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5 Is the Perfect Number
A romanzo straight from the Italian streets where the melancholy dreams of Mafiosi become nightmares.
A young hired hitman with a handsome new revolver by his side lies dying in the gray and narrow streets of Naples. His father gave him that gun for his birthday. The gun never fired a shot and now the thief that stole a life has snatched that shining weapon.
Peppino Lo Cicero spent his life taking orders from the great dons of Napoli. When his son Nino is killed he puts down the fishing rods of his retirement and picks up his old pistols, looking for revenge. Shots ring out over Peppi's gray head once again as he searches for his son's murderers and the beautiful black revolver he gave to Nino on the last night of his life.
The fabric of their lives has always been shot through with violence but as Peppino clings to his quest for vengeance he reconsiders that which has always been precious to him. Spare, romantic and slightly surreal, it is truly a terrible thing for a father to have to bury his son.
Winner of the "book of the year" award in Frankfurt Bookfair 2003
Winner of the Coccobill award as best author 2003 (Milano comics festival Cartoomics)
Winner of the special award A.N.A.F.I. 2003 (Associazione Nazionale Amici Fumetto Italiano)
Winner of grand prix in Romics comic festival (Rome 2003)
Nominated for the best volume 2003 in Angouleme Comics festival
Nominated as best artist 2003 in Naples Comics Festival (Comicon)
Nominated as best artist 2003 in Milano Comics Festival (Cartoomics)
A young hired hitman with a handsome new revolver by his side lies dying in the gray and narrow streets of Naples. His father gave him that gun for his birthday. The gun never fired a shot and now the thief that stole a life has snatched that shining weapon.
Peppino Lo Cicero spent his life taking orders from the great dons of Napoli. When his son Nino is killed he puts down the fishing rods of his retirement and picks up his old pistols, looking for revenge. Shots ring out over Peppi's gray head once again as he searches for his son's murderers and the beautiful black revolver he gave to Nino on the last night of his life.
The fabric of their lives has always been shot through with violence but as Peppino clings to his quest for vengeance he reconsiders that which has always been precious to him. Spare, romantic and slightly surreal, it is truly a terrible thing for a father to have to bury his son.
Winner of the "book of the year" award in Frankfurt Bookfair 2003
Winner of the Coccobill award as best author 2003 (Milano comics festival Cartoomics)
Winner of the special award A.N.A.F.I. 2003 (Associazione Nazionale Amici Fumetto Italiano)
Winner of grand prix in Romics comic festival (Rome 2003)
Nominated for the best volume 2003 in Angouleme Comics festival
Nominated as best artist 2003 in Naples Comics Festival (Comicon)
Nominated as best artist 2003 in Milano Comics Festival (Cartoomics)
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Igort
70 books172 followersIgort is an Italian illustrator, comic book artist, writer, publisher, film director and musician. He is considered a key figure in the development of European graphic novels.
Igor Tuveri was born in 1958 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. At age 20 Tuveri moved to Bologne and started publishing comics with the pen name Igort. His early works appeared in 'Linus', a famous Italian comic magazine aimed at an adult readership, of which Igort himself will become editor-in-chief in the 2000's.
In the 80's Igort founded the independent magazines 'Il Pinguino' and 'Dolce Vita' with fellow cartoonists from the so-called 'Valvoline' collective. The collective included artists Daniele Brolli, Roberto Baldazzini, Lorenzo Mattotti, Giorgio Carpinteri, as well as American cartoonist Charles Burns. Igort's works from this period include Goodbye Baobab (1982), a story set in Japan in the 40s and co-created with Daniele Brolli, and Ishiki no kashi - Il letargo dei sentimenti (1984), a comic taking place in a futuristic version of Japan.
Igort is also one of the first Western authors to have worked in the Japanese manga industry, most notably with the series Yuri (1996) for Kōdansha.
In 2000, Igort founded his own publishing house, Coconino Press. The publisher played an important role in the development of the 'graphic novel movement' in Italy, releasing new works by national and international authors, as well as classic works by cartoonist like Jacques Tardi, Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Will Eisner, and so on. In 2017 Igort left Coconino to found a new publishing house, called Oblomov Press.
Between 2008 and 2009, Igort travelled through the Ukraine, Russia and Siberia, carrying out research for the books Quaderni Ucraini (2010, Ukrainian Notebooks) and Quaderni Russi (2011, Russian Notebooks). Together with the two volumes of Quaderni Giapponesi (2015-2017, Japanese Notebooks), these form a trilogy of illustration travel notebooks.
In 2019, Igort directed the live action film adaptation of his most famous graphic novel, 5 is the Perfect Number (2002), starring actors Toni Servillo and Valeria Golino.
Besides drawing, writing, publishing and occasionally working in cinema, Igort has also been a life long musician. Since 2022 he hosts a Youtube Channel on the medium of comics, called 'lezionidifumetto·it'.
Igor Tuveri was born in 1958 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. At age 20 Tuveri moved to Bologne and started publishing comics with the pen name Igort. His early works appeared in 'Linus', a famous Italian comic magazine aimed at an adult readership, of which Igort himself will become editor-in-chief in the 2000's.
In the 80's Igort founded the independent magazines 'Il Pinguino' and 'Dolce Vita' with fellow cartoonists from the so-called 'Valvoline' collective. The collective included artists Daniele Brolli, Roberto Baldazzini, Lorenzo Mattotti, Giorgio Carpinteri, as well as American cartoonist Charles Burns. Igort's works from this period include Goodbye Baobab (1982), a story set in Japan in the 40s and co-created with Daniele Brolli, and Ishiki no kashi - Il letargo dei sentimenti (1984), a comic taking place in a futuristic version of Japan.
Igort is also one of the first Western authors to have worked in the Japanese manga industry, most notably with the series Yuri (1996) for Kōdansha.
In 2000, Igort founded his own publishing house, Coconino Press. The publisher played an important role in the development of the 'graphic novel movement' in Italy, releasing new works by national and international authors, as well as classic works by cartoonist like Jacques Tardi, Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Will Eisner, and so on. In 2017 Igort left Coconino to found a new publishing house, called Oblomov Press.
Between 2008 and 2009, Igort travelled through the Ukraine, Russia and Siberia, carrying out research for the books Quaderni Ucraini (2010, Ukrainian Notebooks) and Quaderni Russi (2011, Russian Notebooks). Together with the two volumes of Quaderni Giapponesi (2015-2017, Japanese Notebooks), these form a trilogy of illustration travel notebooks.
In 2019, Igort directed the live action film adaptation of his most famous graphic novel, 5 is the Perfect Number (2002), starring actors Toni Servillo and Valeria Golino.
Besides drawing, writing, publishing and occasionally working in cinema, Igort has also been a life long musician. Since 2022 he hosts a Youtube Channel on the medium of comics, called 'lezionidifumetto·it'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
October 12, 2018
After years of faithful service a retired hitman finds out that the organization he has served is responsible for putting out a hit on his son and killing him. This is a fine example of the excellent GN other countries have to offer and how (in many ways) some of the best work is being in areas not controlled by the 'big two.'
July 4, 2015
A highly stylized and beautiful comic noir novel set it Italy, in Naples. Igort's art is the centerpiece here, dramatically enlarging the scope of the mafioso story of Peppino, retired killer, who gives his son a special gun for his birthday. Things go awry, and papa has to reenter his old life. There's sweeping romantic flair to the drawing and tastefully melancholy color, two toned, with sometimes several silent pages, sometimes surreal dream sequences. The story isn't that original except in the visual telling. It's a gritty tale that has some manga and samurai film influence in places in some of the action and drawing of characters. I see a lot of Goodreads readers don't like the dialogue in translation, but I thought in general it was a strength, actually, taut and tough, with only occasional awkwardness. I really liked it a lot. I like Peppino's teacher girlfriend, his being reunited with his now fat sidekick, and the fact that people read comics throughout.
When I say "stylized" I also think of Miller's Sin City and Eduardo Risso's work in 100 Bullets as "stylized", though each differently, but they do share this dramatic and sort of magical realism and thoroughly operatic effects in their approach to crime stories. The world over we like to make criminals into larger than life characters. To paraphrase Hemingway, who when Fitzgerald claimed "The rich are different," said, "Yeah, they have more money," I would say criminals are different, yeah, they kill people out of greed and power. They aren't special, but we make them special through out stories, and criminals are easier to fantasize as interesting than non-criminals. Coppola's Godfather series has operatic, larger than life effects, too, of course, and Brando's mumbling godfather role indicates he is this amazing guy… and we (okay, I) believe it.
Igort's work is more muted, less explosive (literally, though killing of course does happen) than our U.S. crime melodramas. It's a smaller, more intimate story of an old man forced out of retirement (think Batman Returns, but just an echo of that, and in this novel we see it from the killer's viewpoint). I thought it was hauntingly beautiful if not the best or most memorable crime comic I ever read. But an art comic crime novel! It exceeded my expectations.
When I say "stylized" I also think of Miller's Sin City and Eduardo Risso's work in 100 Bullets as "stylized", though each differently, but they do share this dramatic and sort of magical realism and thoroughly operatic effects in their approach to crime stories. The world over we like to make criminals into larger than life characters. To paraphrase Hemingway, who when Fitzgerald claimed "The rich are different," said, "Yeah, they have more money," I would say criminals are different, yeah, they kill people out of greed and power. They aren't special, but we make them special through out stories, and criminals are easier to fantasize as interesting than non-criminals. Coppola's Godfather series has operatic, larger than life effects, too, of course, and Brando's mumbling godfather role indicates he is this amazing guy… and we (okay, I) believe it.
Igort's work is more muted, less explosive (literally, though killing of course does happen) than our U.S. crime melodramas. It's a smaller, more intimate story of an old man forced out of retirement (think Batman Returns, but just an echo of that, and in this novel we see it from the killer's viewpoint). I thought it was hauntingly beautiful if not the best or most memorable crime comic I ever read. But an art comic crime novel! It exceeded my expectations.
October 22, 2015
I've been reading some sequential art crime novels and stories after seeing a friend's goodreads list and I must say, I don't love so much violence. But this book is intimate, powerful, meditative. Even comic books themselves become part of the meditation in several places (heroes vs. badguys, American comics vs. the rest).
This is not all gritty crime all the time. There are wild, cartoonish dreams and visions, complex personalities and complicated family dynamics. The protagonists are rediscovering themselves after decades of giving themselves up to authority without question, stepping suddenly away from the rules with a poetic vengeance.
The art is fantastic. It makes use of the whole page, breaks up into frames or framed and unframed panels uniquely according to the mood of the page. Igort makes exquisite use of shadow and light and shape and tone, of caricature and subtle details and physical and emotional perspectives (floors, walls, signs, windows, staircases, rain, fear, reverence, exhaustion, desperation, hope). Even the cover I could stare at for a long time, admiring the hard angles, the muted color scheme, the black umbrella, the noir-ish rain, the imposing, serious figure of a man and, beneath him, his wavy, unsure and unsteady cartoon-like shadow.
This is not all gritty crime all the time. There are wild, cartoonish dreams and visions, complex personalities and complicated family dynamics. The protagonists are rediscovering themselves after decades of giving themselves up to authority without question, stepping suddenly away from the rules with a poetic vengeance.
The art is fantastic. It makes use of the whole page, breaks up into frames or framed and unframed panels uniquely according to the mood of the page. Igort makes exquisite use of shadow and light and shape and tone, of caricature and subtle details and physical and emotional perspectives (floors, walls, signs, windows, staircases, rain, fear, reverence, exhaustion, desperation, hope). Even the cover I could stare at for a long time, admiring the hard angles, the muted color scheme, the black umbrella, the noir-ish rain, the imposing, serious figure of a man and, beneath him, his wavy, unsure and unsteady cartoon-like shadow.
February 3, 2016
Πολύ ωραίο νουάρ κόμικ της Ιταλικής σχολής του είδους, προσωπικά με άφησε ευχαριστημένο. Ένας εκτελεστής της Μαφίας που έχει αποσυρθεί από το επάγγελμα, ο Πεπίνο, ξαναγυρνάει στις κακές συνήθειες, με σκοπό να εκδικηθεί την δολοφονία του γιου του από μέλη της Μαφίας. Έτσι, όντας πλέον γερασμένος για το επάγγελμα, θα αντιμετωπίσει σκληρούς άντρες, καθώς και προδότες.
ΟΚ, η ιστορία μπορεί να μην είναι ιδιαίτερα πρωτότυπη, όμως ο τρόπος παρουσίασής της είναι που κάνει το κόμικ αυτό να διαφέρει από άλλα παρόμοια έργα. Το σχέδιο είναι πραγματικά ξεχωριστό και ιδιαίτερο, κάπως μινιμαλιστικό και αφηρημένο, αρχικά με ξένισε λιγάκι αλλά σχεδόν αμέσως το συνήθισα και άρχισε να μου αρέσει. Η εξέλιξη της πλοκής είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα και αγωνιώδης, οι διάλογοι καλογραμμένοι και ρεαλιστικοί, ενώ οι χαρακτήρες μου φάνηκαν πολύ αληθοφανείς, με αυτόν του πατέρα-εκδικητή να ξεχωρίζει με το βάθος του. Επίσης ο χρωματισμός είναι τέτοιος που δίνει τον ορισμό του νουάρ. Εξαιρετικός.
Γενικά είναι ένα κόμικ που προτείνω στους λάτρεις των νουάρ, αν και ίσως το σχέδιο δεν ταιριάξει με το γούστο πολλών. Όσον αφορά την ελληνική έκδοση, την οποία τσίμπησα πριν κάμποσους μήνες με τέσσερα ευρώ, είναι πολύ ωραία, προσεγμένη και αισθητικά άρτια.
ΟΚ, η ιστορία μπορεί να μην είναι ιδιαίτερα πρωτότυπη, όμως ο τρόπος παρουσίασής της είναι που κάνει το κόμικ αυτό να διαφέρει από άλλα παρόμοια έργα. Το σχέδιο είναι πραγματικά ξεχωριστό και ιδιαίτερο, κάπως μινιμαλιστικό και αφηρημένο, αρχικά με ξένισε λιγάκι αλλά σχεδόν αμέσως το συνήθισα και άρχισε να μου αρέσει. Η εξέλιξη της πλοκής είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα και αγωνιώδης, οι διάλογοι καλογραμμένοι και ρεαλιστικοί, ενώ οι χαρακτήρες μου φάνηκαν πολύ αληθοφανείς, με αυτόν του πατέρα-εκδικητή να ξεχωρίζει με το βάθος του. Επίσης ο χρωματισμός είναι τέτοιος που δίνει τον ορισμό του νουάρ. Εξαιρετικός.
Γενικά είναι ένα κόμικ που προτείνω στους λάτρεις των νουάρ, αν και ίσως το σχέδιο δεν ταιριάξει με το γούστο πολλών. Όσον αφορά την ελληνική έκδοση, την οποία τσίμπησα πριν κάμποσους μήνες με τέσσερα ευρώ, είναι πολύ ωραία, προσεγμένη και αισθητικά άρτια.
April 13, 2025
Although a bit slow to get off the ground, 5 is the Perfect Number does eventually find its pace, and turns out to be a sublime work built around a twisting tale involving violence, dreams, nostalgia, and new beginnings (even for those in late middle age).
This work is particularly impressive because Igort (aka Igor Tuveri) uses a spare but highly effective drawing style, coupled with superb page designs, to present a narrative that can only function effectively in his chosen medium. This is not a wannbe novel or movie stuck in the graphic novel format - Igort wields the full power of the format like a master.
This work is particularly impressive because Igort (aka Igor Tuveri) uses a spare but highly effective drawing style, coupled with superb page designs, to present a narrative that can only function effectively in his chosen medium. This is not a wannbe novel or movie stuck in the graphic novel format - Igort wields the full power of the format like a master.
March 31, 2018
Pretty damn good book. Not sure why I'm not rating it a star higher, but there's nothing really that resonates with me after having read it.
The art is great, lightly abstract cartooning, with different styles for movies and dream sequences.
The plot is interesting, but at times, while not exactly confusing...has a few gaps in the story telling that I didn't care for.
Still, a worthy read, especially if you have a soft spot for aging hit men.
The art is great, lightly abstract cartooning, with different styles for movies and dream sequences.
The plot is interesting, but at times, while not exactly confusing...has a few gaps in the story telling that I didn't care for.
Still, a worthy read, especially if you have a soft spot for aging hit men.
June 4, 2014
“Each cloud has a silver lining”
Lo scenario di una Napoli anni ’70 eternamente avvolta da pioggia e tenebre, cinematografica nella sua bellezza tetra, fa da sfondo a una storia che ne ricalca, senza sbavature l’atmosfera plumbea. Se non fosse che in principio sembra la fine di una storia, ma è solo l’inizio di un’altra.
Non ho molta simpatia per l’inglese, ma adoro questo proverbio britisc inneggiante all’ottimismo: “ogni nuvola ha un orlo d’argento”.
Anche Igort credo ne fosse a conoscenza quando ha fatto la sua precisa scelta bicromatica: un azzurro-viola abbinato al nero, che da lontano luccica come l'argento. Il nero delle nuvole, l’argento dei confini. La faccia nera dell’umanità che piange, l’argento dell’onore che ti rimette in piedi.
L’amicizia tradita che ti spinge a solcare nuovi mari, la perdita di un figlio che ti spinge ad alzar la testa, la sete di vendetta che preannuncia l’arrivo di una nuova stagione di vita. E così via.
Non mi meraviglia che Igort ci abbia messo quasi un decennio per sfornare questa meraviglia.
La pace interiore di un uomo, che sia all’estero dove non ti conosce nessuno, o nella città natale dove un tempo ti conoscevano tutti, richiede una metabolizzazione che va oltre la narrazione di una storia fine a se stessa.
Perché ci vuole del tempo per accorgersi di cose come questa:
“ ‘Ossai come fanno le patate quando invecchiano? ‘Ossai come fanno? Che, non hai mai visto che ci crescono i germogli? Si’ so’ vecchie, nun servono cchiu’ ma ‘n coppa a superficie ce sta ‘a vita nuova.”
Lo scenario di una Napoli anni ’70 eternamente avvolta da pioggia e tenebre, cinematografica nella sua bellezza tetra, fa da sfondo a una storia che ne ricalca, senza sbavature l’atmosfera plumbea. Se non fosse che in principio sembra la fine di una storia, ma è solo l’inizio di un’altra.
Non ho molta simpatia per l’inglese, ma adoro questo proverbio britisc inneggiante all’ottimismo: “ogni nuvola ha un orlo d’argento”.
Anche Igort credo ne fosse a conoscenza quando ha fatto la sua precisa scelta bicromatica: un azzurro-viola abbinato al nero, che da lontano luccica come l'argento. Il nero delle nuvole, l’argento dei confini. La faccia nera dell’umanità che piange, l’argento dell’onore che ti rimette in piedi.
L’amicizia tradita che ti spinge a solcare nuovi mari, la perdita di un figlio che ti spinge ad alzar la testa, la sete di vendetta che preannuncia l’arrivo di una nuova stagione di vita. E così via.
Non mi meraviglia che Igort ci abbia messo quasi un decennio per sfornare questa meraviglia.
La pace interiore di un uomo, che sia all’estero dove non ti conosce nessuno, o nella città natale dove un tempo ti conoscevano tutti, richiede una metabolizzazione che va oltre la narrazione di una storia fine a se stessa.
Perché ci vuole del tempo per accorgersi di cose come questa:
“ ‘Ossai come fanno le patate quando invecchiano? ‘Ossai come fanno? Che, non hai mai visto che ci crescono i germogli? Si’ so’ vecchie, nun servono cchiu’ ma ‘n coppa a superficie ce sta ‘a vita nuova.”
April 8, 2008
beautifully rendered italian pulp gangster comics
January 27, 2009
Art>Story
November 12, 2021
The more comics I read, the more I develop an appreciation for the medium's formal aspects. In this journey of changing perspective, 5 is the Perfect Number is a big milestone: it's the first comic I've read that has got me totally excited almost entirely for how well it's executed. The story is fine, but the art is amazing. I absolutely love the stylized cartooning, as well as the duotone colour scheme, with its blue so muted that it's almost grey. But more than just looking nice, the art here is sublime in the way that it tells the story. Sean Phillips eat your heart out: this is how you create a moody noir atmosphere. Artists working for Marvel and DC take notes: this is how you draw exciting, dynamic action sequences. Everything is perfectly attuned: from the panels’ composition to their arrangement on the page, to the level of detail and the very art style employed. Igort constantly switches things up, always knowing what’s needed in a particular moment, and not being afraid to venture into abstraction. As a result, this comic stands alongside David Mazzucchelli’s Asterios Polyp as a testament to unconventional visual techniques not just being the reserve of artsy avant-garde comics, but being highly effective for telling relatively conventional stories.
I should note that the story is only relatively conventional. A basic synopsis would look like that of a thousand gangster films – an old mafioso on the warpath, seeking revenge – but the storytelling is often cryptic, placing more emphasis on atmosphere than plot, and the whole thing has a kind of dreamlike quality, with elements of surrealism, or perhaps magical realism. Some people might find it too confusing, but I like this kind of stuff. I’m often unsure what’s going on, but I enjoy my uncertainty; in this respect it’s a bit like Perramus by Alberto Breccia and Juan Sasturain or the comic adaptation of Paul Auster’s City of Glass (though it’s certainly less surreal than either of them). This approach naturally means some distance is maintained from the characters, so there isn’t a great deal of emotional connection, but I don’t think this is a weakness so much as a trait of the genre. My only real complaint is the dialogue: I don’t know if the problem is in the original Italian, or just the English translation I read, but it feels very stiff and awkward, and it’s not clear what it’s going for.
As I've probably already made clear, I think this is a must-read for anyone with an interest in formalist comics – in this regard, it’s really up there among the best I’ve read. Fans of noir and gangsters should also check it out, but they should be ready for something a bit less straightforward than your average pulp fiction.
I should note that the story is only relatively conventional. A basic synopsis would look like that of a thousand gangster films – an old mafioso on the warpath, seeking revenge – but the storytelling is often cryptic, placing more emphasis on atmosphere than plot, and the whole thing has a kind of dreamlike quality, with elements of surrealism, or perhaps magical realism. Some people might find it too confusing, but I like this kind of stuff. I’m often unsure what’s going on, but I enjoy my uncertainty; in this respect it’s a bit like Perramus by Alberto Breccia and Juan Sasturain or the comic adaptation of Paul Auster’s City of Glass (though it’s certainly less surreal than either of them). This approach naturally means some distance is maintained from the characters, so there isn’t a great deal of emotional connection, but I don’t think this is a weakness so much as a trait of the genre. My only real complaint is the dialogue: I don’t know if the problem is in the original Italian, or just the English translation I read, but it feels very stiff and awkward, and it’s not clear what it’s going for.
As I've probably already made clear, I think this is a must-read for anyone with an interest in formalist comics – in this regard, it’s really up there among the best I’ve read. Fans of noir and gangsters should also check it out, but they should be ready for something a bit less straightforward than your average pulp fiction.
November 5, 2011
Buena historia de género negro que, paradójicamente, le escapa bastante a las preconcepciones del género. Una historia violenta rutinaria se convierte en un viaje onírico que se convierte en una búsqueda de venganza que se convierte en un proceso de transformación interno que se convierte en otro viaje onírico que se convierte en una epifanía y así... Me gustó mucho como "poema" pero no tanto como historia en sí, aunque lo que narre esté bueno y aunque el dibujo resulte de lo más interesante. Arañó las cuatro estrellitas durante casi todo el trayecto pero termino promediando para abajo porque le faltó un par de sacudones más que me dejaran con ganas de más del autor. Y si bien pienso reincidir con Igort en algún momento, tampoco siento un particular apuro por hacerlo. La edición en castellano está bastante linda, aunque es asquerosamente cara y tiene, cómo no, un montón de errores de tipeo, de maquetación, falta de acentos y similares, como suele pasar con todos los que no se gastan en poner un maldito corrector ortográfico. Parece una causa perdida ya...
June 4, 2013
Ok this is one of those random gambles - I saw it on the shelf at the book store I help out at and realised it was something different. Its a graphic novel in a classic hard boil noir style set in Naples. At times it can be very stylish to the point of surreal but to be honest I think it adds to the appeal of the story as its set in the early 70s.
I know nothing of the author or the back ground to the book and to be honest I am intrigued - its all too easy at times to accept the American graphic novel as being the bench mark - or that the Japanese manga is the only art form - no this is neither (and in fact it makes passing comment about those styles) and I think it is better for it. Yet another gamble has paid off.
I know nothing of the author or the back ground to the book and to be honest I am intrigued - its all too easy at times to accept the American graphic novel as being the bench mark - or that the Japanese manga is the only art form - no this is neither (and in fact it makes passing comment about those styles) and I think it is better for it. Yet another gamble has paid off.
September 12, 2007
Maybe I missed the news, but in the recycling of the same old names on lists of great graphic literature, this never seems to come up. I'm making a concerted effort to dig through all the interesting looking Drawn & Quarterly publications of the past 5 - 10 years, and this is the first of what I assume will be many pleasant discoveries.
February 2, 2018
Manages to achieve the full potential of the graphic novel formula in my view, by using stylised art to convey meaning gracefully (rather than blocks of text).
Downgrading to 3, it's really a 3.5 but while I loved the style and enjoyed the story, I just didn't QUITE get enough out of it for it to be a 4. Borderline, but there was just something missing that I can't quite put my finger on.
Downgrading to 3, it's really a 3.5 but while I loved the style and enjoyed the story, I just didn't QUITE get enough out of it for it to be a 4. Borderline, but there was just something missing that I can't quite put my finger on.
June 24, 2010
A pretty great mafia graphic novel that is interesting on a number of levels. I don't really think mafia narratives are that well-suited to the graphic novel format, but 5 is the Perfect Number does better than I ever expected anyone could do with it. A solid read.
March 13, 2018
Simple story with really great art. Aging hit man out for revenge, love and redemption. Tale as old as time. Naples is a nice setting and Igort is able to do a lot with it through the unique style and just allowing the setting to speak for itself with many pages without any dialogue.
March 27, 2016
Great story - artwork is marvelous and to the point - better than a lot of movies pretending suspence.
April 26, 2023
Un bellissimo romanzo fotografico di Igort, di cui ho imparato ad apprezzare la penna, sia per quanto riguarda le storie che i disegni così maestosi. Assolutamente da leggere, dato che è stato così apprezzato anche all'estero insieme al film che ne deriva.
May 23, 2022
*gets interrupted while reading noir mafia piece*
"beat it, toots. These streets aren't what they used to be..."
"beat it, toots. These streets aren't what they used to be..."
April 13, 2020
The story will stir your emotions with a dramatic corpulence that's profoundly mesmerizing and the drastic circumstances throughout seemed to make it no harder for him to deliver shockingly genuine characters.
I can only think of one other artist who allows zero compromise in EVERY panel- all are museum grade artworks. Master draftsman action. Seriously.
His lighting awareness is possibly unparalleled in my memory. The expected shadowing is perfect but what really sets him apart is his knowledge, intuition and application of staggeringly precise illumination.
I enjoy the extra--longated and exaggerated school of genre noirt but that's banal compared to one who can situate and animate his people and props in such a way that our eyes can better relate to being there in person which produces a taste of the feeling that would elicit.
I wouldn't call this "genre noir" though- the word genre is offensive to this level of storytelling. I'd classify it with type of suspense thriller drama that Hitchcock used famously.
Those who say cinematic are absolutely correct- he produces sublime sequences in composition, aesthetics, pace and grace while "pulling the camera" deftly in and out of stills with the intensity of film. BUT while the frames are flipping in silent orchestra with the action he ALSO presents them in three dimensions- that rare talent to take you inside the panel that you'll never get without goggles. Just examine the cover closely and know that it's just a well chosen panel from within.
Many are wonderful at switching styles throughout but Tuv maintains PROFOUND tact and discrimination within his variance of aesthetic choices that keep seamless congress with how he wants the plot's unfolding to be imprinted and felt.
I can only think of one other artist who allows zero compromise in EVERY panel- all are museum grade artworks. Master draftsman action. Seriously.
His lighting awareness is possibly unparalleled in my memory. The expected shadowing is perfect but what really sets him apart is his knowledge, intuition and application of staggeringly precise illumination.
I enjoy the extra--longated and exaggerated school of genre noirt but that's banal compared to one who can situate and animate his people and props in such a way that our eyes can better relate to being there in person which produces a taste of the feeling that would elicit.
I wouldn't call this "genre noir" though- the word genre is offensive to this level of storytelling. I'd classify it with type of suspense thriller drama that Hitchcock used famously.
Those who say cinematic are absolutely correct- he produces sublime sequences in composition, aesthetics, pace and grace while "pulling the camera" deftly in and out of stills with the intensity of film. BUT while the frames are flipping in silent orchestra with the action he ALSO presents them in three dimensions- that rare talent to take you inside the panel that you'll never get without goggles. Just examine the cover closely and know that it's just a well chosen panel from within.
Many are wonderful at switching styles throughout but Tuv maintains PROFOUND tact and discrimination within his variance of aesthetic choices that keep seamless congress with how he wants the plot's unfolding to be imprinted and felt.
September 26, 2016
Mafijaška priča koja na trenutke djeluje koda je nesto puno veće, a uglavnom pokazuje koliko je to malo. Jednostavan i efektan crtež, minimalistička boja.
December 26, 2016
Bello.
October 11, 2021
Nic mnie tu specjalnie nie zaskoczyło w temacie fabuły. Mafijna tematyka, porachunki, strzelaniny i muzyka z "Ojca chrzestnego" w tle. Co na plus? Kto czytał reportażowe komiksy Igorta mógł mieć obawy, czy całość nie będzie bardziej statyczna, tymczasem dzieje się wiele. Tekstu jest mało, układ kadrów zróżnicowany i wrażenie dynamiki spore. Autor operuje ograniczoną ilością kolorów (maksymalnie 3 na kadr), co dodatkowo potęguje posępny klimat odpowiedni dla tej historii. Powalony nie zostałem, ale czytało się fajnie
October 30, 2022
Igort è uno scrittore (praticamente) perfetto.
Bellissimo noir, ritengo anche originale, ambientato in una Napoli anni 70 piovosa fumosa notturna e criminale.
A differenza di Gomorra (che poco sopporto) qua c'è un percorso di crescita e redenzione dei personaggi camorristi molto schietto e onesto.
Le atmosfere si leggono si vedono e si sentono.
Bellissimo noir, ritengo anche originale, ambientato in una Napoli anni 70 piovosa fumosa notturna e criminale.
A differenza di Gomorra (che poco sopporto) qua c'è un percorso di crescita e redenzione dei personaggi camorristi molto schietto e onesto.
Le atmosfere si leggono si vedono e si sentono.
May 24, 2011
A straight-up mafia crime story set in Napoli in the 70s takes a few surreal turns in this graphic novel by Igort (aka Igor Tuveri). Peppino is a retired hitman for the mob who picks up his guns again to avenge the death of his son, also a mob hitman. What transpires next is an escalating spiral of violence and intrigue. The artwork, produced in an atmospheric duotone, is in turns sparse, dense, breezy, or brooding. If you like crime stories, this is a pretty good one, and the artwork is sequential storytelling is quite strong.
The only problem I had with this book was the translation from Italian. The captions sometimes came off as dry, stilted, and academic. By contrast, the spoken dialogue tried too hard to affect an accent or realistic slang, but just came off as stereotypical and clunky. Stuff like "Get yar a** over here" or "dis here is my gun".
The only problem I had with this book was the translation from Italian. The captions sometimes came off as dry, stilted, and academic. By contrast, the spoken dialogue tried too hard to affect an accent or realistic slang, but just came off as stereotypical and clunky. Stuff like "Get yar a** over here" or "dis here is my gun".
Read
August 10, 2011A nostalgic tale of a mobster seeking revenge for his son's murder. Not only is the writer sentimental towards an earlier era of the mafia, but so does the principal character get lost in recollections, and recognizes himself as an anachronism, and no longer suited for the role he is taking on. The book flows very well, and feels like a film. Igort acknowledges his debt not only to film, but to cartoons and the literary establishment in this genre, through dream, product placement and a scene in a theater. The scenery is very well done, not for the detail as in Akira, but for the way it sets and holds the tone of the book. The art is simple and effective, consisting of a blue/gray, white and black. 11/28/09
February 3, 2023
Ağustos ayında okumuştum bu kitabı. O zaman dört yıldız vermişim, niyeyse. Sanki yıldızlarımız sayıyla ya da yıldız verirken cebimize akrep giriyor. Bence dört dörtlük bir kitaptı. Ölü Saatler’den sonra bir kere daha okumak istedim bu çizgi romanı. Peppino artık emekli olmuş bir kiralık katil. Oğlu Nino - ki o da kiralık katildir - bir işinde öldürülünce Peppino intikam için kollarını sıvıyor ve kan gövdeyi götürüyor. Kitabın öyküsü, çizimleri harika. Çok sevdim. Ve gerçekten de 5 mükemmel bir sayı, her şeyden önce asal.
February 13, 2008
I haven't read shit in over a month. Not proud of this. I picked up this graphic novel (nicely drawn, somewhat engaging tale of Neapolitan mafiosi that I can very easily imagine being adapted into a movie) at St. Marks bookstore last week (from the remainders table in back, to which I usually make a bee-line). 'Read' it in an hour this weekend. Well, at least that's a start.
November 14, 2010
Un capolavoro. Cinico e disperato. Pieno di umanità. Una Napoli bellissima e scura. Sicari che piangono e l'onore tra i vicoli. Una storia di altri tempi, senza tempo.
A masterpiece. Cynical and desperate. Human. Napoli is the beautiful and dark set of the story, with crying killers and the honor around the streets. An 'old times' both timeless story.
January 14, 2025
masterfully composed and arranged, visually extraordinary. the duo tone restrictions are manipulated so effectively they feel like narrative devices in their own right—wow. while plot wise, a bit more exposition may have been helpful, it still reads like a complex, philosophical mafioso epic, almost sopranos-level. good pick up
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