Book #32

100 Bullets: Hang Up on the Hang Low by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso

Mysterious Agent Graves hands a young man named Loop one of his "special" briefcases. Taking the information, handgun, and 100 rounds of ammunition contained in the case, Loop tracks down his father who deserted him. Loop, through his father, is introduced to the world of mob enforcement. In the violence that inevitably follows Agent Graves's generosity, more of the Trust's conspiracy is revealed while even more questions are raised.

Third volume done! It's far more brutal and grimy than the first two, and we're shown a bit more of Agent Graves, alongside his colleagues and enemies. Again, more questions arise than are answered and the plot twists almost irrevocably.

Unlike previous volumes, only one character is presented with the gun in this installment. Loop finds a picture of his absentee father, and the plot weaves around this point. Azzarello manages to keep up the potency of the plot without giving too much away.

Graves layers are slowly building and becoming impossible to grasp. His motives are becoming clearer, but still remain behind a thick haze. He is one unpredictable motherfucker. He raises a good deal of moral questions in the reader's mind, the main one being - how important is revenge? And is the importance the same for everyone?

The artwork remains gorgeous to look at, and the violence (totally ramped up from previous issues) was portrayed gloriously and disgustingly.  

This is an interesting series, and it's a shame I only had the first three volumes to plough through. I'll definitely try to source the rest; the prospect of working out Graves has too strong a pull.