100 Bullets

100 Bullets 31-58

Covering the next 4 trades worth of stories.  

The Counterfifth Detective: I have no idea what was going here.  Azzarello jumps from Byzantine to downright confusing as fuck. It’s all very noir, and there’s some mystery about a stolen painting and a lot of double crossing.  But damned if I could make heads or tails of any of it. At the end of it all, Milo, one of Graves’ Minutemen, refuses to remember his past and commits suicide by Lono, who doesn’t realize he’s killing one of his comrades.  A major misfire in a generally strong series.

Six Feet Under the Gun: My favorite part of this trade is the covers, with distinctive fonts for each issue’s focal character.  Dave Johnson is as important to this title as Dave McKean is to Sandman. A consistent cover artist does so much to set the mood and tone for a comic.  

Samurai: This covers Loop and Lono’s time in jail, followed by the continued adventures of Jack.  Neither interested me very much. I’m more drawn to the clinical gunfighters than the big mean bruisers.  

I like the guys in the front more than the ones in the back.

The Hard Way: We get our first introduction to Victor the Minuteman.  Then Wylie takes centerstage as he’s reactivated and joins Dizzy and Shepherd (I’ve seen it spelled both ways).  At the end of the trade, Dizzy kills Shepherd when it turns out she’s coded to “Croatoa” as well.

The tragedy hits hard and effectively in this trade.  Wylie remembers that in his former life as a Minuteman, Shepherd had sent him to kill his lover for plotting against the Trust.  It hits every film noir trope, and Risso elevates it beyond cliche.

Even more tragic is the tale of Martin, the deformed trumpet player.  When a bear trap gruesomely robs him of his transcendental musical talent, his silent plea for death is achingly painful.  

  

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Counterfifth: Boring; Six Feet and Hard Way: Nice; Samurai: Fine