“Isn’t it obvious, Dizzy? They’re the bad guys."
-Agent Graves, First Shot, Last Call

                There’s a certain uniqueness to the comic series 100 Bullets especially in the world of American comics, which are more often frequented by superhero stories that never have an ending. Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s stories seem as though they would be more common to see in a theater, because of their dark, modern drama. The series has been called crime, conspiracy, and neo-noir, but it’s probably best to just say that it is all of these things.
                The first couple issues of 100 Bullets tells the story of young ex-gang member Dizzy Cordova. She was arrested, and while she was in prison some drug lords killed her husband and child in a drive-by. She is now out of jail and that was when she met the enigmatic Agent Graves. Graves seems to know everything about her, including the truth behind the killings. He also has an odd offer for her to settle uneven debts. He has a briefcase that has irrefutable evidence of who the killers are, one hundred bullets, and a gun. She has the choice to use the briefcase anyway she wants, and if she does end up killing them with the gun all investigations will cease.
                She has the ability to seek justice with a bullet. Now with lesser writers this story could have quickly become something more like a Hong Kong action movie instead of the noir feel it has to it. The characters are dark and complex. Like most real people, Azzarello and Risso’s characters don’t make these choices lightly.
                As the story progresses, it delves more into what Agent Graves’ motives are and why he is the way he is. The creators deal blow after blow of their dark plots. It would be easy to try to compare it to such movies as Chinatown or Reservoir Dogs, for 100 Bullets also has character conflict on a great scale.
                The series has yet to end, but already it has warranted high praise from such people as Warren Ellis and Greg Rucka. It has also won multiple Eisners (one of the top comic awards) in multiple years. The first volume collected, First Shot, Last Call, in which Dizzy Cordova’s story is included, retails for 10 USD. If you were going to choose a comic for being like the movies, this would be a prime choice and at its price it is a deal.