Looks like I have a lot of reading to do! Admittedly, I've had a love/hate relationship with 100 Bullets throughout the entire run, picking it up just as often as passing on it. It's the only Vertigo series I've never subscribed to, which was a mistake, considering my subscriptions to Crossing Midnight and Deadman. Plus, I've always felt that Brian Azzarello is a very overrated writer, though I've always had Eduardo Risso's back. In my opinion, he's written as many fantastic comics as he's written mediocre ones, yet he has a rock solid reputation in the business.

Well, I think the last issue of 100 Bullets fits firmly in the fantastic category, as it ably wraps up a series filled with violence and modern noir elements in the only fashion it can conclude. That's right! It's a bloodbath! Just about every character in the story meet their maker in this finale, starting with Benito Medici and ending with...Oh, you can figure this out. Better yet, run out and buy the issue, because this is the conclusion that 100 Bullets fans demand. There will be no truce between Graves and the Trust, and the starkness of this finality is beautifully painted by Azzarello, Risso, and Patricia Mulvihill. The entire comic is tinged red, beginning to end, as the world of 100 Bullets burns right before readers' eyes. Top of the world, Ma!

One of the great elements of Azzarello's work on this series finale is the way in which everything is brought full circle, as the first person Graves ever approached (Dizzy) becomes the new Agent, and that she controls the final destiny of our favorite Minuteman. In between these revelations, we have a rogue group consisting of Cole Burns, Victor Ray, Jack Daw, and 'Loop' Hughes that attack the Medici mansion and create the conflict of the issue. Everybody comes under fire, and no guns are left cold. If there are any main characters you wanted to receive a comeuppance, it's here.

My personal favorite is the final fate of Megan Dietrich, which is reminiscent of Pulp Fiction in the absurdity of her demise. I won't spoil it for you, but those who play with fire (Cole...) should take every precaution against being burned. Switchblades, bare hands, alligators, and (of course) guns make short work of anyone living. It's a finale that wraps things up properly, without much ambiguity to send fans into a Sopranos-like tizzy. Everyone must atone for past sins, and long-time readers of the series will leave this issue knowing where each of the characters stands. Spin-off? Not likely, but I've seen stranger things before. My main gripe about the issue, like many issues of 100 Bullets, is that is reads way too fast. 38 pages flies by in the blink of an eye, ending with one of the most haunting images of the entire series.

Yes, Risso certainly treated issue 100 as his series swan song. The artwork is fantastic and beautifully violent, like the Wild Bunch crafted onto a piece of newsprint. The slow-motion ballet of images that creates the climax of the issue is something to behold, a blend of illustrations that made me hold my breath in anticipation. To me, Risso is the rock star of the series and the main reason why people should pick up issue 100. Azzarello writes the series with obvious film qualities and homages, and Risso plays that up to a tee. Add Mulvihill's fiery work with the coloring of the issue and you have a clinic on what a crime comic should look like.

A well-deserved "Bravo" is necessary for this talented team in their final foray into the world of the Minutemen and the Trust. It's a series that has traveled as far back as the beginnings of the U.S., yet maintained the integrity of a hard-boiled series that would make any wannabe tough guy proud. Now, my dumb ass needs to go back and purchase all of the issues and storylines I missed because of my obsession with 'sexier' options than this tried-and-true Vertigo mainstay. Well, mainstay no longer, and here's to hoping that Vertigo has another great series up their sleeves.

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