100 Bullets (1999–2009): Vertigo's Noir Crime Masterpiece Explained
100 Bullets (1999–2009): Vertigo's Noir Crime Masterpiece Explained
One briefcase, one untraceable gun and a hundred issues of crime fiction. Here is our guide to one of Vertigo's best-loved series.
Some comics grab you with a costume. 100 Bullets grabs you with a question: if a stranger handed you a gun with a hundred untraceable bullets and proof of who had ruined your life, what would you do? That is the opening line of a crime saga that ran for exactly one hundred issues.
It is one of the series we reach for most when someone says they want something grown-up, clever and a bit dangerous, and we have a very good stretch of it at Siomic Comics. Here is our guide to the story, the people behind it and the issues worth looking for.
100 Bullets at a glance
- Publisher: DC Comics, under the Vertigo imprint
- Run: 100 issues, 1999 to 2009
- Writer: Brian Azzarello (every issue)
- Artist: Eduardo Risso (almost every issue)
- Cover artist: Dave Johnson
- Colourists: Grant Goleash (#1–14), then Trish Mulvihill
- Genre: Crime, noir and conspiracy thriller
- First appearance: Agent Graves and Dizzy Cordova in #1
- Spin-off: Brother Lono, an eight-issue sequel limited series
The idea that started it all
The premise is wonderfully simple. A mysterious man, Agent Graves, approaches someone who has been seriously wronged. He hands them a briefcase containing a handgun, a hundred rounds of ammunition and proof of who is to blame. He also promises that nothing they do with those bullets will ever be traced back to them. After that, the series simply watches what people do.
In the first stories that is the whole show: self-contained tales about regular people at the worst moment of their lives. But writer Brian Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso had a much bigger plan. Slowly, the one-off stories connect. Graves turns out to be tied to the Minutemen, a group of enforcers working for the Trust, a secret alliance of powerful families. By the end, the series is a long, tangled conspiracy saga about how that organisation falls.
How the story unfolds
The first five issues, collected as First Shot, Last Call, are the ideal place to begin. Dizzy Cordova, a young woman out of prison and trying to get her life back, receives a briefcase in #1. In the pages that follow, other characters come in and out, and a sense builds that the briefcases are not charity at all.
Reading through the issue titles, you can see how the series is built. Some stories are one-offs with wonderfully noir titles like The Mimic (#20), Idol Chatter (#27) and Cole Burns Slow Hand (#38). Others run across several issues, with titles like Prey for Reign (#50), The Dive (#64) and Amorality Play (#75). The finale, #100: A House of Graves, closes it out in 2009.
| Stage | Issues | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Opening shots | #1–5 | Dizzy Cordova and the first briefcases |
| Widening the circle | #6–19 | Recurring characters and the larger conspiracy start to show through |
| Heart of the series | #20–49 | Longer arcs, the Minutemen and the Trust come into focus |
| The big turn | #50–74 | Prey for Reign marks the halfway point and the stakes rise |
| Closing in | #75–88 | Short, sharp issues clear the way for the end |
| The finale | #89–100 | An eleven-chapter run into A House of Graves |
The creators behind the comic
Brian Azzarello
Wrote every issue. Known for hard-boiled dialogue, deep character work and a patient approach to plot.
Eduardo Risso
Drew almost every issue in a bold, shadowy style that mixes noir, pulp and a strong sense of place.
Dave Johnson
Painted the covers for the whole run, creating one of the most recognisable looks of any Vertigo book.
Grant Goleash & Trish Mulvihill
The colourists who gave the series its moody palette, with Goleash on #1 to #14 and Mulvihill on the rest.
It is rare for a series to have one writer and essentially one artist for a hundred issues, and that consistency is part of why 100 Bullets feels so confident. The panels are clean, the violence is stylised and the dialogue always sounds like something you would hear on a late night in a bar.
Awards and reputation
The critics loved it. The series won the Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story in 2001, and further Eisner Awards for Best Continuing Series in 2002 and 2004. It also took the Harvey Awards for Best Writer, Best Artist and Best Continuing Series in 2002, with another Best Artist award for Risso in 2003.
Curiosities collectors should know
A hundred issues, exactly
The title is a promise, and the series ends on issue #100, with the finale titled A House of Graves.
One cover artist throughout
Dave Johnson painted the covers for the whole run, so a shelf of 100 Bullets has a very consistent look.
Eleven-part build-up
The final run of the series is told in chapters, from #89 to #100, with a different feel to the short stories earlier on.
Issue titles as clues
Many issue titles are puns or noir references, and some arcs are split into 'Part One' and 'Conclusion' labels.
Collected editions
The series has been gathered into paperback collections as well as larger deluxe and omnibus editions.
A sequel
Brother Lono, an eight-issue limited series, continued one character's story after the main series ended.
100 Bullets beyond the comics
The series has been developed for the screen on more than one occasion, but for now the comic remains the definitive version of the story.
Why 100 Bullets still matters
100 Bullets proved that a monthly comic could tell a long, patient crime novel while still being entertaining one issue at a time. Together with the other Vertigo books of the era, it showed what mainstream comics could do when they stopped worrying about capes. If you like crime fiction, noir films or shows built around slowly unveiled conspiracies, this is one for the shelf.
Where to start reading 100 Bullets
- #1 to #5 for the premise, Agent Graves and Dizzy.
- #20, #27 and #38 if you want to see the standalone stories at their best.
- #50 for the halfway mark of the series.
- #89 to #100 for the big finish.
100 Bullets covers through the years
A look at some of the covers from the run. Tap a cover to see our copy if it's in stock.
#2
#8
#26
#84
#88
#96
#100Browse our 100 Bullets back issues
These are some of the issues we currently have on the shelf. Every copy is photographed so you can check its condition before buying.
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#11
100 Bullets #11: Heartbreak Sunnyside Up
A standalone-feeling story from the early run, with the series' trademark noir voice.
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#19
100 Bullets #19: Epilogue for a Road Dog
Closes out one of the early story arcs and shows how the series links its stories.
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#20
100 Bullets #20: The Mimic
One of the one-off stories fans point to when they talk about the series at its sharpest.
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#27
100 Bullets #27: Idol Chatter
A single-issue story with one of the series' best titles.
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#38
100 Bullets #38: Cole Burns Slow Hand
A character-driven one-shot from the middle of the run.
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#50
100 Bullets #50: Prey for Reign
The fiftieth issue, right at the halfway point of the series.
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#64
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#75
We also have these issues of the series in stock:
You can also search all our 100 Bullets comics.
Frequently asked questions about 100 Bullets
When did 100 Bullets start and end?
The series began with issue #1 in 1999 and ended with #100 in 2009.
Who created 100 Bullets?
It was written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso, with covers by Dave Johnson, and published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint.
What is 100 Bullets about?
Agent Graves offers people who have been wronged a gun with 100 untraceable bullets and proof of who to blame. The stories gradually reveal a larger conspiracy involving a secret group called the Trust.
What is the first appearance of Agent Graves?
Agent Graves and Dizzy Cordova both first appear in 100 Bullets #1.
How many issues is 100 Bullets?
The series is exactly 100 issues long.
Did 100 Bullets win any awards?
Yes. It won the Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story in 2001, Best Continuing Series Eisners in 2002 and 2004, and several Harvey Awards.
Where should I start reading 100 Bullets?
Start with issues #1 to #5 for the setup, then follow the story in order.
Condition grades on our listings follow our comic & book condition guide. Have 100 Bullets comics of your own? See how to sell your comics to Siomic Comics. 100 Bullets and all related characters are trademarks of DC Comics. Cover images are shown for reference.