posted 01-04-2001 11:34 PM               

There are three stories in First Shot, Last Call, connected by the presence of the mysterious Agent Graves. Graves approaches someone to whom some injustice has been committed and gives them a briefcase. The briefcase contains a photo of whomever committed the injustice, proof that they did it, information as to their whereabouts, a gun -- and one hundred completely untraceable bullets. No law enforcement agency can touch the owner of that gun and those bullets -- from that moment on, they are above the law, free to determine how they will use the power and information they have been given.

The premise is unbelievably cool, and Azzarello does not disappoint in exploring it. His plotting is very strong, with layers of intrigue, plotting and betrayal. You don't find out a lot about Agent Graves, or the organization that he works for, in this book, but there are hints of at least subplots that will connect the tales of the different recipients of the gun.

The characters in 100 Bullets are all morally conflicted -- even the ones you like have likely done something unpleasant in their lives. They're pretty well-drawn for appearing in only a few issues, and the dialogue is good as well -- I can't tell you how realistic it sounds, because there's a lot of slang and accents that I am frankly unfamiliar with, but nothing sounds ridiculous, and the dialogue carries off the tension of the confrontations between would-be avengers and potential victims well.

The art is well done. Johnson's covers are gorgeous, and Risso has a good sense of storytelling. Some of his perspectives seem a bit warped to me, but that's more a personal thing, I think. I should mention Grant Goleash's coloring -- he does a lot with monotone panels, shadows, and lighting to set the tone of the book. This is definitely a comic noir, one with a great premise and solid writing, so if that's your cup of tea, check this out.