100 Bullets: A Foregone Tomorrow

It's summer again which, for me, means comic book season. One of my favorite things to do on a hot, lazy Saturday afternoon is hang out in the backyard with a beer and a comic book. So now that the weather's heating up it's time to return to the series I started last summer: Brian Azzarello's 100 Bullets.

The fourth volume of this series is about as thick as the first three put together. There's a lot going on in here. Mostly it focuses on the central conspiracy. Everyone's motives and plans are still a mystery, but this volume at least introduces all the players and more or less indicates which side they're on. There's still one guy who I cannot get a handle on, but that's exciting. I can't wait to find out if he's being played or if he's the ultimate puppet-master.

Having everything explained (finally) (sort of) really helped me make sense of some of the things that happened in the previous novels. There seems to be a war of some kind brewing and Graves' whole shtick with the 100 untraceable bullets appears to be part recruitment strategy, part opening volley. It almost doesn't matter what happens after he gives someone the gun and bullets, any option works for him. Either one of his enemies dies or he gets himself a new soldier (or, in the case of Dizzy, both). And he almost always seems to know how different people will react.

There are also a couple of one-off stories in this volume, including one that deals with the assassination of President Kennedy. In the world of this story, Graves manages to be indirectly responsible for that as well, which speaks volumes about his influence and power.

I already have the fifth volume waiting on my shelf. I'm excited to see where this story goes next.

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