The Private Eye 5

By Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos
Dec 2013

PI and Raveena survive the crash with the mail truck. The left side of hit face is cut up and her right arm is in a cast after they get attention from the EMTs. Melanie isn't dead but she's in much worse shape as she is carted off to Schwarzenegger Medical Center. The press and police try interviewing them but PI and Raveena refuse to answer questions and walk off without further harassment after Raveena says something nonsensical to the police officer.

DeGuerre deals with a scientist who has stumbled upon one of his secrets. The scientist doesn't suspect that it is DeGuerre's handiwork, he thinks someone else has hacked their system. He hasn't told anyone else yet so DeGuerre uses deadly force to silence the man; afterwards he calls in one of his gas mask wearing henchmen to clean the mess in his office.

There isn't a lot to this encounter but it is beautifully illustrated. I love the silhouette and the use of the company logo, KEEP WATCHING, in this sequence.

Raveena points out that Khalid DeGuerre seems to be central to her sister's library searches. They go looking for him but need some help finding him. They get a clue as to where he might be from Maps, another private investigator who is an acquaintance and former lover of PI, in exchange for a kiss.

They head to the Tubes where by chance they run into someone who mistakes Raveena for her sister. They chase him in this beautiful splash page of sorts, which is kind of a multi panel page without the panel borders. It is from him that they learn that DeGuerre wants to bring back the Internet.

Unbeknownst to PI and Raveena, his picture is in the paper and is spotted by one of DeGuerre's flunkies.

Maybe it's just me but I think the art in this installment, both the simple look of it and the visual storytelling are out of this world beautiful.

Included in the collected edition is the sales pitch for the series which lays out in black-and-white some things which have only been hinted at in the story.

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