100 Bullets Vol. 7: Samurai
Azzarello's hard-boiled dialogue, twisty plots, and compelling if unsavory characters have made him one of mainstream comics' most popular writers. Azzarello's comic-book noir,100 Bullets, remains the best demonstration of his pulpish but modern sensibilities.samurairevisits two characters from earlier episodes. Loop Hughes, one recipient of a briefcase containing an untraceable gun and 100 rounds of ammunition from the enigmatic Agent Graves, is now behind bars and trying to evade a con out to kill him. And then a hit man for the shadowy organization Graves works for lands in the cell next to Loop's. For sheer brutality, Azzarello's gritty rendition of prison life falls just short ofOz--pretty harrowing stuff by comics standards. In the other story here, Jack Daw and his friend Mickey are headed to Atlantic City--site of a pivotal event in the series' animating conspiracy, which remains shrouded in mystery--when they get involved with an illegal roadside zoo, a corrupt cop, and mafiosi. Risso's sparse, atmospheric art ideally complements Azzarello's morally murky vision. As always, the tales inSamuraiadvance the series' overriding story line, which has now reached its halfway point.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved