100 BULLETS, VOLUME ONE: FIRST SHOT, LAST CALL trade paperback by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso (DC Comics/Vertigo, February 2000, Second Printing)
“If A Stranger Offered You The Chance To Get Away With Murder . . . . . Would You Take It?
100 BULLETS, VOLUME ONE stands as a testament to the potential of graphic novels to tell extremely compelling stories, a masterful combination of plot, dialogue and art that sets it apart. If you are a fan of crime comics (or just crime fiction in any format) this book belongs on your bookshelves.
There are not many graphic novels that I can read multiple times and still be entertained, excited, and find new things to marvel at. I lost count of how many times I have read the first volume of 100 BULLETS, but I never feel like the time invested was wasted. Any graphic novel, book, movie or video that does that deserves to be on a plateau. I’ve reviewed this book before, but now I feel it deserves to be elevated to a FIVE-STAR rating.
I came to that realization after another re-reading of Volume Two, which left me in awe. Even though I managed to collect all the volumes in this series (including the BROTHER LONO spin-off) I never ventured beyond Volume Two - - as if I was afraid of ruining a good thing. Is it possible to sustain this kind of excellence for that long of a series? It’s well past time for me to find out. I plan to get through the entire series in the next 30 days.
The premise is simple, but lends itself to dozens of possibilities. Seemingly random individuals who have one thing in common - - they have been wronged by another - - are presented with a suitcase containing the incriminating evidence as well as a gun and 100 rounds of untraceable bullets, and a promise of complete immunity.
Agent Graves is the gift bearer, a mysterious bald stranger who seems to know everything about the individuals he invites to obtain retribution by accepting the suitcase. We are later introduced to Agent Shepherd, who seems to appear whenever the selected individuals are having second thoughts about carrying out their vengeance.
Azzarello’s story is full of twists. It’s mysterious, street smart, and casts a glimpse into the vivid, gritty underworld of life. the dialogue seems authentic and raw. Risso’s art is worth multiple views - - inventive and expressive with incredible facial expressions, use of shading, images caught in mirror and shadows, single hue silhouettes, etc.
After reading Volume One, I wondered if Graves and Shepherd were God’s messengers, or angels - - working to carry out his justice since law enforcement failed to do so. Or was Graves sent by the devil, a tempter who maybe is tempered by Shepherd working on behalf of faith?
I don’t want to give away the storyline (I did some of that in my original review), but after multiple reading there are some scenes that may be foreshadowing hidden elements that will become plot points later. I’m going to note a few of them here, along with some fine examples of how Risso enhances everything with his choice of presentation.
Case in point: In the debut issue, the prison shower scene is elevated to another level of story-telling in the way that Risso visualizes it.
Issue #3: The angle of view as the church scene begins makes it seem like there is an inverted Christ-on-the-Cross. An omen?
Then, as the first story arc ends Isabelle “Dizzy” Cordova has conversation with Shepherd. Were her actions a test, and is she being auditioned for a later and maybe bigger role?
In the second story arc, Azzarello adds a twist just to let readers know that the endings will not be predictable. When Lee Dolan confronts the businesswoman who ruined his life, there are murders being carried out in an adjacent skyscraper in the background and silently, without text or dialogue, by a Hawaiian-shirted hitman. I expect to see him in future issues, as I doubt this scene would play out just for the heck of it.
Volume One ends with a short story, reprinted from Vertigo’s WINTER’S EDGE anthology, taking place in a police station where a guilt-ridden grandmother confesses to a murder she committed with gun provided by Mr. Graves. Seems like the immunity lasts forever, as she is judged a crazy old lady and released. Mr. Graves lurks in the background, presenting his suitcase offer to an unhappy detective in another bit of fore-shadowing FIVE STARS for Volume One.
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