I haven't quite formed my full opinion of the series yet but here are some things that are on my mind: -It doesn't get less confusing; this is frustrating because I stopped taking breaks between the issues as I got closer to the end since it became difficult to keep track of the story line if I hadn't just read it, however it just became a big overwhelming mess reading it all straight through.-I really like the overarching story, and most of the mini-arcs throughout, but it became so convoluted that it was hard to appreciate. I think the series could have benefitted from being less issues. It's almost as if they tried too hard to twist and turn and it just became unnecessary confusion. In fact I'm convinced that nobody ACTUALLY understands all of the twists and turns. If you asked me for a summary I could give one, but I wouldn't be able to fill you in on the complete backgrounds, relationships between characters, or even full explanations.-Even though we meet some of the characters early on and follow them throughout the series, they begin to blend together too much. A handful of the characters never develop full personalities so it becomes difficult to differentiate them, or even care about them. There are maybe three families of the Trust that stand out, the rest are all just too many names that blend together.-Because of this blur it was hard for me to really develop attachments. I really loved Jack through til the end, and was a big fan of Milo. And though she "stood out" I didn't particularly care for Dizzy, who is ultimately the main character.I realize that I am mostly picking at the negatives here. The series was fun and I enjoyed it, there were some truly stellar issues, some truly amazing "HOLY SHIT" moments, but there was also a plethora of "Wait, what?" "Who's THAT guy?" moments as well. This more a review for the entire series. While the writer begins to tell an intriguing tale of deception, morality, and vengeance, it falls short of expectations. Early in the series Brian Azzarello loses control of the details, motivations, and ultimately the thrust behind the narrative. The reader is expected to follow along the trail of poorly conceived plot twists as characters, who have been steadfastly loyal in the past, seemingly switch sides or join forces with little reason beyond they don't trust someone. It feels as if the writer became fascinated with telling a deeply interwoven story then realized it would be cool for the series be a hundred issues long. As a result Mr. Azzarello proceeds to play fast and loose with character motivations, interactions, and relationships in order to reach the desired end. In conclusion, 100 Bullets is a great premise unfortunately undermined by a lack of development and care of its story and characters.
What do You think about 100 Bullets, Vol. 12: Dirty (2008)?
