Rating: Summary: The fine art of storytelling Review: I happened to stumble upon this gem while browsing through my local comic shop. This is one of the best debuts Ive read in the noir/crime/conspiracy theories genre. The gritty art compliments the story, which pulls no punches in delivering its theme of redemption, despair & justice. Cant wait to find out every month about what the trust, agent graves, Dizzy & the rest of the gang has to offer. Go do yourself a favor and get this classic in the making.
Rating: Summary: 100 Bullets is a twisty, thrilling, always enthralling read Review: If you could get away with murder -- would you have the balls to do it? That's the question that the often brilliant 100 BULLETS asks -- and its answers may surprise you.The first collection of the DC Comics/Vertigo series 100 BULLETS, written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Eduardo Risso, is a truly stunning read. Azzarello and Risso, who first worked together on another DC/Vertigo comic, JOHNNY DOUBLE, have created an utterly original work in this ongoing series, and it's a work worth taking note of. Azzarello's talents are manifold, but perhaps his most remarkable skill is his flair for utterly realistic dialogue -- when you open 100 BULLETS, you'll swear that you'd been transported to wherever it is the action is set, be it a Hispanic barrio(as is the case in the first, three-issue story)or a ratty old bar (as is the case in the second, two-issue story). Every word spoken is absolutely perfect -- and, better yet, there's no unecessary or overly expository dialogue -- every word on the page fits and if it doesn't always explain everything, well, that's part of the grand design. Of course, Azzarello's skills aren't limited merely to dialogue; he's able to create a handful of truly fascinating characters in just a few pages -- from the mysterious and sinister Mr. Graves to the downtrodden and betrayed Dizzy to the framed and broken bartender man in the second story to the cool and mesmerizingly evil mainipulative woman in that story. And while both of the stories stand very well on their own, there are also hints of an overacring plot in the background, too. I mustn't forget to praise the astonishing work of Risso, though. The book's amazing immersive qualities are due in no small part to his artwork, which captures everything from a dirty, dismal, gang-infested neighborhood to a corporate office with style to burn and loads of substance. His darkness-tinged artwork also adds substantially to the gritty, realistic feel of the comic. And, finally, Risso's art wouldn't look half as good as it does without Grant Goleash's stunning colors, which bring his pencil-and-ink artwork to stunning life. This specific collection of 100 BULLETS (FIRST SHOT, LAST CALL, collecting the first five issues of the ongoing series and a short story from the Vertigo WINTER'S EDGE III anthology) also features Dave Johnson's stylish, angular cover artwork, an insightful introduction by comics legend Jim Steranko, and a back cover loaded with glowing praise from fellow comic writers. Don't be a fool and miss out on this brilliant series while it's still young -- this is one comic that never misses its mark.
Rating: Summary: Eh - Review: It was a good comic, but nothing great. Worth your time, but if you can borrow a copy from a friend your better off doing that. Otheriwse, if you want a really good crime comic, go buy some Sin City. Compared to that this just falls short.
Rating: Summary: Good comic, but not a masterpiece Review: Since its release, people have been trying to tell us that "100 Bullets" is some of the best comics to come out since "Maus" and "Watchmen" were released. To these people, I say "You need to read more good comics." Don't get me wrong, the PREMISE of "100 Bullets" is brilliant and the artwork really suits the series, but I think that the dialogue is TOO stylized; you can tell that the writer didn't really grow up in a place where they talk like that, because every character in the book sounds like they came out of the Keanu Reeves flick "Hardball." The pacing of the book is decent but not great and, as is the case with most serial stories that are translated to graphic novels later, there are a lot of plot threads that are kind of left hanging. Some of which you feel are setting you up for another book, some of which you feel SHOULD be ambiguous, and some of which are simply because it's an ongoing monthly comic and the "real" readers will find out what's happening soon enough.
Rating: Summary: Good comic, but not a masterpiece Review: Since its release, people have been trying to tell us that "100 Bullets" is some of the best comics to come out since "Maus" and "Watchmen" were released. To these people, I say "You need to read more good comics." Don't get me wrong, the PREMISE of "100 Bullets" is brilliant and the artwork really suits the series, but I think that the dialogue is TOO stylized; you can tell that the writer didn't really grow up in a place where they talk like that, because every character in the book sounds like they came out of the Keanu Reeves flick "Hardball." The pacing of the book is decent but not great and, as is the case with most serial stories that are translated to graphic novels later, there are a lot of plot threads that are kind of left hanging. Some of which you feel are setting you up for another book, some of which you feel SHOULD be ambiguous, and some of which are simply because it's an ongoing monthly comic and the "real" readers will find out what's happening soon enough.
Rating: Summary: Good comic, but not a masterpiece Review: Since its release, people have been trying to tell us that "100 Bullets" is some of the best comics to come out since "Maus" and "Watchmen" were released. To these people, I say "You need to read more good comics." Don't get me wrong, the PREMISE of "100 Bullets" is brilliant and the artwork really suits the series, but I think that the dialogue is TOO stylized; you can tell that the writer didn't really grow up in a place where they talk like that, because every character in the book sounds like they came out of the Keanu Reeves flick "Hardball." The pacing of the book is decent but not great and, as is the case with most serial stories that are translated to graphic novels later, there are a lot of plot threads that are kind of left hanging. Some of which you feel are setting you up for another book, some of which you feel SHOULD be ambiguous, and some of which are simply because it's an ongoing monthly comic and the "real" readers will find out what's happening soon enough.
Rating: Summary: Intriguing concept, Pulls you right in... Review: The start of this collection was a bit muddled, but once I got used to the art and writing, it became extremely enjoyable. The second story is better than the first, but the overall mystery/conspiracy is something that has me very anxious to read later volumes.
Rating: Summary: A tremendous premise, solid plotting, and nice artwork Review: There are three stories in First Shot, Last Call, connected by the presence of the mysterious Agent Graves. Graves approaches someone to whom some injustice has been committed and gives them a briefcase. The briefcase contains a photo of whomever committed the injustice, proof that they did it, information as to their whereabouts, a gun -- and one hundred completely untraceable bullets. No law enforcement agency can touch the owner of that gun and those bullets -- from that moment on, they are above the law, free to determine how they will use the power and information they have been given. The premise is unbelievably cool, and Brian Azzarello does not disappoint in exploring it. His plotting is very strong, with layers of intrigue, plotting and betrayal. You don't find out a lot about Agent Graves, or the organization that he works for, in this book, but there are hints of subplots that connect the tales of the different recipients of the gun. The characters in 100 Bullets are all morally conflicted -- even the ones you like have likely done something unpleasant in their lives. They're pretty well-drawn for appearing in only a few issues, and the dialogue is good as well -- I can't tell you how realistic it sounds, because there's a lot of slang and accents that I am frankly unfamiliar with, but nothing sounds ridiculous, and the dialogue carries off the tension of the confrontations between would-be avengers and potential victims well. The art is well done. Dave Johnson's covers are gorgeous, and Eduardo Risso has a good sense of storytelling. Some of his perspectives seem a bit warped to me, but that's more a personal thing, I think. I should mention Grant Goleash's coloring -- he does a lot with monotone panels, shadows, and lighting to set the tone of the book. This is definitely a comic noir, one with a great premise and solid writing, so if that's your cup of tea, check this out.
Rating: Summary: 100 Bullets Rocks!!! Review: When I first read 100 bullets I thought it was one of the most original concepts that I ever read. There are two stories here where the first gives you the feel of the premise and the next story leans in to grab your total attention. It's great for reading something in a half-hour sit in. Risso's art is always up to par and Azzarello's crime noir scripts are nothing short amazing. They're a dream team and this is a great start for better things to come. Highly recommended to all especially for true believers that could use a little fix of crime noir at it's finest....
Rating: Summary: Hardcore, film noir type stories (no average comic book!!) Review: With a gritty writing style, Brian Azzarello introduces the concept of untraceable bullets and the ability to do whatever you want with them. There are no average comic book stories in this graphic novel--they all deal with adult themes and language. The artwork is also gritty but it works well with these types of crime stories. The hispanic characters were all different with some good traits and bad traits. Now I have to read the 2nd graphic novel!!
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