Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
100 Bullets is, and always has been, a fantastic comic. I’ll be the first to admit the talent of Mr. Azzarello and Mr. Risso, and they work incredibly well together. The writing, especially the dialogue, in combination with the art and the layouts are very cinematic in feel. Whenever I read an issue, I feel as if I’m watching a well done mafia or crime film.
For instance, I love the artistry that Mr. Risso conveys in each panel. His use of shadows, in particular, is expressive beyond everyday comic art. Similar in scope to comics like Lone Wolf & Cub, it transports you from a page to a movie screen.
So I admire the comic. I like it. But I don’t necessarily always enjoy it.
I’m not sure what it is that keeps me from true enjoyment of an issue like this one. It could be the pacing, which sometimes seems to stumble over itself; or it could be the sub-storyline that I don’t always enjoy. This storyline is just average. While it is a classic story, it’s just not all that interesting to me. In essence, it’s about two brothers who have delved into lives of crime, but who are not actually bad men necessarily. One looks out for the other despite the latter’s mistakes and abuse of his brotherly protection.
But I think it may be that there are so many sub-plots, so many things going on at once, and so much continuity in each issue that if I miss a few issues or forget anything that happened before, I feel lost. It’s somewhat hard to follow the nuances of story and characterization on a monthly basis.
I hate to say those things about such a great comic, mainly because I typically love the same exact things about other comics, or movies, or any type of entertainment. Why does it sometimes become a negative in 100 Bullets?
But then I remember that it isn’t always a negative. There are many issues that I’ve read that I did enjoy, that I could wholeheartedly give
.So I can only say that in many ways, this comic overall is a better read in trade format, not as a monthly serial. There are certain issues and storylines that are better suited for a monthly format, and those are the ones that I can say I enjoy. But many of them, unfortunately, I find difficult to read once a month.
Because of the talent and the unmistakable gift of storytelling that the creators have, while still taking into account my opinions I’ve expressed, is why I’m giving this issue the rating that I am. In the end, I can’t in good conscience fault the creators too much for my personal feelings about the comic’s drawbacks; who can blame them when they have created such a creative, expressive story with such realistic and enjoyable characters? I get the feeling that if I consistently kept up with the trades of the comic more than I currently do, I would probably have enjoyed this issue quite a bit more. But that is a huge downfall for the monthly issues of 100 Bullets, and the practice of creating good montly comics (not for trades) is becoming something of a lost art in the industry.
What did you think of this book?
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