Comics: 100 Bullets, Issues 60-79

100 Bullets is a dense tale with a large cast of characters who mostly keep their cards very close to their chests. As the series neared it's conclusion I felt the need for this re-read, to try to get a handle on the plot in order for the ending to make sense. Up until now I've been doing fairly well, keeping track of who's who and what's what and even picking up on things that I'm sure I didn't understand on the first read through. Unfortunately, in this penultimate section I feel as though I'm starting to lose my grip once again.

Prior to the story's beginning, the thirteen families of the shadowy and omnipotent Trust had decided to eliminate their team of highly trained enforcers, the Minutemen, for reasons that are still not entirely clear. As of Issue 59 it was apparent that the Minutemen were not dead, simply deactivated, and were being reactivated by their boss, Agent Graves. Three factions had formed amongst the old and newly recruited Minutemen, one adhering to Graves, another working for the Trust again, led by the Minuteman-turned-Warlord Lono, and finally, old-hand Wylie Times and new blood Dizzy out on a limb. Issues 60-79 culminate with a show-down between these three groups, and the death of another Minuteman.

Along the way, we have the reporter Branch being recruited by Grave's right-hand-man Cole to track down the art thief Echo (with the significance of the painting she stole still murky). Branch refuses however, and joins up with Wylie instead. The self-destructive Jack is reactivated as a Minutemen, as is the final member of the team, the somewhat flaky Remi Rome. The final showdown in Mexico has characters revealing their true allegiance (or do they?), Grave's plan going South (or does it?), and more of the Trust being eliminated for the benefit of either Graves or his arch-enemy Augustus (or who knows who else?).

It doesn't help that Azzarello's dialogue becomes ever more incoherent as the series wears on, the cleverness that was so appealing at the outset eventually undermining the clarity of the story. I'm still hooked though, still loving the art, and hoping that everything will become clear as the series draws to a close in the last 20 issues. (7/10)