Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s 100 issue long noir saga starts with a simple enough premise. Someone, often with a criminal background and always fallen on hard times, are approached by a man introducing himself as Agent Graves, who presents them with a story of why exactly are their life a mess, who is to blame, and the chance to exact revenge with impunity, through the use of an gun and one hundred rounds of ammunition. Que roaring rampage of revenge.
From there, it gets a bit more elaborate, as it transpires that Agent Graves harbors an agenda far greater than offering closure to the downtrodden dregs of society. It becomes a saga of morality tales, retribution and manipulation. Oh, and tons of sex and violence. This is a Vertigo comic, you see.
Simply put, 100 Bullets has a mythology so rich and detailed and a large cast of notable characters that in reality no movie, or even a trilogy of movies could do it justice. Nine out of ten fans will tell you an HBO series is the way to go.
While there is currently no plans for any adaptation of 100 Bullets, indeed the closest thing there is was a video game that has been stuck in development hell for years, a fan can dream. So here it is, just for fun, one fan’s vision of what a cracking cast would be.
Agent Graves
The smoothest, baddest mofo to ever don a black suit. The closest thing the series has to a lead. Tempter of weakened souls or deliverer from the burden of remorse? Either description is too small for Phil Graves.
Being based in part upon film legend Lee Marvin that places a lot of pressure on whoever cares to take the job. Lance Henriksen seems to be a popular choice, but my vote, however, goes to Stephen Lang. Yes, Colonel Quaritch, but more importantly, his portrayal of Texas Marshall Charles Winstead in Michael Mann’s
Public Enemies was pure Marvin.
Mr. Shepherd
Every bit as stone cold and harboring of ulterior motives as Graves is. Graves’ one time protégé and later on superior of sort before becoming… something that isn’t quite an ally, but close.
Alternatively, Michael Douglas, if they were going the movie route.
The Minutemen
The police force of the society known as the Trust, seven deadly hitmen who answer to Graves, and would do anything to protect the members of the trust from both external and internal threats.
The Rain
Victor Ray is the least flamboyant and the least likely to get emotional, seemingly loyal, but very much an unknown variable. He’s introduced recounting a conspiracy theory during a gunfight, which is badass.
The Saint
The youngest of the minutemen, Remi Rome is at once ruthless, unpredictable, annoying, immature and a touch unreliable. He loves his mom, though, so he isn’t all bad.
The Monster
A substance abuser consumed by guilt and self-loathing, Jack Daw is nevertheless the only minuteman who is insurmountable to all others, fighting Lono to a standstill and shrugging off an attack by a tiger.
The Bastard
"Who I am is Milo Garret. I'm a private eye. I live case to case. Once in a while, that's enough to pay the bills. I drink too much and tip too little, according to most anybody that pours for a livin'. I gotta smart mouth, an' the stone to back it up. I kick ass, an' chase tail. I got acquaintances, not friends. I like who I am. I love bein' me."
An old fashioned private eye who’d be at home in a ‘40s pulp novel, but beyond the shallow, hyper-masculine exterior is something that not even Garret himself would like to face.
Some of you may have seen a movie called
Give ‘Em Hell Malone which wasn’t great, but made very enjoyable by Jane, who plays the titular character with such verve that you can’t help forgetting how awful some of the other characters are. He doesn’t look a lot like him, but he spends almost the entire time with his face bandaged anyway.
The Point Man
A man haunted by memories of love lost, perhaps the best natured of the minutemen. Wylie Times is the one with the best aim.
Or Colin Farrell for a movie.
The Wolf
Cole Burns is also called the Wolf. That’s pretty much all that needs be said about the guy.
In the event of a big screen adaptation, though, I’d go with Johnny Depp.
The Dog
Lono is, in the bluntest of terms, a bad man. Really. Just plain awful. Boisterous, larger than life both literally and figuratively, and lacking any moral qualms or redeeming features. A man you hate to love, but do. He’s pretty much a cross between Mr. Blond from Reservoir Dogs and a Viking.
I have a profound dislike for Zack Snyder’s
Watchmen, but even I will admit that JDM was a damn good Eddie Blake in it. And Lono is pretty close to Eddie Blake if you stripped away what modicum of humanity he had.
Dizzy
The first to be approached by Graves in the series. Dizzy Cordova is the series defacto protagonist. Starting the series as an ex-con reformed gangbanger, she is visited by Graves and undergoes a journey that shapes her into a next generation minuteman, capable of going up against the worst of them.
Loop
Another target of Agent Graves’ attention. He too undergoes a journey, though one that sees him going to different places than Dizzy.
The Trust
There are those we know to wield power, others who really pull the strings from the shadows, and then there’s the trust. There’s close to twenty characters that belong to the trust, but most are fairly minor so I’m not casting them all.
Augustus Medici
A man of immeasurable wealth and influence. Defacto leader of the trust.
Benito Medici
Next in line to wield Augustus Medici’s power, and with conflicting feelings about it.
Megan Dietrich
The youngest member of the Trust, though in no way naïve or incapable. An ally of the Medicis and the series prime femme fatale.
Mr. Crete
The Medicis’ bodyguard. He has an almost paternal sense of protectiveness over Benito.
Others
Mr. Hughes
Loop’s estranged father and a former associate of the Minutemen.
Bill Cobb was my first choice, but he’s way too old.
Mr. Branch
One of the recipients of Graves’ visits. A journalist privy to knowledge of the Trust and the Minutemen.
Echo
An Italian thief and con-woman. Whatever man gains her attention, he’ll be
screwed.