100 Bullets : First Call, Last Shot Review by Waiton Fong, 05/03 by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso (Upcoming Batman #620 - #625) Set in a dark, urban environment, "100 Bullets" reads like a suspense/crime TV series... only better. The first collection of this Vertigo series features two story arcs and the beginning of a third. Summary/Plot Crooked cops, arrogan CEO and bottom-dwelling drug dealers. Whatever happens to their victims? Agent Graves is in town, contacting people who have been wronged. People who have lost jobs, family and even some who lost their lives (figuratively speaking). He hands them a briefcase that contains evidence to prove who destroyed their lives. The briefcase also holds a gun and 100 untracable bullets. It's up to the victim to choose what to do with what they have been given. Some find retribution, some don't get the chance to get even. Who is Agent Graves and how does he get all this information? What is his agenda? All we get to know is that he doesn't work alone. He has friends in high places and enemies in equally high places. As soon as one story arc ends, another pops up. Who is Agent Graves and whose life is he going to change next? My Thoughts Brian Azzarello writes a compelling read. He keeps me wanting to read what happens to the characters we're introduced to. From mundane suburban moments (young mothers complaining about their neglect from their partner) to high powered CEO bitch, Brian captures character very well. In fact he slowly uncovers who Graves is not through the character himself but through other peoples' actions and their feelings toward him. I can't help but feel for the good guys, whether they win or not. For those that walk away alive, I'd like to see follow-ups on but I doubt the stories are meant to do so. And I can't help but dislike the bad guys. In a time where good and bad aren't as easily determined in a comic anymore, Azzarello makes sure you know who is the bad guy. But is he trying to mislead us into thinking that Agent Graves is THE good guy? Further instalments should shed more light on him. The artwork of Eduardo Risso seems to draw much influence from Frank Miller's Sin City work. But Risso is no ripoff artist. Risso handles dark and gritty scenes well, but most of all he can tell a story, in subtle and easy to follow ways. There are no splash pages and there is no need for any. If you like crime drama, suspense, and a bit of sex and violence, pick up 100 Bullets.