I.R.$., Volume 2: Blue Ice

I.R.$. #3-4

by Stephen Desberg, Bernard Vrancken (Illustrator)

Larry B. Max is an unusual specialist from a little-known branch of the I.R.S., the all-powerful tax-collecting agency of the United States, with every technological method at his disposal to link high finance and high crime. In Blue Ice and Narcocracy, Max unravels the financial and logistical organizations that support a huge drug operation between Mexico and the US. In the process, though, the lines between legality and providing jobs for thousands of people, between prosperity and morality, become blurred.

Genres: Comics, Bande Dessinée

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2009

About the author

Stephen Desberg is a Belgian writer of comics. In 2010, he was the 10th bestselling author of comics in France, with 412,000 copies of all his comics together sold that year.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting European comic. It's about a small group of IRS agents that are more along the lines of spies. It's like James Bond if he was an accountant. In this story, a financial wizard is buying the various Mexican drug cartels to corner the market on cocaine. It's an interesting look at the vast amounts of money the Mexican cartels make and how they can influence the financial markets. Don't worry, there's also plenty of action as Larry Max, IRS agent, tries to chase the man responsible down.

[Pedro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma historia mais interessante e um desenho mais apurado, fazem desta BD muito melhor que o primeiro volume. A personagem principal também desenvolve personalidade e vive fora do mundo de outras personagens.

[Erfan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It contains exciting scenes..

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://osrascunhos.com/2018/03/30/ir...

Mais coeso que o primeiro, este segundo volume retorna ao agente secreto do IRS que segue pistas monetárias para se cruzar, neste caso, com o narcotráfico. A pessoa visada nas investigações é um economista que começou por se tornar conhecido por fazer crescer os investimentos de grandes empresas de forma pouco ética.

Após este esquema é-lhe impossível voltar a ter um trabalho normal, e debruçou-se, em seguida, sobre as economias das grandes máfias, criando formas originais de lavagem de dinheiro. Após largos anos sem ser localizado, aparece agora em Los Angeles – o agente de IRS persegue-o eficazmente até ao Médico, onde consegue a cooperação mínima das autoridades.

Ainda assim, consegue perceber o novo esquema que rodeia a aquisição das máfias para as tornar mais adaptadas ao século XXI, uma forma de criar ocupações legais que sirvam de camuflagem ao verdadeiro objectivo.

Este segundo volume com duas histórias continua a mostrar que a premissa pode ser usada para explorar ideias interessantes. A personagem principal continua a ser pouco explorada enquanto pessoa, ainda que este volume lhe tenha conferido ligações familiares e algumas pistas para um passado que poderá ter sido traumatizante.

[AntifemBook · Rating 1 out of 5]

book#00020, Vol. 3. Mark: below average and substandard [??] D-. 1. I read the German edition of this book. Ich habe die deutsche Ausgabe gelesen.

Seit dem Film von Natalie Portman "Leon - Der Profi" wissen wir, wie korrupt die "Drug Enforcement Agency" ist. In "I.R.$. Blue Ice" arbeiten die "Drug Enforcement Agency" und der "Internal Revenue Service" eng zusammen, um in Los Angeles gegen ein Drogenkartell vorzugehen, das einerseits keine Steuern gezahlt hat und andererseits mit Drogen handelt. Der Feind lauert diesmal in den eigenen Reihen. Aber auch im Kartell sitzt der Feind in den eigenen Reihen, denn ein Machtwechsel im Kartell macht die Eliminierung der ehemaligen Kartellmitarbeiter erforderlich. Die Story ist weniger interessant, die gezeichneten Bilder von L.A. umso mehr. Diese Bilder vermitteln die fehlende Verwurzelung, die fehlende Tiefe, das fehlende Fundament und dass alles wie auf Sand gebaut und oberflächlich ist. Auch Special Agent Larry Max fehlt die Verbundenheit (mit jemandem) als würde er in der Luft hängen. Die Strandtürme sind genauso wie in der Serie "Baywatch" über die Rettungsschwimmer von L.A. County...

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this comic book (and several others) while browsing through French bookstore. I was interested by the titles and what I could read from the back cover and started searching for any issues translated to English. I found them and immediately dived in. I have to say IR$ is a series that you need to start from beginning - this is chapter #2 (more precisely #3 and #4 in original publishing order). Story by itself is interesting, choice of law enforcement agency somewhat puzzling and character very intruiging - he looks like a younger brother of Bruno Brasil, another French (or was it Belgium?) comic book hero. But as I said this is second collection so lots of questions come up that might have been answered in the first collected issue - so remember always read in order.


Art is good, only issue I had is when presenting criminal gang members in one part of story - they all have beards and they tend to look a like which was slightly distracting.

Recommended.

[Patrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mieux que le premier tome. Beau dessin et intéressant scenar basé sur le secret bancaire suisse et les fonds juifs.