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100 Bullets #11

100 Bullets, Vol. 11: Once Upon a Crime

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Collecting issues #76-83 of the acclaimed series by Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso and Dave Johnson! The Trust, Agent Graves and the Minutemen arrive in Mexico for a showdown that will mark the end for at least one major player, while the mystery behind the Atlantic City job is finally revealed.

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2006

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About the author

Brian Azzarello

1,288 books1,105 followers
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...

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5 stars
1,066 (37%)
4 stars
1,100 (38%)
3 stars
530 (18%)
2 stars
133 (4%)
1 star
46 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Profile Image for David Sarkies.
1,930 reviews383 followers
April 10, 2018
A Glimpse into the Underbelly
10 April 2018

I recently watched a youtube video where the presenter was basically trying to promote comic books (though his channel is pretty cool, especially if you like retro-computing) and he suggested that the good thing about comic books was because they are visual, they basically cut out a lot of useless words that tend to make books really, really thick – like describing locations and character nuances. Well, that may be the case, and they certainly are a lot quicker to read than, say, War and Peace, but I’m not entirely sure whether he really appreciated what a lot of these so called ‘useless words’ were for (such as character backstory, or some side thoughs such as Adams and Vonnegut are known to put into their works).

As for me, the only reason that I end up with comic books is because I have a habit of visiting places that I haven’t been to previously, and because I pretty much write reviews on anything and everything, if I find a place that interests me, or is sufficiently geeky, then I tend to pay it a visit, and also purchase something. As for comics, well, I was a kid once, and I did love my Tintin and Asterix, but never managed to get into any of those superhero comics that tend to be the mainstay of your average comic book store (though you do get a number of spinoff series from popular movies and television series).

However, you do find the occasional comic that doesn’t seem to have those connections, such as this one. Basically, from what I could gather, this is a story set in the underworld about people being shot. The problem was that it was all over the place, and it was quite hard to follow the action, particularly since you happened to have two stories that were completely unrelated, interspaced between each other. In fact the only story that I was able to follow was the one about the guy going to Italy to buy a stolen painting only to discover that the seller had sold this painting to multiple other people.

In a way they seem to be trying to create the dark, gritty underworld in a comic book form, and while it could work in one sense, it didn’t really seem to do so here. However, I suspect that there is probably also a bit of backstory that I had missed due to it being a part of a series, a series that I am basically jumping into halfway through. The catch is that this shouldn’t be the case, particularly with graphic novels, because it should have sufficient information to grab the first time readers, but not make the regulars too bored with constantly repeating things.

The one thing that seems to stick out is how unreliable the underworld is, but then again it tends to operate on a law of its own, and it is a law that tends to be enforced by brutality than through the courts. The interesting thing is that if your services are no longer required, even if you haven’t done anything wrong, then you end up being retired, and in this world retirement doesn’t involve lump sum payouts and sipping pina colladas on the beach.

I remember some people from back in my uni days who had this great dream of becoming big time drug dealers, but the reality is that dealing drugs doesn’t produce the rivers of gold that some people believe that it does. In fact it is just like getting a job in any other corporate environment – there are only so many management positions available, and being in those positions sometimes requires you to not only be uncompromising, but to also make enemies. People aren’t going to like some of the decisions that you make, and if you are one of those people that can’t handle people not liking you, then maybe management is not a role for you. Oh, and then there is the case of enforcing contracts – in the underworld you really, really need to be willing to bust knee caps, because there is no other way to avoid being ripped off because, well, courts don’t recognise illegal contracts.
Profile Image for Baba.
4,067 reviews1,512 followers
June 24, 2020
You'd think with Agent Graves, The Trust and the Minutemen all congregating in Mexico for a showdown; and the full reveal on he Atlantic City job would be peak reading? Sometimes the climax is not worthy of the build-up. This is a case in point. 7 out of 12, the weakest volume yet.
Profile Image for Drew Canole.
3,168 reviews43 followers
December 31, 2023
Feels pretty uneventful. I'm struggling with this one a bit because we're just shown a ton of stuff, but I'm failing to see what everyone's motivation is.


Punch Line 76-79
The Minutemen have an internal battle in Juarez

A Split Decision 80
Dizzy and Graves discuss Dizzy's future

Tarantula 81-83
Ronnie Rome in Italy pursuing a painting. Tangled deal with Echo Memoria. This was a very entertaining short story within the 100 Bullets universe.
Profile Image for OmniBen.
1,381 reviews47 followers
September 10, 2022
(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.
Profile Image for James DeSantis.
Author 17 books1,205 followers
July 18, 2025
Holy shit, 100 Bullets Volume 11: Once Upon a Crime kicks things up a notch, no kidding. This volume, really starts bringing all that simmering tension to a boiling point, especially in its insane first half.

Seriously, the opening act of this volume? It's the best the series has to deliver, hands down. You're just plunged straight into this intense showdown down in Mexico, with Wylie and the Minutemen going at it in a brutal, no-holds-barred clash. This whole segment is some epic shit, ending with a conclusion that kind of blew me away – no pun intended, but damn, it was fucked up. It just shows you the brutal, fucked-up consequences of Agent Graves's ridiculously long game.

Now, the second half? It starts off a bit weaker at first, I won't lie. That big reveal about the Atlantic City job—the one everyone's been wondering about? It was just okay. Don't get me wrong, it's a crucial piece of the puzzle, tying a bunch of old threads together, but it didn't hit with the same gut-punch as the earlier sections. But hey, it definitely picks up when it zooms in on Mr. Shepherd's origin story. Learning how he became who he became, and how Graves knew him for so long, was pretty damn fascinating. It adds so much more depth to one of the series' most mysterious characters and their twisted relationship, giving you a better look at the whole history of the Minutemen.

All in all, 100 Bullets Volume 11: Once Upon a Crime is a solid 4 out of 5. Even with that slightly less impactful Atlantic City part, the pure intensity of that Mexico battle and the awesome deep dive into Shepherd's past make this a must-read if you're hooked on this messed-up world of betrayal and revenge. You can really feel the pieces finally snapping into place, setting the stage for the big goddamn finale.
Profile Image for Frank Taranto.
872 reviews8 followers
August 13, 2009
I think we are nearing the end of this wonderful series. I have a feeling that the whole is going to be greater than the parts, and the parts are excellent. The end game is coming soon, and I have no idea how it will end.
Profile Image for Artemy.
1,045 reviews964 followers
December 1, 2016
A weaker volume in the series. Two storylines, one overlong and mostly uneventful, the other a flashback that is confusing and feels out of place. A filler volume so close to the finale is very annoying, but hey, they had to stretch it to 100 issues somehow.
Profile Image for Mark.
1,232 reviews43 followers
July 6, 2008
The last two books finally took me over the edge... I no longer care enough about these characters to wade through the muck. I'm done.
Profile Image for Lucas Lima.
631 reviews4 followers
May 4, 2022
OK, shit is starting to hit the fun, and The Minutemen are in a verge of a war between their trenches.

This was a volume with a big focus on the group and their trying to cope with Sheperd's death. And we got a last chapter with Roonie, the painting and Echo.

Again, story is amazing, Azzarello is sharp as ever and Risso's pen are still making places just beautiful as the people in it. On to the next one!
Profile Image for Tobin Elliott.
Author 22 books175 followers
March 28, 2024
Y'know, I gotta say, 11 volumes into a 13-volume set, and I've rated every single one as a five-star read?

I honestly can't think of another series I've done that on. The characters are just getting more and more real to me, the story is getting deeper, and the endgame is starting to present itself.

This is just a brilliant series.
Profile Image for Mariano.
737 reviews10 followers
April 10, 2024
Great as always. I don't get why some comments say it was "uneventful". All the pieces shifted and came together in the road to the finale. There is a bunch of stuff. Maybe the painting story is not surprising, but that along with Shepperd's backstory was cool. And Risso, always Risso.
Profile Image for kuusela harry-pekka.
111 reviews4 followers
May 18, 2024
There is an interesting way of jumping back and forth in time. Needs a second reading of whole shebang to follow propably. Like Tarantino on acid.
Profile Image for Jon.
20 reviews
March 21, 2015
This a review of 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.
Profile Image for Christopher.
354 reviews61 followers
June 7, 2015
I'm not even sure it makes sense to have reviews at this point. We are 80 issues into what is essentially an 100 issue story arc. Telling you how the 76-83% portion of any book was just seems silly.
Profile Image for Paul.
401 reviews2 followers
June 7, 2015
This volume continues to ramp up the intrigue behind the machinations of Agent Graves and the Minutemen.
396 reviews2 followers
March 25, 2024
Good again, hope they finish strong too.

Can't say much I haven't said about this series in my other reviews. Great art, great writing, characters. All of it is just an amazing accomplishment and just is filled with action from the 1st panel to the last. Great dialogue between the characters or just them talking. Really a great read if you like comics or not. Great too if you like comics but more adult-ish or not guys in tights, zombies or apocalyptic stuff. I live batman and other super hero stuff and loved the walking dead comics(some of the show,lol) and apocalyptic stuff like Y the last man too so not a criticism but to read what could be an amazing series of NON-comic books, this could be a great written word series like game of thrones but actually GETS FINISHED LIKE THAT FAT PIECE OF SHIT GEORGE RR MARTIN WHO CAN WRITE OTHER BULLSHIT BUT NOT FINISH WHAT SHOULDA BEEN FINISHED IN THE EARLY 2000S CONSIDERING THE 1ST SONG OF FIRE AND ICE BOOK CAME OUT IN THE 90's. Sorry hate that fat scum fuck for not finishing and making a point of how good this could be as show, written word book, it works on any level and is just an amazing story.
Profile Image for Christopher.
609 reviews
November 12, 2020
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.
Profile Image for MatiBracchitta.
582 reviews
July 22, 2023
Aunque este volumen se siente un poco de relleno, lo cierto es que no creo que sea así. Sobre todo si se toma en cuenta lo poco que falta para el final. Creo que Azzarello está intentando ir cerrando arcos, lo cual teniendo en cuenta todos los personajes y tramas que posee, es un arduo trabajo.

Es extraño, pero me gusta y no me gusta a la vez que Azzarello siga metiendo personajes y la historia siga difusa en algunos aspectos. Está claro que los bandos ya van siendo definidos, pero aún así las lealtades y motivaciones siguen siendo confusas.

Espero que tanto Azzarello como Risso sepan continuar la historia de buena forma. Creo que es un cómic que admite relecturas y que incluso son necesarias en algún punto para poder disfrutar al máximo de la obra. Veremos que es lo que ocurre.
Profile Image for M. Ashraf.
2,396 reviews131 followers
March 19, 2018
Well, That was unexpected!
We get pulled aside a little but O.K they were good stories. Do not really care about Wylie or Shepard but his background story and how it tied in with his final resting place was good.
Nearing the end of the series...

Because I have always found, the more you get to know a person the less there is to like about them

Profile Image for Timo.
Author 3 books17 followers
March 25, 2018
On the first half of the book the main plot lulls on towards the end but oh-so-slowly it seems nothing is happening. Maybe there isn't.
The other half is a filler up but I really liked this one. Deepens a bit the lives of the characters and also brings back the crime drama. And that reminds me why I like this series.
Profile Image for Mackenzie Melo.
303 reviews4 followers
September 1, 2018
For the first time in a comic book - at least as far as I can remember - I was so very glad to see a character that died to come back to the story. Wonderfully woven into the story, I loved so see the background of this character to whom I became a little attached and deeply felt his death. I hope that before the whole story ends we can see a little more of him!

I loved this volume!
Profile Image for Mike.
302 reviews14 followers
November 19, 2024
Like many I enjoyed the basic premise of being handed a briefcase with a gun and 100 bullets and an opportunity to pursue revenge for a wrong done. However, the story has shifted to Graves and the Trust and the constant shifting of loyalties between various characters. The stories have become harder to follow and less interesting than when it all started
Profile Image for Brian.
Author 3 books34 followers
December 18, 2018
This volume is only moderately racist, homophobic, and violently misogynistic compared to the others, so it gets an extra star to distinguish it from how aggressively toxic those ones are. I’m be glad to be done with this reread.
106 reviews
August 14, 2019
The main story is moving forward inch by inch. The flashback was a nice one, explaining more about a main character. The story arc in Italy was boring though, didn’t care much about it. All in all, a solid issue with excellent art.
Profile Image for Brent.
2,248 reviews193 followers
August 9, 2018
Good installment, including at least two arcs. I love Risso's brief portrayal of a jazz combo, and all the way through, the color art of Patricia Mulvihill.
Profile Image for Adam Šilhan.
679 reviews8 followers
May 25, 2020
Tady už mě hodně přišlo, že některé rozhodnutí a jednání postav nedávají smysl. Pořád je možné, že to do sebe grandiózně zapadne, ale čím dál míň tomu věřím.
Profile Image for Cyborg.
217 reviews1 follower
Read
February 18, 2022
Another great volume. The thing about 100 bullets is it's so consistent with writing and art in a very good way. The story keeps marching on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews

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