The Question: The Five Books of Blood

by Greg Rucka

Book Overview

Ex-cop Renee Montoya was at the end of her rope, until her friend Vic Sage - the original, faceless avenger known as The Question - passed on his masked persona to her before his death. Now as the new Question, Renee is on the hunt for a near-mythical book used by master criminals.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1401217990
• ISBN13: 9781401217990
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: DC Comics
• Length: 113 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.1" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

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.

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.