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100 Bullets #2
100 Bullets, Vol. 2: Split Second Chance
Written by Brian Azzarello; Art by Eduardo Risso, and Dave Johnson The second trade paperback in the 100 BULLETS line, this book resumes the tale of the mysterious Agent Graves who offers ordinary wronged people the opportunity to kill with impunity using 100 bullets that he supplies them with. But even as Agent Graves continues to approach and manipulate his "clients," questions about the ghoulish agent start to arise as people from his past begin to appear, revealing interesting information about their former acquaintance. In the end though, these facts only lead to different questions as the mystery behind Agent Graves' motives deepens.
Collecting 100 BULLETS #6-14
Collecting 100 BULLETS #6-14
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2000
55 people are currently reading
1374 people want to read
About the author
Brian Azzarello
1,288 books1,105 followersBrian 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...
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...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
October 18, 2022
Agent Graves offers the friends and/or family of murder victims' retribution with an opportunity for murderous revenge with 100 bullets and full immunity, but why the manipulation of his clients, and what's in it for him? These and other thoughts have me (and other readers?) questioning Graves' motives? The more I read, the more snippets I picked up about Graves, Shepherd and who, or whom, they may or may not work for. With different protagonists in each mini-story, it's clear that some tales are standalones and others contribute to the main mystery. The almost unique art style takes awhile to get used to, and the writing's pretty good. 8 out of 12.
2017 read; 2011 read
2017 read; 2011 read
September 27, 2018
Croatoan!
Nothing? Just checking.
The senseless violence (or is it?) and bloodletting continues.
In this volume, a little light is shed on the gathering forces behind the whole 100 bullets and a freeget-out-of-jail never-go-to-jail card – none of whom seem to be working for “truth, justice and the American way.”
The stories in this volume range from:
An interlude, whereby the eventual breakout character Lono is introduced…
…and set up by Graves.
A small time hustler rolls snake eyes.
A story that’s straight out of some alt-universe degenerate Twilight Zone.
Dizzy goes to Paris and discusses what’s behind the briefcase full of blues and a gun and a hundred bullets with Mr. Branch, a journalist, who was given a briefcase, but instead of using it just got nosy.
A lot of these panels are in French, so unless you know French, you don’t have to read ‘em.
And the stand out tale here about an Ice Cream Man…
That ice cream isn’t soft-served, kids.
Mr. Ice Cream Man has a revelation and it has nothing to do with a frozen chocolate-covered banana.
Croatoan!
Bottom line: This series, with its irredeemable characters, violent and at times fan service art is not for the squeamish. Still, if you want to see some ground-breaking comics that are outside the capes and cowls stuff, check it out.
Oh Wilbur! If only Mary Worth handed out briefcases with a gun and bullets…
Nothing? Just checking.
The senseless violence (or is it?) and bloodletting continues.
In this volume, a little light is shed on the gathering forces behind the whole 100 bullets and a free
The stories in this volume range from:
An interlude, whereby the eventual breakout character Lono is introduced…
…and set up by Graves.
A small time hustler rolls snake eyes.
A story that’s straight out of some alt-universe degenerate Twilight Zone.
Dizzy goes to Paris and discusses what’s behind the briefcase full of blues and a gun and a hundred bullets with Mr. Branch, a journalist, who was given a briefcase, but instead of using it just got nosy.
A lot of these panels are in French, so unless you know French, you don’t have to read ‘em.
And the stand out tale here about an Ice Cream Man…
That ice cream isn’t soft-served, kids.
Mr. Ice Cream Man has a revelation and it has nothing to do with a frozen chocolate-covered banana.
Croatoan!
Bottom line: This series, with its irredeemable characters, violent and at times fan service art is not for the squeamish. Still, if you want to see some ground-breaking comics that are outside the capes and cowls stuff, check it out.
Oh Wilbur! If only Mary Worth handed out briefcases with a gun and bullets…
April 20, 2018
It's a kind of ridiculous premise, that a variety of people are given 100 untraceable bullets to revenge terrible things that happened to them, with some vague connection to various mobs, and I am not sure what is really going on, but I have to say I am getting into it, relaxing and going along for the ride. The high-concept, stylized art by Risso is impressive, and the point of the storytelling would be interwoven threads leading to a probably inevitably bloody conclusion. Just guessing, with a title like 100 Bullets. As they say, if you put 100 bullets on a stage, you better use them. All of them.
I should say I read some of this series in single volumes and some of them in the large deluxe omnibus editions.
I should say I read some of this series in single volumes and some of them in the large deluxe omnibus editions.
December 10, 2023
We get a few more stories of people being approached by Agent Graves but we also get more background into the mystery. It's funny how most of the people trying to get revenge end up getting themselves hurt or killed and fail to deliver any vengeance.
Agent Graves is part of this group called The Minutemen and an organization called The Trust. Agent Graves has another partner of sorts called Mr. Shepherd.
Chucky is a con-man who can manipulate a dice role but was doing time in prison. His "friend" Pony is a successful bookie now but Agent Graves reveals it was Pony who got Chucky sent to jail wrongly.
Agent Graves meets with Lono, a former Minuteman and gives him 2 million dollars in cash. We meet an ice cream man named Cole Burns who sells contraband cigarrettes along with the treats. It turns out he's a Minuteman and under some kind of hypnosis... a true sleeper agent. A short story about a Graves telling a young woman what happened to her estranged daughter.
Then we get the bulk of the book - Mr. Shephard sends Dizzy to Paris to meet Branch (an American living in Paris) he also got an attache from Graves but his journalistic instinct kicked in and he uncovered some information about "The Trust".
Agent Graves is part of this group called The Minutemen and an organization called The Trust. Agent Graves has another partner of sorts called Mr. Shepherd.
Chucky is a con-man who can manipulate a dice role but was doing time in prison. His "friend" Pony is a successful bookie now but Agent Graves reveals it was Pony who got Chucky sent to jail wrongly.
Agent Graves meets with Lono, a former Minuteman and gives him 2 million dollars in cash. We meet an ice cream man named Cole Burns who sells contraband cigarrettes along with the treats. It turns out he's a Minuteman and under some kind of hypnosis... a true sleeper agent. A short story about a Graves telling a young woman what happened to her estranged daughter.
Then we get the bulk of the book - Mr. Shephard sends Dizzy to Paris to meet Branch (an American living in Paris) he also got an attache from Graves but his journalistic instinct kicked in and he uncovered some information about "The Trust".
January 24, 2013
Volume two spends a bit more time delving into Agent Graves's identity and backstory, but only enough to add even more questions. I think I'm hooked to that mystery. But the writing is a little lacking for me. Too much dialect, too much fanservice. That said, Heartbreak Sunnyside Up is a real gut punch, devastatingly effective. It's the horrible, almost understated bright spot in the whole collection.
July 7, 2022
At first, I was under the impression the series would be short stories, only linked by the mysterious Graves, but author Brian Azzarello has a longer more ambitious story in mind. While some of these vignettes might prove to be stand-alones, readers begin to get a backstory on Graves and his shady connections. A character from volume one shows up and we are pulled into a conspiracy that runs deep. The central question is who is Graves and why does he pick the people he does to become vigilantes? Not all are successful for various reasons, but truth be told, I found some of the shorter stories more interesting than some of the longer linked stories. That one about the waitress was heartbreaking and unexpected.
The stylized art keeps you riveted, and while not everyone might like the look, it matches the stories and helps the series stand out. I’m unsure if I will continue reading further into the series, as it is a big commitment with 13 volumes, and conspiracy storylines are prone to becoming too convoluted. So while I plan to set the rest of the series aside for now, I have a feeling the story will pull me back in eventually.
This review (plus V1) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2022/07/0...
The stylized art keeps you riveted, and while not everyone might like the look, it matches the stories and helps the series stand out. I’m unsure if I will continue reading further into the series, as it is a big commitment with 13 volumes, and conspiracy storylines are prone to becoming too convoluted. So while I plan to set the rest of the series aside for now, I have a feeling the story will pull me back in eventually.
This review (plus V1) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2022/07/0...
April 14, 2025
"With a seemingly simple gift - - an untraceable gun and a hundred rounds of ammunition - - the mysterious Agent Graves offers the powerless and wronged a chance at vengeance."
The creative team of Azzarello and Risso maintain a steady pace throughout Volume Two, and continue to add more layers to the promising premise established in Volume One. This title is a gem, and its brilliance is polished in Volume Two.
Some of my suspicions about the nature of Agent Graves and Shepherd no longer seem likely. Azzarello provides some pertinent information in this Volume which seems to indicate the direction things are going. But, the big burning questions have yet to be answered, with the major one being: what's in it for them? Why does Graves select certain individuals?
SHORT CON, LONG ODDS The two-part first story arc this volume sheds light on the troubled relationship between two childhood friends, both turned to criminal endeavors in the gambling industry. Chucky, just released from prison, has a way of making the dice roll in his favor but is stuck street-and-alley hustling and risking his life gambling with gang members - - all because his reputation has banished him from the gaming houses. His childhood buddy Pony is a successful gambler running a betting establishment. Agent Graves rescues Chucky, reveals some incriminating evidence of how Pony has used and abused and stolen from him - and provides the way for Chucky to "even the odds." Things conclude off-panel but they don't end well. Risso does an excellent job of portraying the sad and seamy world of gambling.
DAY, HOUR, MINUTE . . . MAN" The second story was quite revealing, and the reason I dropped my suspicions that Graves and Shepherd were either God's messengers or the devil's agents.
Graves double-crosses a Jamaican crime gang right after telling them that a book-making operation in Detroit (from the previous story) could be open for new ownership. Then he sics Federal DEA agents on their HQ.
The hitman in the Hawaiian shirt from Volume One (named Lono) has a critical meeting with Graves, who also sets him up for a fall (still to come). An organization named The Trust comes up, apparently Graves, Shepherd and Lono were once part of it - as Minutemen - until Shepherd reported them as dead in order to get out of their clutches.
THE RIGHT EAR, LEFT IN THE COLD My favorite two-part story of this volume concerns the driver of a neighborhood ice cream truck who turns out to be a sleeper agent for Graves and Shepherd. When he obtains the attache and gun from Graves, Cole Burns learns who burned down the nursing home where his grandmother resided. Cole Burns is a skilled assassin, and he has just been reactivated following a wild gunfight as well as an overturned ice cream truck.
HEARTBREAK, SUNNYSIDE UP My favorite one-shot, standalone story concerns a hard-working diner waitress who worries about her runaway daughter, who's now grown up as a teenager at whereabouts unknown. Except, Agent Graves has the sad, ugly details about where she is and why she ran away from home.
PARLEZ KUNG VOUS The three-part story that concludes this volume features the return of Dizzy Cordova (from Volume One) as Agent Shepherd pays her way to Paris to meet "Mr. Branch" without explaining the reason for the visit. Mr. Branch turns out to be a journalist who was offered the suitcase and gun by Agent Graves but never followed through on the kill. However, he wanted to know more and began to investigate Graves and company, much to his chagrin - which he why he relocated to France. Branch may have told Cordova too much, as a gun-toting Cole Burns shows up to remind Dizzy that she belongs to Graves. Is this an indication that Graves and Shepherd may not be working together, or at cross purposes. I'm also wondering if this was another "test" for Dizzy to see if she is worthy of becoming a Minuteman. I'm also wondering if the unhappy diner waitress in the previous story was also being "tested" as a potential recruit.
My summaries dont' do this enough justice, but I want to avoid major spoilers. The pacing is spot-on in these stories. Risso creates the proper atmosphere in the way he portrays each scene. The dialogue is realistic, and street smart.
These stories are always worth a re-reading. There's so much going on in the background that can easily be missed during the first reading.
The creative team of Azzarello and Risso maintain a steady pace throughout Volume Two, and continue to add more layers to the promising premise established in Volume One. This title is a gem, and its brilliance is polished in Volume Two.
Some of my suspicions about the nature of Agent Graves and Shepherd no longer seem likely. Azzarello provides some pertinent information in this Volume which seems to indicate the direction things are going. But, the big burning questions have yet to be answered, with the major one being: what's in it for them? Why does Graves select certain individuals?
SHORT CON, LONG ODDS The two-part first story arc this volume sheds light on the troubled relationship between two childhood friends, both turned to criminal endeavors in the gambling industry. Chucky, just released from prison, has a way of making the dice roll in his favor but is stuck street-and-alley hustling and risking his life gambling with gang members - - all because his reputation has banished him from the gaming houses. His childhood buddy Pony is a successful gambler running a betting establishment. Agent Graves rescues Chucky, reveals some incriminating evidence of how Pony has used and abused and stolen from him - and provides the way for Chucky to "even the odds." Things conclude off-panel but they don't end well. Risso does an excellent job of portraying the sad and seamy world of gambling.
DAY, HOUR, MINUTE . . . MAN" The second story was quite revealing, and the reason I dropped my suspicions that Graves and Shepherd were either God's messengers or the devil's agents.
Graves double-crosses a Jamaican crime gang right after telling them that a book-making operation in Detroit (from the previous story) could be open for new ownership. Then he sics Federal DEA agents on their HQ.
The hitman in the Hawaiian shirt from Volume One (named Lono) has a critical meeting with Graves, who also sets him up for a fall (still to come). An organization named The Trust comes up, apparently Graves, Shepherd and Lono were once part of it - as Minutemen - until Shepherd reported them as dead in order to get out of their clutches.
THE RIGHT EAR, LEFT IN THE COLD My favorite two-part story of this volume concerns the driver of a neighborhood ice cream truck who turns out to be a sleeper agent for Graves and Shepherd. When he obtains the attache and gun from Graves, Cole Burns learns who burned down the nursing home where his grandmother resided. Cole Burns is a skilled assassin, and he has just been reactivated following a wild gunfight as well as an overturned ice cream truck.
HEARTBREAK, SUNNYSIDE UP My favorite one-shot, standalone story concerns a hard-working diner waitress who worries about her runaway daughter, who's now grown up as a teenager at whereabouts unknown. Except, Agent Graves has the sad, ugly details about where she is and why she ran away from home.
PARLEZ KUNG VOUS The three-part story that concludes this volume features the return of Dizzy Cordova (from Volume One) as Agent Shepherd pays her way to Paris to meet "Mr. Branch" without explaining the reason for the visit. Mr. Branch turns out to be a journalist who was offered the suitcase and gun by Agent Graves but never followed through on the kill. However, he wanted to know more and began to investigate Graves and company, much to his chagrin - which he why he relocated to France. Branch may have told Cordova too much, as a gun-toting Cole Burns shows up to remind Dizzy that she belongs to Graves. Is this an indication that Graves and Shepherd may not be working together, or at cross purposes. I'm also wondering if this was another "test" for Dizzy to see if she is worthy of becoming a Minuteman. I'm also wondering if the unhappy diner waitress in the previous story was also being "tested" as a potential recruit.
My summaries dont' do this enough justice, but I want to avoid major spoilers. The pacing is spot-on in these stories. Risso creates the proper atmosphere in the way he portrays each scene. The dialogue is realistic, and street smart.
These stories are always worth a re-reading. There's so much going on in the background that can easily be missed during the first reading.
May 27, 2016
Ya not really doing it for me! So I gave 3 stars for vol 1, it wasn't anything great, but I thought I would give volume 2 a chance, anddddddddddddddd they lost me! The problem is a lot of my gripes from the first volume continue into this one. The main premise of the book is kind of interesting but not too much; the art is absolutely fugly; and the characters aren't really interesting. This volume continues the method, of it switching between characters, each characters story only lasts 2-3 issues; their uninteresting bland, and so far their not connected, only common factor is Agent Graves. Agent Graves is awesome, but he does not really appear often, and I'm pretty much sleeping through the volumes of boredom, till he comes on for a brief three pages, once every 2 or 3 issues!
June 23, 2023
This volume is stronger than the first, and while it still has flaws, it's just a better crafted volume.
There's a few short stories in here. Or one shots or two shots. I personally like these. Really only the final arc is a 3 part and it helps explain the Minute Men and also the lore of the whole 100 bullets and why Agent Graves does all these offers of exacting revenge. It's much needed to expand the universe and understand why these characters do what they do. The other strong storyline is a Ice Cream man who gets his past revealed to him in a way he probably didn't expect, but a nice twist on that. I also enjoyed a waitress barely making it in life and finding out the truth and exacting revenge. The other stories were good but a bit boring at points, the gambling one went on too long.
Overall, stronger than the first, around a 3.5 but I'll bump it to a 4.
There's a few short stories in here. Or one shots or two shots. I personally like these. Really only the final arc is a 3 part and it helps explain the Minute Men and also the lore of the whole 100 bullets and why Agent Graves does all these offers of exacting revenge. It's much needed to expand the universe and understand why these characters do what they do. The other strong storyline is a Ice Cream man who gets his past revealed to him in a way he probably didn't expect, but a nice twist on that. I also enjoyed a waitress barely making it in life and finding out the truth and exacting revenge. The other stories were good but a bit boring at points, the gambling one went on too long.
Overall, stronger than the first, around a 3.5 but I'll bump it to a 4.
June 8, 2017
In this book it becomes a bit more clear what the overall story arc is going to be, but somehow it still reads as an experiment into improvisation from the writer. The story, for now, lacks direction, which is a shame because the idea behind the story seems interesting with the bullets allowing people to avenge themselves. Also the characters were promising. Still, I think I'll give up this book because the idea of picking up volume 3 tires me, and that is a bad sign.
August 18, 2018
Justice at the point of an untraceable gun. Some very interesting characters with dark pasts and hidden pain.
January 30, 2023
Why does the briefcase have 100 bullets? That seems like way more than necessary. I mean, I'm no marksman, but I think I could probably manage in, I dunno, 70 bullets?
April 2, 2024
Dropping it to 4 stars, because while still basically as good as the first volume, it didn't hold my interest quite as well (take this with a grain of salt, I still loved it). They really make it seem like they're giving you answers this volume, but what Brian Azzarello does spill has only confused me more. I'm lost on the specific details but still enjoying and eager to continue.
Also, about the story where the woman kills her husband... I've been waiting for the story to go there for a while, and it was instantly predictable when her daughter was introduced, but it's still so heartbreaking.
Also, about the story where the woman kills her husband... I've been waiting for the story to go there for a while, and it was instantly predictable when her daughter was introduced, but it's still so heartbreaking.
April 16, 2024
New cool characters and drip drip of a larger plot. Art keeps it’s high level.
February 3, 2019
Another blood-soaked bit of nastiness with a side of irony. This time, there's a hint of the bigger picture behind the briefcases full of bullets, but it's still mostly revenge noir. The scripts are tight and snappy, the art is dazzling, the humor is black. This ain't a bottle of sunshine, but it is damn good.
September 29, 2015
It starts to get much more interesting. Smaller, disconnected stories from previous volume start to pull together, intersecting with each other.
June 21, 2023
This volume is the most I’ve read of 100 Bullets. From the Howard Chaykin forward and the last few issues included themselves, it feels like a consequential piece of the story. I’m not sure I’m going to pursue more of it (the series ran a hundred issues), but Split Second Chance at least suggests it’s more than the central gimmick and the fairly cliche crime stories that surround it. If Azzarello had begun this later, it would’ve been easy to dismiss as just another comic book begging for a TV deal. Instead my interest was mainly to see his work, and arguably still his most successful work, before he moved on to higher profile material. I can see why Frank Miller worked with him, why he trusted him to develop the third Dark Knight. There’s definite Sin City in here, but not just the sensation, the ambition of it that’s easy to overlook. And here I wonder if I should pursue this story further. Well, perhaps. Later.
June 23, 2021
I'm glad I read this second volume as I enjoyed it a lot more than the first.
The first book set up the premise, Agent Graves is a mysterious figure who appears to someone that has been wronged and hands them a briefcase with an untraceable gun, 100 bullets and irrefutable proof of a guilty party. It's then up to that person to decide what to do. There were hints of a larger storyline but it mainly focused on two individuals given the briefcase.
This volume expands a little more on who this Agent Graves is and why he's doing it and really begins to expand upon this world and how exactly he manages to do the things he does.
Definitely feeling more inclined to pick up the third book now.
The first book set up the premise, Agent Graves is a mysterious figure who appears to someone that has been wronged and hands them a briefcase with an untraceable gun, 100 bullets and irrefutable proof of a guilty party. It's then up to that person to decide what to do. There were hints of a larger storyline but it mainly focused on two individuals given the briefcase.
This volume expands a little more on who this Agent Graves is and why he's doing it and really begins to expand upon this world and how exactly he manages to do the things he does.
Definitely feeling more inclined to pick up the third book now.
August 23, 2019
Loved it.
Very cool, I really enjoyed it, it elaborated and gives some context to the ground work set in volume one.
Very cool, I really enjoyed it, it elaborated and gives some context to the ground work set in volume one.
October 4, 2020
Výrazně lepší než první díl a ten byl skvělej. Takhle dobře dávkovat žánrovej kýč a podávat ho aniž by vyzněl hloupě je výkon.
January 7, 2024
Gorgeous art, intriguing story, and it's just getting deeper. Amazing series.
September 4, 2017
This is much more interesting than the first volume.
The cases are more fun. One of them opened a path to the organization we get to know a little about Agent Graves, the Minutemen and The Trust.
The ice-cream man ending was a twist.
Tina's story was horrible, the whole setting was weird especially telling it over an apple pie :/
I do not like the artwork.
To the next volume...
The cases are more fun. One of them opened a path to the organization we get to know a little about Agent Graves, the Minutemen and The Trust.
The ice-cream man ending was a twist.
Tina's story was horrible, the whole setting was weird especially telling it over an apple pie :/
I do not like the artwork.
To the next volume...
January 23, 2025
A brilliant second volume, diverse characters worlds that feel real and lived in. The heart ache of those in the gutter looking at the stars.
With the moral conundrum at its center.
If you could get revenge. And get away with it, would you?
But its more than that, the wider tales develop. Mystery abounds and stakes grow.
Superb stuff
With the moral conundrum at its center.
If you could get revenge. And get away with it, would you?
But its more than that, the wider tales develop. Mystery abounds and stakes grow.
Superb stuff
May 3, 2022
(Zero spoiler review for the omnibus this story arc collects) 4.75/5
I was really looking forward to this. I was holding this one back for a rainy day. One of those reads that you just know you're going to love, so you don't want to burn it too quickly. Once read, it can never again be read for the first time. Now, over the last year or so since its release, there were plenty of times I began to doubt Azarello's ability to deliver on this, for I've read some absolute stinkers from him. Though it wouldn't be the first time that someone was really good at writing a down and dirty crime noir, yet didn't have the chops to deliver, say, a long run on a female superhero...
But on to 100 Bullets. I know when I'm absolutely on board with a comic, when rather than read at my usual pace, I linger on panels, pages. I read things over and over again, not because they're ridiculous or don't make sense, but because they're so bloody good. Because I'm completely immersed in the story, or maybe because there is a rather fetching young lady featured on the page (and there are quite a few of those featured throughout).
I had minimal experience with Risso's artwork before this, although despite him being very much a love him or hate him type artist, I was instantly on board with his style. It suited the story and Azarello's writing down to a T. This only grew as the run continued, and the guy's chops and style improved. Some of the artwork and colouring in the final runs collected here were stunning, causing more of those lingering stares. And yeah, the guy knows how to draw a seedy, yet sexy looking woman, that's for sure.
Whilst a few issues towards the end certainly weren't as good as the opening salvo's, and the prevalence and quality of the dialogue wasn't as strong at the end of the book as the beginning, but nearly sixty issues of quality street level noir with the same artist is something I can't quite accurately describe how happy it makes me. If this didn't live up to my expectations, I would've been crushed. But thankfully, 100 Bullets is one of the greatest collections I've had the fortune to read thus far, and absolutely and unequivocally belongs on every respecting comic book fans shelf. If you've never read it, stop what ever you are doing (probably reading this review) and get it. When it goes OOP, can't imagine it will get a reprint anytime soon. 4.75/5
OmniBen.
I was really looking forward to this. I was holding this one back for a rainy day. One of those reads that you just know you're going to love, so you don't want to burn it too quickly. Once read, it can never again be read for the first time. Now, over the last year or so since its release, there were plenty of times I began to doubt Azarello's ability to deliver on this, for I've read some absolute stinkers from him. Though it wouldn't be the first time that someone was really good at writing a down and dirty crime noir, yet didn't have the chops to deliver, say, a long run on a female superhero...
But on to 100 Bullets. I know when I'm absolutely on board with a comic, when rather than read at my usual pace, I linger on panels, pages. I read things over and over again, not because they're ridiculous or don't make sense, but because they're so bloody good. Because I'm completely immersed in the story, or maybe because there is a rather fetching young lady featured on the page (and there are quite a few of those featured throughout).
I had minimal experience with Risso's artwork before this, although despite him being very much a love him or hate him type artist, I was instantly on board with his style. It suited the story and Azarello's writing down to a T. This only grew as the run continued, and the guy's chops and style improved. Some of the artwork and colouring in the final runs collected here were stunning, causing more of those lingering stares. And yeah, the guy knows how to draw a seedy, yet sexy looking woman, that's for sure.
Whilst a few issues towards the end certainly weren't as good as the opening salvo's, and the prevalence and quality of the dialogue wasn't as strong at the end of the book as the beginning, but nearly sixty issues of quality street level noir with the same artist is something I can't quite accurately describe how happy it makes me. If this didn't live up to my expectations, I would've been crushed. But thankfully, 100 Bullets is one of the greatest collections I've had the fortune to read thus far, and absolutely and unequivocally belongs on every respecting comic book fans shelf. If you've never read it, stop what ever you are doing (probably reading this review) and get it. When it goes OOP, can't imagine it will get a reprint anytime soon. 4.75/5
OmniBen.
July 9, 2024
I cannot say how many times I have read this graphic novel in the last 15 years or so. Because it is just that damn good.
The first edition was a little clunky and a little ham-fisted. By this edition, the series is catching its stride. The concept of Graves and his attaché are at the forefront, but used as a premise for the main plot of each story. Each story is given its proper length - so far anywhere from a single issue to three - so as not to be too rushed or too overdrawn. Each story remains diverse. We have had stories with the gun which are complete and no impact on the bigger picture (“Short Con, Long Odds”) we have had stories with the fun that have a direct impact on the bigger picture (introducing Cole Burns in “The Right Ear, Left in the Cold”), a stand-alone of Graves as he manipulates those around him (Topper, Lono and Sophie in “Day, Hour, Minute... Man”), and an introduction to the Trust and the Minutemen from the perspective of a man who has yet to use his attaché and the re-introduction of the “new” Dizzy and Cole (“Parlez Kung Vous”). But the shining star here - and of the entire series - is the stand-alone “Heartbreak, Sunnyside Up.” The story of a woman who doesn’t know what happened to her little girl, but learns it all when presented with an attaché.
This is a true graphic novel in that the visual is telling a story more than the words. The backgrounds, the details, the little nuances, you have to pay attention to everything around each panel (Jenny’s story In Heartbreak Sunnyside Up, for example). And Dave Johnson’s covers cannot be skipped over. There are clues and hints along the way (why have Megan Dietrich in a cover that she doesn’t play into the story other than having been reference and not by name? Or the recurrence if the XIII symbol before its reveal?), but you must pay attention. They provide the clues, just not as plain as often presented in this medium.
By the end of this edition, the series is in full swing. The premise is no longer heavy-handed. The variety of the stories are kept fresh and yet have a continuity about them. And of course, the intrigue has been laid down as a taster to keep coming back.
5 stars for sure. And the series still only gets better
CROATOA.
The first edition was a little clunky and a little ham-fisted. By this edition, the series is catching its stride. The concept of Graves and his attaché are at the forefront, but used as a premise for the main plot of each story. Each story is given its proper length - so far anywhere from a single issue to three - so as not to be too rushed or too overdrawn. Each story remains diverse. We have had stories with the gun which are complete and no impact on the bigger picture (“Short Con, Long Odds”) we have had stories with the fun that have a direct impact on the bigger picture (introducing Cole Burns in “The Right Ear, Left in the Cold”), a stand-alone of Graves as he manipulates those around him (Topper, Lono and Sophie in “Day, Hour, Minute... Man”), and an introduction to the Trust and the Minutemen from the perspective of a man who has yet to use his attaché and the re-introduction of the “new” Dizzy and Cole (“Parlez Kung Vous”). But the shining star here - and of the entire series - is the stand-alone “Heartbreak, Sunnyside Up.” The story of a woman who doesn’t know what happened to her little girl, but learns it all when presented with an attaché.
This is a true graphic novel in that the visual is telling a story more than the words. The backgrounds, the details, the little nuances, you have to pay attention to everything around each panel (Jenny’s story In Heartbreak Sunnyside Up, for example). And Dave Johnson’s covers cannot be skipped over. There are clues and hints along the way (why have Megan Dietrich in a cover that she doesn’t play into the story other than having been reference and not by name? Or the recurrence if the XIII symbol before its reveal?), but you must pay attention. They provide the clues, just not as plain as often presented in this medium.
By the end of this edition, the series is in full swing. The premise is no longer heavy-handed. The variety of the stories are kept fresh and yet have a continuity about them. And of course, the intrigue has been laid down as a taster to keep coming back.
5 stars for sure. And the series still only gets better
CROATOA.
February 6, 2012
The second volume of 100 Bullets, 'Split Second Chance', looses some of it's originality with the presiding theme continuing albeit heightened with an elaborate government secret agency mystery aura surrounding key players Mr. Graves and Mr. Shepherd. Adding to cloak and dagger intrigue, is the introduction of the Minutemen and their Borne-esque activation into service (re: 'The Right Ear, Left In The Cold') which provided a fresh perspective to the typically predictable plot of each insular comic collected in this second instalment.
Despite promulgating the larger message, 'Split Second Chance' had a distinctly true comic book feel with many of the stories in this collection devoid of continuity or choosing to shy away from it - almost TV episodic in execution.
Azzarello does a great job at bringing life to the his down-trodden characters and further expanding on their escapades. Kicking off Vol.2 with 'Short Con Long Odds' sees a degenerate gambler reconcile seven lost years spent behind bars after being framed by his successful childhood friend turned prominent bookkeeper and ending strongly with 'Parlez Kung Vous' which revisits past characters who utilised the attache case - notably the hardened gangster Dizzy Cordova from the first 100 Bullets arc. But the standout for me was the deeply disturbed 'Heartbreak Sunnyside Up' in which a hard working waitress learns her preteen daughters' disappearance and ill fated death are a direct result of misguided trust and abuse all too close to home - raw and unnerving writing captured in minimalist detail by artist Risso - great stuff.
Overall I give '100 Bullets Vol.2 Split Second Chance' 3 stars - While enjoyable I would've liked to have seen Azzarello build more of Megan Dietich's character from the first collection into the continuity and perhaps given reason to Dizzy Cordova's appearance in France. Apart from that, 'Split Second Chance' is everything you could want from gutter crime.
Despite promulgating the larger message, 'Split Second Chance' had a distinctly true comic book feel with many of the stories in this collection devoid of continuity or choosing to shy away from it - almost TV episodic in execution.
Azzarello does a great job at bringing life to the his down-trodden characters and further expanding on their escapades. Kicking off Vol.2 with 'Short Con Long Odds' sees a degenerate gambler reconcile seven lost years spent behind bars after being framed by his successful childhood friend turned prominent bookkeeper and ending strongly with 'Parlez Kung Vous' which revisits past characters who utilised the attache case - notably the hardened gangster Dizzy Cordova from the first 100 Bullets arc. But the standout for me was the deeply disturbed 'Heartbreak Sunnyside Up' in which a hard working waitress learns her preteen daughters' disappearance and ill fated death are a direct result of misguided trust and abuse all too close to home - raw and unnerving writing captured in minimalist detail by artist Risso - great stuff.
Overall I give '100 Bullets Vol.2 Split Second Chance' 3 stars - While enjoyable I would've liked to have seen Azzarello build more of Megan Dietich's character from the first collection into the continuity and perhaps given reason to Dizzy Cordova's appearance in France. Apart from that, 'Split Second Chance' is everything you could want from gutter crime.
June 16, 2019
I think this volume is best summed up by the fact that its introduction is by Howard Chaykin, who hasn't done anything interesting but draw hosiery in about forty years.
A vague outline of a plot is introduced in this volume, and the mystery behind who Agent Graves is and what he's hoping to accomplish with his 100 untraceable bullets scenarios starts to unfold. The problem is that all of the characters are garbage. There's no one likable or believable. Like most late 90s/turn of the century noir, the point was to be shocking. So characters are all racists, pedophiles, and murderers. You learn that even most of the people being given the guns were terrible people.
My "Fuck This Comic" moment came during the issue when Graves arrives in a restaurant and slowly explains to a server about how her daughter got AIDS by being a heroin addicted prostitute because her father started molesting her when he was seven. The pacing sucked. The dialogue was so far over-the-top, it was actually orbiting a different story. The humanity was completely absent. It was the kind of lazy "gritty" writing that, once you hit twenty, you should be able to identify as Bullshit Schlock.
I like Azzarello's writing from the last few years, but, man oh man, has he come a long way since this garbage. The next volume won him an Eisner, so I'm going to read it to see if it somehow magically became readable at that point.
I don't recommend this to anyone with an ear for dialogue or an eye for plot. I do recommend it if you think Frank Miller's 21st century output was compelling, or if you're a sucker for a Howard Chaykin story.
A vague outline of a plot is introduced in this volume, and the mystery behind who Agent Graves is and what he's hoping to accomplish with his 100 untraceable bullets scenarios starts to unfold. The problem is that all of the characters are garbage. There's no one likable or believable. Like most late 90s/turn of the century noir, the point was to be shocking. So characters are all racists, pedophiles, and murderers. You learn that even most of the people being given the guns were terrible people.
My "Fuck This Comic" moment came during the issue when Graves arrives in a restaurant and slowly explains to a server about how her daughter got AIDS by being a heroin addicted prostitute because her father started molesting her when he was seven. The pacing sucked. The dialogue was so far over-the-top, it was actually orbiting a different story. The humanity was completely absent. It was the kind of lazy "gritty" writing that, once you hit twenty, you should be able to identify as Bullshit Schlock.
I like Azzarello's writing from the last few years, but, man oh man, has he come a long way since this garbage. The next volume won him an Eisner, so I'm going to read it to see if it somehow magically became readable at that point.
I don't recommend this to anyone with an ear for dialogue or an eye for plot. I do recommend it if you think Frank Miller's 21st century output was compelling, or if you're a sucker for a Howard Chaykin story.
November 30, 2014
Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s 100 Bullets: Volume 2: Split Second Chance takes the series in the right direction.
If you’re unfamiliar with 100 Bullets, it’s got a great premise: Throughout the 100 issues, the mysterious Agent Graves approaches people who’ve had their lives ruined by nefarious means. The victims get info on who did them wrong, a handgun with 100 untraceable bullets, and full immunity for whatever revenge they want to take, be it on one person or the whole unsuspecting world. Despite that great premise, I was disappointed in volume one (collecting issues #1-5), as I found some of the stylized pulp violence cheesy, and I feared that if the stories remained episodic, the formula would wear out fast.
Thankfully, volume two (collecting issues #6-14) goes deeper into the plan that Agent Graves is building. Volume one characters return and people ask questions as to how this approach to vengeance could even be possible. Even the revenge tales that could be episodic are better this time around, and without question, issue #11: “Heartbreak, Sunnyside Up,” is my favorite issue thus far. It finally puts the heart into the series, and you feel for the mother learning about the true motivation behind her runaway daughter. I’m still not 100% sold on the art style, but 100 Bullets now has the momentum to get me reaching for the next volume. Three stars.
If you’re unfamiliar with 100 Bullets, it’s got a great premise: Throughout the 100 issues, the mysterious Agent Graves approaches people who’ve had their lives ruined by nefarious means. The victims get info on who did them wrong, a handgun with 100 untraceable bullets, and full immunity for whatever revenge they want to take, be it on one person or the whole unsuspecting world. Despite that great premise, I was disappointed in volume one (collecting issues #1-5), as I found some of the stylized pulp violence cheesy, and I feared that if the stories remained episodic, the formula would wear out fast.
Thankfully, volume two (collecting issues #6-14) goes deeper into the plan that Agent Graves is building. Volume one characters return and people ask questions as to how this approach to vengeance could even be possible. Even the revenge tales that could be episodic are better this time around, and without question, issue #11: “Heartbreak, Sunnyside Up,” is my favorite issue thus far. It finally puts the heart into the series, and you feel for the mother learning about the true motivation behind her runaway daughter. I’m still not 100% sold on the art style, but 100 Bullets now has the momentum to get me reaching for the next volume. Three stars.
March 13, 2018
Though I’m left unmoved emotionally (falling short if 5 stars), I am very impressed with the telling. It is done fluidly through art and word, sometimes foreign. I sometimes wonder what my take would be if I wasn’t semi fluent in French.
It’s the art that won me. Stories told workout words behind a separate plot depicted in text. Characters defined by the simplest of features showcased kn broad but subtle ways. The most mundane scenes carefully drawn blurring background and foreground. The passage of time in a single panel through duplicated images. This book was a visual treat and wonder with a good story.
As a second book in a series, I suggest referring to the reviews of future books to determine if this is worth it. It is not meant as a stand alone work, so even if in the moment, a 4 star book can be a necessary part of a 5 star series. It’s clear the story is building to much more. At the very least, read it for the artistic representation... but be prepared for some harsh language and situations.
It’s the art that won me. Stories told workout words behind a separate plot depicted in text. Characters defined by the simplest of features showcased kn broad but subtle ways. The most mundane scenes carefully drawn blurring background and foreground. The passage of time in a single panel through duplicated images. This book was a visual treat and wonder with a good story.
As a second book in a series, I suggest referring to the reviews of future books to determine if this is worth it. It is not meant as a stand alone work, so even if in the moment, a 4 star book can be a necessary part of a 5 star series. It’s clear the story is building to much more. At the very least, read it for the artistic representation... but be prepared for some harsh language and situations.
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