons of Blood, Renee and many others are tested, tempted, and even converted over to this Religion of Crime. These lessons lead to many confrontations, from a crooked colonel, to the Penguin, to even a showdown with Batwoman. Without a doubt, Five Books of Blood is a dark and gritty tale that features Rucka's skills at his near best. Most of all, this mini is reminiscent of Denny O'Neil's Question series from the 80's; something which Rucka manages to pay great homage to as well as draw from. The five segments each consist of a different artist, including Tom Mandrake, Jesus Saiz, Matthew Clark, Diego Olmos, and Manuel Garcia; all of which turn in great work. The only real problem with Five Books of Blood is that it's just too short. The story really gets going early on, and it's over before you know it. That aside, if you're a fan of The Question, Rucka, or just enjoyed the Question-starring segments of 52, you should definitely check out Five Books of Blood. It's innovative delivery and Rucka's storytelling techniques make it quite the worthwhile trip.

Renee Montoya Continues to Evolve
Renee Montoya, fresh off of her co-starring role in "52", stars in the "Five Books of Blood" mini-series. Greg Rucka has always had a great handle on the character--he created her, after all, for the Batman books. As the new Question, Montoya now operates outside of the Batman universe (save for Batwoman, who guest stars here). Montoya is a complex character. In "Five Books of Blood," she struggles with, and possibly succumbs to, her dark side.

A note for collectors: The story was, inexplicably, first marketed as "The Crime Bible" when it was released in comic book form. DC stepped up the marketing and re-titled the book for this collected edition. If you already own the original mini-series, the only additional material here is a reproduction of a faux-journal that Rucka created for Montoya.

Good, not distinctive
I'm not entirely sure what is happening in the whole of the DC universe right now, but this comic definitely wasn't special. It was great to see The Question II in action, but this story could have been told with Batman and have been mostly the same story. The ending was purely a Question moment, but that was about it.

This novel publication of this series is worth getting for the interesting notes that are compiled in the back if you've not read the story already.