Story: Agent Graves continues to offer victims of injustice an opportunity for retribution in the form of a gun and 100 untraceable bullets. He must also deal with the Trust, a group that has played a heavy and apparently corrupt role in American history and has already tried to kill Graves once. His recent actions have alerted the Trust to their failure, and they’re ready to resume the hunt. But Graves is not without allies of his own.
Review: This second collection of 100 Bullets is even stronger than the first. Azzarello could quite easily mine his premise for years, giving us disconnected short story arcs that explore different people’s response to Graves’ gift. But “Split Second Chance” makes clear that this is not merely an anthology title; the titular gift is only one element of an overarching plot that should draw in fans of conspiracy and espionage stories. Graves’ obsession with justice and retribution is a personal quest; his job appears to be as leader of a group of operatives known as the Minutemen. The Minutemen, in turn, are somehow connected to the Trust. Here Graves begins putting his own pieces into play – for exactly what purpose isn’t yet clear. And somewhere in all of this figures Mr. Shepherd, who may be working with or against Graves.
There are still far more questions than answers here, but this conspiracy plot kicks the book’s tension level up another notch, and it’s still early enough that the lack of answers is tantalizing rather than frustrating. Azzarello doesn’t sacrifice the character drama of each recipient’s pain and decisions; in fact, there’s a one-chapter story here about the mother of a teenage runaway that’s difficult to read, because Azzarello and Risso make you feel the grief, guilt and rage that this woman endures. Risso does a great job with the facial expressions and camera angles throughout the book, and on that story in particular – his art is as strong here as in First Shot, Last Call, and the coloring maintains the crime noir tintings and shadings without ever overwhelming the linework. Azzarello keeps the book working on multiple levels with these these standalone stories alongside the plot-centric arcs such as the one that closes the book.
If anything, some of the minor characters feel more developed than the series leads, because Azzarello isn’t trying to hold out mysteries with them. At the same time, we do get some hints as to why Graves hands out the untraceable bullets, and we get to know two of the Minutemen (one of whom, Dizzy, was the lead character in the series’ first story arc; it’s good to see her back, because the character has lots of potential). It’s a tough balancing act, but “Split Second Chance,” for the most part, pulls it off and builds on the momentum of the series’ premise and early stories.
Year: 2001
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Penciller/Inker: Eduardo Risso
Colorist: Grant Goleash
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
Pages: 214
