"Wylie Runs the Voodoo Down" (part 5)
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
Plot: Things take a terrible turn as Wylie begins to remember most of his old life. He and Gabe are taken captive by Homer and Warren who intend to execute them. Dizzy is informed by Shepard that she should go with Graves now, who manages to spook Madrid and his men into leaving them alone. Meanwhile Wylie seems to remember more, and takes care of his captors. Unfortunately, Gabe has a terrible accident when trying to escape.
Comments: I'm quite sure I have said enough about Azzarello's 100 Bullets as a whole in my last review, so this one won't be blabbering on quite as much. Things do, as I anticipated, heat up in both a spectacular and tragic way. Gabe's character is somebody who you really end up warming up to (or if not, at least pity), and I really felt sorry for him after what happens. I have seen a lot of nasty stuff happen in 100 Bullets, but I don't think anything compares to what happens to poor Gabe. The last few pages are terribly graphic and emotionally charged. The great writers can really draw readers in and make them feel for their characters. Meltzer just did it in Identity Crisis, and now Azzarello has really made me feel absolutely terrible for both Wylie and Gabe right at the end of this issue in a violently grotesque scene (coupled with fantastic dialog ("Gabe, I need you to close your eyes. Picture where you want to go"). It brings a tear to the eye.
Quite a lot happens for the overall story as well, with Madrid being spooked by Grave's appearance, and Dizzy moving on to his care. Shepard's reasons behind looking after Dizzy are finally revealed, and while it was fairly obvious to us it's nice to see the switch finally happen and things move along. His first name is revealed as well, and while this might just be a means to illustrate how close Dizzy and Shepard became, it will be nice to see if it pops up later in the series.
Once again the art is stunning, and Risso continues to deliver. He was particularly great with the scene featuring Gabe's death. He really helped to make it a beautiful, yet tragic experience. All this complements the nifty looking cover.
Final Word: As this arc (and series) continues to heat up to a boiling point, a lot of questions concerning Wylie are unanswered. Mainly, why is he about to kill Shepard, and will he be joining Graves when his memory fully recovers? The next issue looks to really blow the lid on things, and I just can't wait to see him put on the black suit. I think I did blabber on a bit. *sigh* Azzarello just can't write these fast enough.
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!