100 Bullets: Wilt

100 Bullets #13

by Brian Azzarello

Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso conclude their epic saga "100 Bullets" - the smash-hit crime series that asked the if you were given a gun, 100 untraceable bullets and carte blanche, what would you do? The final secrets are revealed within - what really happened in Atlantic City to cause Agent Graves to go to war against the Trust? What has been his masterplan all along? What role do the surviving Minutemen still have to play? When the last shots are fired, who will be left standing as the secret rulers of America? With razor-sharp dialogue, high-calibre action and a cinematic scope, this critically acclaimed and award-winning series concludes with a bang! Adults Only!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Crime, Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Mystery

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Brian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".

Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).

In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.

As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.

information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

100 Bullets starts very strongly, as a series of standalone morality tales tied together by hints of a shadowy conspiracy. The mysterious Agent Graves offers someone who has fallen on hard times an attaché case containing 100 untraceable bullets, and the opportunity to take revenge on the person who ruined their life.

In later issues Azzarello abandons the attaché case premise to concentrate on a meta story involving Graves' employer "The Trust", an alliance of 13 ultra powerful families who secretly control modern America. The conspiracy theory is compelling, but the story's many plot threads quickly become tangled. Characters switch loyalties so frequently it's difficult to make sense of their motivations, and this sense of confusion is compounded by the fact that some characters look so alike it's sometimes hard to tell who's stabbing who in the back, or why.

On many levels 100 Bullets is brilliant. The artwork is mind blowing. The dialogue is multi-layered. The action scenes set the pulse racing, and there are some emotionally powerful story arcs. But 100 Bullets' lacks an "aha" moment that ties everything together, a payoff for its narrative obscurity and epic length.

[Artemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The finale of this monstrous series is fittingly huge, and yet it somehow feels unsatisfying. The ending was just too abrupt, and I don't feel like we got all the answers to the numerous questions raised. And that's kinda infuriating, considering how long this series is. Still, if you're a fan of the crime noir genre, 100 Bullets is absolutely worth reading. It's a very unique series, moody, with colourful characters, beautiful art and more than a few great stories to tell. It's definitely not for everyone — I'd say the first two volumes (or the first deluxe edition) is enough to decide if you want to read the rest of it. I really enjoyed most of the series, and I don't regret the time spent on these 100 issues even if I didn't like the ending. It was one hell of a ride!

[OmniBen · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review for the omnibus collecting this arc) 4.75/5
I've literally just turned the final page on this outstanding tome a few minutes ago. It's still a little fresh, a little raw. I'm not quite sure I've fully come to terms with it all. Just how special it was. That its really over. You know, that upset, whimsical kind of nostalgia that gets you deep down in the feels. Like losing a dear friend. A reminder of what it feels like to be human... to be alive.
First of all, it's a sincere honour to be the first person to put an actual review for this book on this site. An esteem I take very seriously indeed.
It's not very often a book that starts out really god damn great, actually ends up getting better and better as it goes along. It's even rarer when that series weighs in at a whopping 100 issues. All written by the same writer. All drawn by the same artist. The same creative team across its entire run if I'm not quite mistaken. A feat that is all too rare in comics, yet 100 Bullets stands as testament to the power of a small team of creators on top form, working on a project they all care for and believe in. I really can't stress how brilliant it was to have Risso's art grace every single page of this book. You could name dozens of more technically gifted artists out there, but few, if any can match the man's imitable style. I can't recall another artist that has the man's visual style and storytelling flair. Seriously, this book is a feast for the eyes like no other. The layouts, the character designs, the exquisite colour work. All of it goes together to make one of the most complete and stunning visual aspects to a story in any medium I've experienced. Yeah, it's that good.
Azarello too, is at the top of his game. The top of everyone's game. This is some of the most consistently outstanding comics writing you will ever see. 100 issues with barely a 'good story to be found amidst them all. Volume two was pure fire from start to finish. I have no idea where the second half of this book went today, but I just couldn't put it down. When I can reads hundreds of pages without coming up for air, you know you're onto a winner. This makes so many of his contemporaries look pretty dang average by comparison. I could quibble over little bits and pieces here or there, but I really don't want to even slightly tarnish this right now. Nothing's perfect, but this is just so damn special to me, imperfections be damned.
God how I wish more of comics was like this. Long, amazingly strong runs, the same outstanding art team... DC Vertigo, how I mourn your loss. At its height, this label was the bees knees, the cats pyjamas. To see DC now and how far they have fallen from their hey day, its enough to make one sick. DC Vertigo was some of the best comics ever produced, and right now, 100 Bullets for me, stands at the very pinnacle of Vertigo titles. A more uncompromising, magnificent and mature comic there isn't. Or if there is, please tell me what it is, because I can't see what's going to knock 100 Bullets off it's well earned throne. Essential reading. 4.75/5


OmniBen.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never have I been so confused by a series that I concentrated on so freaking hard!

Characters that were good, suddenly became 'bad'. Bad guys were suddenly fighting for good. But everyone was killing everyone anyway, so how 'good' or 'bad' was anyone really?
That person that you thought had died, nah, he has been shot a gazillion times, including one round right to the head, but he is just going to get up and come at you again like the Hulk. Oh you thought that he was a different character? Nah mate, they all just look really similar and have similar names so you never really know who is who and what team they're on.
Oh and that major plot point that you've just stumbled across? We foreshadowed that THIRTY COMICS AGO, HOW CAN YOU NOT REMEMBER AMDIST ALL THE 'WHAD'DUP IMMA KILL YA' DIALOGUE.
Oh thought you were reading about events in the present day? Well joke is on you because this has been the past and you haven't noticed! Muaahahahahaha...

And what better way to end it than with no concrete conclusion and everyone just dying... This was so much more enjoyable when you had those comics that were a man giving free reign to someone who wanted revenge. Those were the good old days.

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final volume! I kind of felt like I owed it to myself to finish up this series. I enjoyed much of the first half of the series, but really wasn't a big fan of the second half. All the intrigue of The Trust vs Minutemen vs Lono vs Graves... much went over my head. The final issue was really good and does bring most of the threads together, I just think the series could have been half the length, half as many characters, and told the story just as well.

100 Bullets: Chapter 1 - Corner of the Sky 89
We get the story of a young gangster named Pip (after the ball player)

100 Bullets: Chapter 2 - Lost in a Roman 90
Pip gets into trouble shooting some people.

100 Bullets: Chapter 3 - Closer 91
There's a manhunt for Pip and things don't end well for the kid.

100 Bullets: Chapter 4 - Our Men in the Ravine 92

100 Bullets: Chapter 5 - Rooster 93
Remi Rome. Graves meets up with The Trust.

100 Bullets: Chapter 6 - Kill de Sac 94
We learn more about the relationship of The Trust and Graves.

100 Bullets: Chapter 7 - Ducks 95
Lots of death between The Trust and the Minutemen

100 Bullets: Chapter 8 - Damaged Good 96
Lono is doing things his way while Graves seems to make peace with the Trust

100 Bullets: Chapter 9 - Fearsomality Crisis 97
the Trust have a meeting

100 Bullets: Chapter 10 - Five Rook(ed)s 98
Dizzy is a Minuteman!

100 Bullets: Chapter 11 - Boots On 99
Benito takes over the house of Medici. Graves gets his own House. Cole tries to get the Minutemen to turn on Graves. Dizzy is promoted by Graves to Graves's old position (the Agent) of the Minutmen.

100 Bullets: Chapter 12 - A House of Graves 100
The end. Cole's side of the Minutemen injure Lono. Benito is murdered. Lono and Dizzy fight. Lots happens in this one as everything comes to a head. A few people get lit on fire, some accidently. It seems in the end everything Graves had planned comes to fruition but the final panel leaves it up in the air as Dizzy holds his life in her hands.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel lucky to have read this through relatively quickly, without the usual waiting around as a series takes its time to spin out. You get more of a sense of continuity, a sense that things are building in this clockwork way. And the ending doesn't disappoint, things come together, and since it is a noir thriller, we get all the expected ultra-violence we have been waiting for. There's some emotional resonance, too, that I can't talk about in specifics without spoiling the story for new readers, but the very end felt satisfying to me. Azzarello introduces this final double volume and talks about it being about America, with its focus on greed and power. It's centrally a revenge tale. I hesitate to call it a revenge tragedy because no one here falls from any height. But in the end I think it is Rizzo's art that shines. In the last couple volumes he steps up his game and is impressive, dramatic, to match the sort of bloody operatic story. It's no surprise that there would be surprises, that's part of noir, of thrillers in general, and those are fun, but it's pretty dizzyingly quick with all the shifts that one begins to think the very fact there are twists and turns is the very point of it all. Like surprise is the principle aesthetic principle, finally. That's interesting to me.

I initially started it a couple times and hadn't been able to get into it, but finally, I liked it a lot and see why it is one of the comics classics of the genre. Heirs of both Miller and Spilllane in different ways. And sets its own standard for others, in a way.

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final volume lays it all out, the history of the Trust and the Minutemen and what caused the war. A slightly unsatisfying series in the end, despite its potential and reality, probably because all the main characters and events felt like they happened within their own micro reality. Where were the police, authorities, media etc. when all this was happening? Still a classic Vertigo series though, and this volume with all its reveals and summing up the whole, was probably one of the best in the series 8 out of 12.

[Santiago Gª Soláns · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.5/10

Menudo viaje ha resultado ser esta relectura de toda la serie.
Vaya mareo (de lo mas agradable) de cambios de bando y puñaladas por la espalda.
Una gozada haberlo leído de corrido para pillar todos los detalles; estoy convencido que cuando lo leí al ritmo original de publicación se me olvidaban o pasaban muchas cosas entre tomo y tomo.
Una auténtica gozada👍🏻👏🏻

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

100 Bullets ends the only way it ever could have.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, here we are at the end of 100 Bullets with Vol. 13: Wilt, and man, it was always going to be a tough landing for this sprawling, gritty saga. Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso really pulled out all the stops for this final volume, aiming to tie up all those loose threads about Agent Graves, his mysterious briefcases, and the deep-seated conspiracy of The Trust and the Minutemen. If you, like me, loved the sheer intensity of issues 88-96, where bodies were dropping and double-crosses were flying, you'll find a lot to sink your teeth into here. The book is packed with high-impact, violent moments, including some truly shocking stuff involving kids, which definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The pacing in these last few issues is super fast, which is exactly what you'd want as everything barrels towards its conclusion. While the ending itself felt... well, "okay" is a fair word for it. It's not necessarily mind-blowing, but it certainly brings a definitive close to a series that has, admittedly, had its bumpy moments over the years. All in all, for a series as ambitious and long-running as 100 Bullets, this was a really strong final outing. It earns a solid 4 out of 5 from me for delivering on the visceral action and finally bringing the whole complex narrative to a head.

[Mariano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding ending. I find it curious that it took me 3 times to get to read the series. The first couple of times I wasn't able to pass from vol 1. I think that it finds it's way on vol 3 (in nor small part to the colorist change) and then it's an insane journey.

I know that I'm a fan, but Risso, daaaamn, what a storyteller. One of our greatest of all time. What he does in this series is insane. Yes, he has assistants, but we know that he likes to work almost Marvel style, without much guidance on how to tell the story. He refused to work on a Mark Millar series -and probably get a bunch of money- because he had to follow a strict script. He does his thing and he's good at it.

How is this not a live action series yet???

A pleasure to read.

[Cyborg]

In a way I wish I never finished this series. I think I would have liked to always picture Graves and Shepherd opposing each other and scheming. Not to say it's a bad ending to the series. It doesn't answer every single question but it answers enough of them. And it leaves on a note that feels cinematic. This is a great crime comic series. Not perfect, but really damn good.

[Gala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Напишу про всі сто нмерів одразу.
Сюжет усієї історії вкладається в приказку про інтимну взаємодію жаби й гадюки. Проте стежити за тим, хто з них кого і як було захоплюючим процесом.
Я не любителька кримінальних драм та конспірологічних теорій, але відіриватися і йти спати щоразу було важко. Власне, пару разів я ловила себе на тому, що вболіваю за персонажів, які от щойно гвалтували, катували і вбивали, і робили це із задоволенням, на першій такій своїй реакції я остаточно визнала, що історія написна гарно, як і персонажі.
Всі основні дійові особи тут мають або антисоціальну особистість або хороший такий антисоціальний розлад (він же соціопатичний чи диссоціальний), і всі вони зикінчують погано, хоча й не всі помирають.
Що мене часом дратувало - так це жіночі тіла, у головних героїнь вони намальовані за одним шаблоном, власне, якщо ви бачите великі грули - значить ця жінка тут не просто так намальована, стежте за оновленнями. Але може це данина нуарним кліше, де жінки зазвичай фатальні, і їх фатальність тісно пов'язана з пропорціями Мерилін Монро (вона, доречі, побіжно згадана в одному з випусків).

[Jon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This more a review for the entire series.

While the writer begins to tell an intriguing tale of deception, morality, and vengeance, it falls short of expectations. Early in the series Brian Azzarello loses control of the details, motivations, and ultimately the thrust behind the narrative. The reader is expected to follow along the trail of poorly conceived plot twists as characters, who have been steadfastly loyal in the past, seemingly switch sides or join forces with little reason beyond they don't trust someone. It feels as if the writer became fascinated with telling a deeply interwoven story then realized it would be cool for the series be a hundred issues long. As a result Mr. Azzarello proceeds to play fast and loose with character motivations, interactions, and relationships in order to reach the desired end. In conclusion, 100 Bullets is a great premise unfortunately undermined by a lack of development and care of its story and characters.

[Kevin Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, i am liking it, but it is overly convoluted....and kinda is a bit redundant in an elongated attempt to stretch out to 100 issues......if you like the main regular, recurring sopranos-like/tarrantino mob style characters, this is for you, but if you like the original premise of the mystery briefcase,the 100 bullets, and meeting the new random strangers, changing characters anthology-style, whose lives are affected by it, and then their story is wrapped, this is NOT for you, buy earlier volumes....one wonders when they read THIS if the creators had NOT bothered with all this confusing "TRUST" houses Sopranos-lite stuff and just stayed with only the original genius hook of the book, (the selected person, agent graves, the briefcase, the gun, the bullets, the reason ) how much better or worse this book would have been....???

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

The series started with a bang (pun intended), and got me into graphic novels, but the conceit of a hundred stories about a hundred bullets and the labyrinthine tale that seemed never to end, simply got old and stale. And worse, the length of the series revealed the one-dimensional imagination of the creators: lots of blood, an entirely misanthropic view of the human condition, teenage boy-like obsession with Tetonesque women, lots of profanity and increasingly annoying attempts at reproducing tough-guy street talk. This series has garnered lots of praise, but I thinks it's one-dimensional: there are a lot better examples of the genre out there now. I'm glad it is over.

[Kurt Reichenbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4 stars is really for the entire series. Lots of violence, conspiracies, betrayals, sex, alliances, brutality and family treachery going on here. I had a good time with it. It did feel as though the story was slipping off the rails in the last few volumes, but the pace and the artwork kept me engaged. I wanted to know who'd be left standing at the end, and I had some characters (Echo, Dizzy, Loop and Cole) to root for along the way. Like the other reviews here, not everything added up and there was some fog along the way, but it was still a decent ride. For fans of noir and graphic novels.

[Brendan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This chapter brings the series to conclusion, plenty of action but not the finale I wanted. I definitely felt underwhelmed by the series after some promising chapters. The series as an overall is a 3 star. I expected a grand finale but obviously missed the point. There was so much hype surrounding this series but I failed to see why. Lots of carnage but not enough to showcase the chapters tiresome story

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is so dumb. Time that could’ve been well spent unraveling the actual plot that drive this entire nonsense is instead spent blowing everything and everyone to pieces. There must have been a decent conspiracy hidden somewhere beneath all of this foolishness but it’s left up in the air amidst an orgy of sex and violence—but that’s been the entire series, so why am I surprised? What a moron I was when I was young and enjoyed this.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly drawn intrigue and carnage. Read this, after reading the first 12 volumes, of course. A great series that had to end, but that makes it all the better.

[Anca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... at least it explains some stuff.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tale of 100 Bullets finishes as the center cannot hold and this entropic conclusion explodes in to a nihilistic fireball.

[Mitch Kukulka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful coda to one of the most operatically epic stories in all of comics.

[Daniel Freer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe some won't like the way it ends, I actually think it was spot on.

Great finish to a great, great amazing,by far one of the best WRITTEN comics/stories of any medium in the history of stories I think. I loved all the little stories and how they came together. One of the truest ways I've seen dialogue in written word form that felt you were reading real conversations and the person writing knew what they were talking about. It doesn't come off as fake or lame and on top of the very nice art, the coloring while not overdone, was done in the perfect way to reflect the many moods and situations and settings of each story, of each and every panel. Wish somethings worked out differently for some and worse or better for others. But all in all a very smart, effective true the series as a whole, great way to end this fantastic series. I would recommend anyone pick up volume 1 and after they read it, try not wanting to read the next volume let alone the rest of the series. Thank you Brain Azzarello and the rest of the team for putting out one of my favorite series of all time and will read again in the future.

[MatiBracchitta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es increíble como decayó este cómic. Quizás con una relectura y a la distancia no resulten tan malo, pero ahora en caliente debo decir que no me gustó. No solo porque lo sentí apresurado y forzado a la vez que estirado y falsamente complejo. Sino porque creo que Azzarello no supo desarrollar a los personajes como se debe y terminó todo en una escabechina que resulta completamente anticlimatica.

Al final ni siquiera terminan de cerrarse todas las historias. Hay muertes absurdas, muchas cosas sin sentido y verdaderamente me hacen sentir que he perdido mucho tiempo con este cómic.

Sé que no es así, soy consciente que el trabajo de Azzarello y Risso es bueno. Pero no puedo evitar pensar que la historia se rellenó de historias paralelas que si bien eran entretenidas y atrapantes, terminaron por no conducir a ningún lugar, mientras que la trama principal parece pobremente desarrollada. Muchos de los personajes principales ni siquiera se terminan de conocer. Hay muchas cosas que resultan confusas... en fin.

Una decepción.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gritty noir that has a very pessimistic view of people and is filled with sex, drugs and violence. It explores ethics and justice through the lens of whether one might seek revenge given the evidence and opportunity. That premise was what attracted me to the series.

There were several short arcs that focused on what an individual did with the opportunity for revenge. These were mostly solid. Around midway it pivoted to the intrigue of the Trust and Agent Graves as they played their high stake games after the Trust betrayed the Minutemen. The latter is an organization designed to keep the 13 families of the Trust in check. Graves pulls in several veteran Minuteman and recruits new ones as the body count rises

Overall the story can be confusing and got more so towards the later part of the series. The last few TPB arcs were not that good and felt like they were dragging the story out. Apparently a common complaint. Many of the character motivations and double crosses were not well explained. The ending arc, while not perfect, does have a satisfactory ending

Looking back I would probably give the series a 3.5 overall

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't sleep last night so finished Vol 7 to 13 overnight. I only finished because I kept thinking "there's a reason this is so well-regarded and I'll find it at any time. Nope. Hard to keep people straight when there are 'main' characters introduced and dead before the one issue they're in is over. and the plot? I don't even know what the actual plot was other than by the end I didn't care anymore. weird morality plays and double and triple crosses that just made you want the story to be over but you're on book 67.

It's still good to look at but the story itself was definitely lacking.

And if I get started on specifics it's going to be spoiler and since I didn't take notes on which book was which I can't be bothered to find it out. All of the reviews will be the same both for words and score.

[Lucas Lima · Rating 3 out of 5]

We reach the ending of this amazing series, and, the conclusion is about, i believe, the main plot on this book: climbing to power.

Graves finally reaches Augustus and we see the last movements of The Trust and The Minutemen. It's a great ending, but i believe it was more complex that i was expecting. Even for Azzarello. I like where the story headed, but i believe that they should tried to bring all of this character to a more confort zone. The art is still amazing, as Risso is portrait very well a lot of deaths, blood and guts.

100 Bullets is one the most important comics of America modern era. It deserves all the awards that it has, and really prove that this duo are a mastermind for this genre. As well as the covers by Dave Johnson really captured the feeling of it. Glad that i coulp keep up and finish this.

[Ren · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was just no point to it, all along. Why read this? Go ahead if you want to learn to hate the characters you once found intriguing. Wonder for hundreds of pages if the portentous, meandering scenes will ever coalesce into something meaningful. Look forward to the ending, just so it can all finally be over, and then scoff at the awkwardness, senseless violence, and seemingly random decisions that lead up to it. Ugh, I thoroughly hated this.

BUT:

Eduardo Risso's art is absolutely marvelous throughout this series. Minor, otherwise empty characters are always physically distinct and identifiable. Action scenes are crisp and fresh. Urban environments are rendered in precise, bottle-sweating or even flesh-jiggling detail. I have nothing but praise for Risso's work, in stark contrast to Azzarello's writing.

[Tobin Elliott]

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
- The End, The Doors

And, after 100 issues, collected into (fittingly) 13 trades, the story of the Trust and the Minutemen comes to an end—well, aside from the Brother Lono coda that I'm about to start—and I'm impressed, I'm elated, I'm exhausted, and I'm bummed.

I will say, the convoluted twists and turns in the last couple of collections do get a bit confusing, but this one lays it all out and explains it all. And, even better?

I knew how this was all gonna end. Absolutely had it nailed.

And, in one final, impressive stroke, they pulled one final twist on me...because it did not end as I expected.

This is very likely my favourite graphic novel series, ever.