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Stray Bullets
Stray Bullets, Vol. 1: Innocence of Nihilism
For the first time ever, the complete award-winning first arc of Stray Bullets in paperback! Follow the lost lives of people who are savagely torn apart by events beyond their The innocent world of an imaginative little girl is shattered when she witnesses a brutal double murder. An introverted young boy on the verge of manhood gets a lesson on just how far is too far when he falls for a needy woman who lives life in the fast lane. Or party with a pair of low-rent hoods who learn what is really important in life just when they shouldn't. And even learn the story of the most infamous gangster who ever lived, Amy Racecar, who talks to God, lunches with the President, and just may be responsible for the end of the world. These are some of the tales that will rip out your guts and break your heart.
232 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
June 5, 2023
An exceptional book on so many levels - but note for those that it is applicable to, there are triggers galore! This series looks at the underbelly of the urban disenfranchised in America and does so in a mature and realistic way including child and adult abuse, criminal grooming, child neglect, domestic abuse, all manners of sex, foul language and fouler deeds, drugs, assaults, quite a few shockingly realistic murders and more. Despite all this, the primary character that pulls it all together is a young woman, Ginny, who used victimhood as a child, to become a fearless and dark outlier within the criminally connected sub-community.
Each issue deals with a different period in time; and events and time pass between each issue that we never see, but get referred to. The first trail blazing issue is set 20 years AFTER issue 2!! I'm presuming the rest of this series will eventually take me to the dark events that happened in issue one! This is technically crime fiction, but much more a look at the impact of criminality and disenfranchisement on the people on the edge in urban American White communities - with a superb cast of characters across all ages and genders.
Overlaying it all is an undefined criminal gang whose deeds, deals and enforcers impact on many of the characters in the book. There's a single mum, Rose, who's also caught up (trapped?) in this world., as is her special needs son. The book is bursting with a great range of wondrous multi faceted characterisations.
What this book expertly does, and with only black and white sketch like art is dig under the underbelly of disenfranchised urban White America and portal in detail how crime impacts on everyone's lives, like stray bullets, you could say! In addition I can't even begin to state just how good, multi-faceted and unique Lapham's cast and plotting is. I'm looking forward to see how this evolves through time. An easy 9.5 out of 12, a very firm Four Star superb read.
2023, 2019, 2016, 2015 and 2013 read!!!
Each issue deals with a different period in time; and events and time pass between each issue that we never see, but get referred to. The first trail blazing issue is set 20 years AFTER issue 2!! I'm presuming the rest of this series will eventually take me to the dark events that happened in issue one! This is technically crime fiction, but much more a look at the impact of criminality and disenfranchisement on the people on the edge in urban American White communities - with a superb cast of characters across all ages and genders.
Overlaying it all is an undefined criminal gang whose deeds, deals and enforcers impact on many of the characters in the book. There's a single mum, Rose, who's also caught up (trapped?) in this world., as is her special needs son. The book is bursting with a great range of wondrous multi faceted characterisations.
What this book expertly does, and with only black and white sketch like art is dig under the underbelly of disenfranchised urban White America and portal in detail how crime impacts on everyone's lives, like stray bullets, you could say! In addition I can't even begin to state just how good, multi-faceted and unique Lapham's cast and plotting is. I'm looking forward to see how this evolves through time. An easy 9.5 out of 12, a very firm Four Star superb read.
2023, 2019, 2016, 2015 and 2013 read!!!
July 14, 2019
So I started maybe five years ago but had never finished this volume of Stray Bullets, a pulp fiction series from the nineties, not fully appreciating the art at the time (I was probably reading some stuff that was more polished, more stylized, such as 100 Bullets or Sin City, at the time), but some conversation here nudged me to check it out again and I felt very differently this time about it. It reminded me right away of the (also nineties) over-the-top gutter violence of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction—with that dollop of punch-in-the-face shock, too—and Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, with its various threads that weave together in later volumes.
David Lapham’s Volume 1: The Innocence of Nihilism (which collects the first seven issues was awarded an Eisner for Best Writer/Artist back in 1995. The art feels like fifties-sixties comics pulp, as Pulp Fiction did film pulp, though the film is in glossy Technicolor and I see now how Strayham’s black and white smudgy art fits well with the underclass themes. Most of it takes place in urban Baltimore.
The first issue sets the table for the feast of bloody raw meat you will devour against your will: Set in rural California, it’s a bad night for a guy and his younger accomplice, where the goal is to get rid of a body, but somehow more of these bodies seem to accumulate for them, to an almost ludicrous point. Joey is one scary/naive character, a kind of Lenny (Of Mice and Men) out of control. You don't want him to pet your rabbit.
It’s Lapham's younger characters that initially get under your skin: Orson, the eighteen-year-old nerd new high school grad who meets an older woman who wants to seduce him, gets involved with her seedy drugged-out criminal life, dragging him down into the sewer; young Beth, clever and sometimes capable of violence, a survivor; Virginia, a little girl who witnesses a murder, and then things keep getting worse for her. Lots of sad abandoned kids living in rudderless squalor, parent-less lives.
One story/person doesn’t seem initially to quite fit: Amy Racecar, a girl from the far future who sees God and is so bad she eventually “destroys the world.” The whole fifties space pulp thing, a different genre, makes me curious. I was initially put off by it, it was so weird compared to the other criminal settings we encounter.
Well, I won’t be bored for the next year, as I understand there are maybe 1200 or more pages to read of this stuff. Why not?
David Lapham’s Volume 1: The Innocence of Nihilism (which collects the first seven issues was awarded an Eisner for Best Writer/Artist back in 1995. The art feels like fifties-sixties comics pulp, as Pulp Fiction did film pulp, though the film is in glossy Technicolor and I see now how Strayham’s black and white smudgy art fits well with the underclass themes. Most of it takes place in urban Baltimore.
The first issue sets the table for the feast of bloody raw meat you will devour against your will: Set in rural California, it’s a bad night for a guy and his younger accomplice, where the goal is to get rid of a body, but somehow more of these bodies seem to accumulate for them, to an almost ludicrous point. Joey is one scary/naive character, a kind of Lenny (Of Mice and Men) out of control. You don't want him to pet your rabbit.
It’s Lapham's younger characters that initially get under your skin: Orson, the eighteen-year-old nerd new high school grad who meets an older woman who wants to seduce him, gets involved with her seedy drugged-out criminal life, dragging him down into the sewer; young Beth, clever and sometimes capable of violence, a survivor; Virginia, a little girl who witnesses a murder, and then things keep getting worse for her. Lots of sad abandoned kids living in rudderless squalor, parent-less lives.
One story/person doesn’t seem initially to quite fit: Amy Racecar, a girl from the far future who sees God and is so bad she eventually “destroys the world.” The whole fifties space pulp thing, a different genre, makes me curious. I was initially put off by it, it was so weird compared to the other criminal settings we encounter.
Well, I won’t be bored for the next year, as I understand there are maybe 1200 or more pages to read of this stuff. Why not?
November 14, 2014
It’s tricky to talk about Stray Bullets without acknowledging Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, which came out the year before Stray Bullets debuted in 1995. The clever dialogue, likeable criminal characters, and violent, interlocking stories must’ve felt derivative like the million Tarantino copycats that popped up in his wake. And yet Stray Bullets is its own thing. It shares only superficial similarities to Tarantino’s masterpiece and possesses notable differences to make it stand out separately.
Innocence of Nihilism collects the first seven stories in the series. It opens in 1997 where a couple of lowlifes are looking for a spot to bury a body before things go to hell and they shoot up a diner. From that explosive beginning, we’re thrown back to 1977 where we meet Ginny, a young girl who witnesses a brutal murder in an alleyway. The stories then jump ahead to different years, 1980, 81, and 82, featuring new characters like Spanish Scott, a charismatic killer, and Orson, a high school kid whose entrance into adulthood is something of a shock.
Pulp Fiction took place over a day or two while Stray Bullets is set over at least a couple decades. Also, while I admire Tarantino’s work, I don’t think he writes real characters – they always come off as cartoons, so that when something emotional happens to them, it never affects the viewer. With David Lapham’s stories, you do feel an emotional connection with some of the characters, especially with Ginny, who we see change after seeing the murder.
Ginny’s mind begins to unravel, her relationship with her mother falls apart, she tries running away, she stabs a kid at school with a pen, and then we see her beloved father contract cancer. It’s a rich, powerful arc that makes me hope we see more of her in later volumes of the series.
And then there’s Amy Racecar – if ever there’s a story in this collection to distance himself from Tarantino comparisons, it’s this character! Set in the 31st century, Amy meets God who tells her the truth behind human existence. She spends years in bed with this knowledge until a truth machine gets it out of her and the information brings down the world’s governments! Amy becomes the world’s greatest thief and most sought after woman - until she blows up the world!
I suppose Amy’s criminal element ties her story thematically to the others, but otherwise what an unexpected and quite brilliant break in the book! In fact, all of the stories do away with expectations as they go on. Ginny’s second appearance, the Bonnie & Clyde story, where she decides to hitch a ride west and gets picked up by a pervy old dude makes you think, uh oh, she’s a 10 year old girl on her own and she’s gonna have to fight off a sicko’s advances; and then you read the ending which completely flips the story around!
The characters are fully realised and fascinating, the stories are equally compelling, the artwork is very accomplished and expressive, and it all comes together perfectly as a whole in this book. Stray Bullets transcends its genre and comparisons to similar works to become an absolutely amazing and singular title with its own identity. I’d recommend this one to every adult comics reader, unless you’re sensitive to violence.
Cool beans, David Lapham!
Innocence of Nihilism collects the first seven stories in the series. It opens in 1997 where a couple of lowlifes are looking for a spot to bury a body before things go to hell and they shoot up a diner. From that explosive beginning, we’re thrown back to 1977 where we meet Ginny, a young girl who witnesses a brutal murder in an alleyway. The stories then jump ahead to different years, 1980, 81, and 82, featuring new characters like Spanish Scott, a charismatic killer, and Orson, a high school kid whose entrance into adulthood is something of a shock.
Pulp Fiction took place over a day or two while Stray Bullets is set over at least a couple decades. Also, while I admire Tarantino’s work, I don’t think he writes real characters – they always come off as cartoons, so that when something emotional happens to them, it never affects the viewer. With David Lapham’s stories, you do feel an emotional connection with some of the characters, especially with Ginny, who we see change after seeing the murder.
Ginny’s mind begins to unravel, her relationship with her mother falls apart, she tries running away, she stabs a kid at school with a pen, and then we see her beloved father contract cancer. It’s a rich, powerful arc that makes me hope we see more of her in later volumes of the series.
And then there’s Amy Racecar – if ever there’s a story in this collection to distance himself from Tarantino comparisons, it’s this character! Set in the 31st century, Amy meets God who tells her the truth behind human existence. She spends years in bed with this knowledge until a truth machine gets it out of her and the information brings down the world’s governments! Amy becomes the world’s greatest thief and most sought after woman - until she blows up the world!
I suppose Amy’s criminal element ties her story thematically to the others, but otherwise what an unexpected and quite brilliant break in the book! In fact, all of the stories do away with expectations as they go on. Ginny’s second appearance, the Bonnie & Clyde story, where she decides to hitch a ride west and gets picked up by a pervy old dude makes you think, uh oh, she’s a 10 year old girl on her own and she’s gonna have to fight off a sicko’s advances; and then you read the ending which completely flips the story around!
The characters are fully realised and fascinating, the stories are equally compelling, the artwork is very accomplished and expressive, and it all comes together perfectly as a whole in this book. Stray Bullets transcends its genre and comparisons to similar works to become an absolutely amazing and singular title with its own identity. I’d recommend this one to every adult comics reader, unless you’re sensitive to violence.
Cool beans, David Lapham!
June 6, 2021
Stray Bullets is a group of interconnected noirish crime story vignettes, jumping through time. It originally came out in 1995, a year after Pulp Fiction which I can only assume was a heavy influence given it's similar story structure and themes. Modern day, it's going to get a lot of comparisons to Brubaker's and Phillips's Criminal even though it preceded it by 20 years.
In these 7 issues we get introduced to many of these characters which will keep popping up. We also get the first Amy Racecar story, Ginny Applegate's over the top murderess daydream of a character. Lapham's black and white art works wonders here. It's full of emotion and flawed characters.
In these 7 issues we get introduced to many of these characters which will keep popping up. We also get the first Amy Racecar story, Ginny Applegate's over the top murderess daydream of a character. Lapham's black and white art works wonders here. It's full of emotion and flawed characters.
September 17, 2023
Collects Stray Bullets #1–7
I love all these story strands that eventually all come together. We get introduced to a fantastic cast of characters and each story instantly grabs you. Usually I'm pretty put off by the very rigid 8 panel grid but Lapham uses it to tell a fast-paced tale.
Unseen mob boss Harry looms large in all the stories.
I love all these story strands that eventually all come together. We get introduced to a fantastic cast of characters and each story instantly grabs you. Usually I'm pretty put off by the very rigid 8 panel grid but Lapham uses it to tell a fast-paced tale.
Unseen mob boss Harry looms large in all the stories.
May 30, 2018
This is an amazing first volume. I love the structure of the book, with its kaleidoscope focus on some many characters in some many timeframes. More than once I found myself flipping back and forth to make sure I understood the connections. The storytelling is also very strong, with most of the issues ending with rather shocking moments of the sort that a more traditional comic would be afraid to include, because they'd create too much change.
But the interconnections aren't just critical for this arc, "Innocence of Nihilism" sets up years (decades) or storytelling. Some of these stories look like they're incomplete, but they're focused on really long-term storytelling.
#1 is the furthest forward the series has ever been, which means that it's probably the frame that we'll return to in the end. It also offers a look at an adult Joey.
#2 is the secret origin of Ginny.
#3 details the party that's a foundational event for the extended "Sunshine & Roses" arc decades later (and it also introduces Beth, Nina, Rose, young Joey, and lots more of our characters), then #5 follows that up with Orson and his relation to Rose in the same time period.
It's all of these characters that really make the volume. In particular, this is Ginny's story, as she's beset by too much young tragedy. However, we also get an interesting focus on Joey (and his mother Rose.) As we see these young people grow up, it's easy to reflect upon what we learn by what we see.
The one issue I didn't love was #6, with Amy Racecar. It's a wacky and violent future story that only gains context when you realize that it must be a story written by Ginny. Read in that context, it has some additional weight (and even sets up some things in issue #7).
Overall a very readable and rereadable comic!
But the interconnections aren't just critical for this arc, "Innocence of Nihilism" sets up years (decades) or storytelling. Some of these stories look like they're incomplete, but they're focused on really long-term storytelling.
#1 is the furthest forward the series has ever been, which means that it's probably the frame that we'll return to in the end. It also offers a look at an adult Joey.
#2 is the secret origin of Ginny.
#3 details the party that's a foundational event for the extended "Sunshine & Roses" arc decades later (and it also introduces Beth, Nina, Rose, young Joey, and lots more of our characters), then #5 follows that up with Orson and his relation to Rose in the same time period.
It's all of these characters that really make the volume. In particular, this is Ginny's story, as she's beset by too much young tragedy. However, we also get an interesting focus on Joey (and his mother Rose.) As we see these young people grow up, it's easy to reflect upon what we learn by what we see.
The one issue I didn't love was #6, with Amy Racecar. It's a wacky and violent future story that only gains context when you realize that it must be a story written by Ginny. Read in that context, it has some additional weight (and even sets up some things in issue #7).
Overall a very readable and rereadable comic!
November 2, 2015
Stray Bullets gives me a lot of anxiety. So much so that when I first started reading this volume in June, I had to stop halfway into the book, I was so unnerved by the stories. But I finally picked it up again today and finished it.
I have to say, it's an incredibly written book. The plots are very tight and tense, the art is moody, it's all great stuff. But the stories themselves are absolutely miserable and depressing, it's the noir-iest of noir comics out there. And it seems like it only gets darker from here.
So, if you're up to it, and if you're into noir comics, chances are you're going to love it. But beware, it can get you wrecked.
I have to say, it's an incredibly written book. The plots are very tight and tense, the art is moody, it's all great stuff. But the stories themselves are absolutely miserable and depressing, it's the noir-iest of noir comics out there. And it seems like it only gets darker from here.
So, if you're up to it, and if you're into noir comics, chances are you're going to love it. But beware, it can get you wrecked.
June 26, 2023
A bit like Brubaker's Criminal series. Each issue is a separate story that is loosely connected to the other issues. Characters recur and the timeline jumps around between the late 70s and the 80s. It centers on a community of street criminals and a little girl who's life is wrecked because of them.
Very dark stuff. Some of the stories are quite good, but the Amy Racecar issue throws everything off. It seems to take place in the same "world" but it's grimly farcical instead of just grim. It doesn't fit.
The black-and-white art is hit or miss. Sometimes the starkness really serves the story and other times it's confusing.
---------------------------------
2nd read:
I liked it more this time through. Some of the endings are phenomenal, unexpected but organic.
Still not a fan of the Amy Racecar story.
Very dark stuff. Some of the stories are quite good, but the Amy Racecar issue throws everything off. It seems to take place in the same "world" but it's grimly farcical instead of just grim. It doesn't fit.
The black-and-white art is hit or miss. Sometimes the starkness really serves the story and other times it's confusing.
---------------------------------
2nd read:
I liked it more this time through. Some of the endings are phenomenal, unexpected but organic.
Still not a fan of the Amy Racecar story.
September 17, 2016
4 1/4 stars
August 20, 2010
At least the pictures were neat. This collection of tales stretches from the morbidly retarded to the why-you-gotta-be-so depressing, yet the storytelling and sequencing sometimes show genuine talent. The portrayals of low-lifes and shitty family dynamics are a little too real, with all the good-time chunks thrown out and replaced with basic bareboned black humor. The more interesting stories tie together the same loose company of strangers (think Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, do doubt an inspiration) through various time periods, and each chapter ends super-dark, or at least with a little dark high school-nihilist asshole smirk.
In the end it's something like listening to an overeducated mall goth or a really talented high school geek: Good, great, I get it guy, life sucks, and you bring your point home masterfully. But I think I'd rather spend my next evening watching a rerun of Scrubs than with a negative nelly like you again.
In the end it's something like listening to an overeducated mall goth or a really talented high school geek: Good, great, I get it guy, life sucks, and you bring your point home masterfully. But I think I'd rather spend my next evening watching a rerun of Scrubs than with a negative nelly like you again.
October 3, 2019
I didn’t read this in the ‘90s when these comics were first released because I was experiencing my own loss of innocence and running from troubles while getting into worse ones...:) So, this series scratches those nostalgia and regrets itches soooo satisfyingly.
January 26, 2018
My first five-star read of the year!
I've been meaning to read this book for years. I can't remember where I came upon it, but I read someone somewhere compare it to Quentin Tarantino (who I was a big fan of when I was a teen - I've watched Pulp Fiction more times than I can count), which is what persuaded me to add to my neverending to-read list.
I wish I had picked this up sooner, because it's already shaping up to be one of my favourite comics series ever and I'm only one volume in.
The work reads like a series of interconnected stories. Lapham jumps around chronologically and follows different characters, some re-occuring, some not. Readers mostly follow gangster criminals who work for an enigmatic man named Harry. There's also a story that follows Amy Racecar, a girl from the far future who sees God and eventually destroys the world. I have no idea how she fits into the larger narrative that Lapham is creating, but I can't wait to find out.
Lapham's art is all b&w and he mostly uses a seemingly simple 8-panel format to great effect. Because he jumps around chronologically within the narrative, it's important that the characters are recognizable when you see them appear in different stories. Lapham's character designs are clear and distinctive, so you'll never muddle anyone up, which I was very appreciative for. I also liked that even though this is a crime/noir type of work, it doesn't have the machismo or male gaze that are usually inherent in that genre (ie. I'm thinking of series like 100 Bullets, which I've grown to like, but those elements do bother me).
I've already ordered the Stray Bullets: Uber Alles Edition only a few days after finishing this first volume, so to say I loved it is almost an understatement. I can't wait for my bindup to come in so I can binge-read the rest of this series. :)
I've been meaning to read this book for years. I can't remember where I came upon it, but I read someone somewhere compare it to Quentin Tarantino (who I was a big fan of when I was a teen - I've watched Pulp Fiction more times than I can count), which is what persuaded me to add to my neverending to-read list.
I wish I had picked this up sooner, because it's already shaping up to be one of my favourite comics series ever and I'm only one volume in.
The work reads like a series of interconnected stories. Lapham jumps around chronologically and follows different characters, some re-occuring, some not. Readers mostly follow gangster criminals who work for an enigmatic man named Harry. There's also a story that follows Amy Racecar, a girl from the far future who sees God and eventually destroys the world. I have no idea how she fits into the larger narrative that Lapham is creating, but I can't wait to find out.
Lapham's art is all b&w and he mostly uses a seemingly simple 8-panel format to great effect. Because he jumps around chronologically within the narrative, it's important that the characters are recognizable when you see them appear in different stories. Lapham's character designs are clear and distinctive, so you'll never muddle anyone up, which I was very appreciative for. I also liked that even though this is a crime/noir type of work, it doesn't have the machismo or male gaze that are usually inherent in that genre (ie. I'm thinking of series like 100 Bullets, which I've grown to like, but those elements do bother me).
I've already ordered the Stray Bullets: Uber Alles Edition only a few days after finishing this first volume, so to say I loved it is almost an understatement. I can't wait for my bindup to come in so I can binge-read the rest of this series. :)
December 28, 2016
A collection of interesting, loosely linked stories won the Eisner Award. The black and white drawings get a bit too busy on occasion but this is otherwise an engaging graphic novel.
January 21, 2008
So my friend told me this story once how she accidently rented 28 Days Later, the zombie horror flick, instead of 28 Days, the warming tale of an alcholics journey to recovery. She said she had a blanket over half her face and kept wondering when Sandra Bullock was going to show up.
This was me and Stray Bullets. I'd heard recommendations for 100 Bullets, but it had been awhile and when I saw this title I picked it up. So I'm starting to feel like shit as I read about these people and drugs, sexual exploits, bullying gone horribly horribly awry and possible child molestation... and think, "I didn't sign up for this." But I trudge through anyway. I get to the end, where against all odds one of the characters takes an unexpected turn. You've read enough of these degenerates that you think you understand his motivation, but you find your mouth dropping open and half chewed peices of red herring falling out. It's redemtion. Almost. So it made me close the book, sit back and think about the twists and turns, the threads between the stories and really start to appreciate it.
All in all I find myself thanking my goldfish like memory, or surely I'd have passed this book by.
This was me and Stray Bullets. I'd heard recommendations for 100 Bullets, but it had been awhile and when I saw this title I picked it up. So I'm starting to feel like shit as I read about these people and drugs, sexual exploits, bullying gone horribly horribly awry and possible child molestation... and think, "I didn't sign up for this." But I trudge through anyway. I get to the end, where against all odds one of the characters takes an unexpected turn. You've read enough of these degenerates that you think you understand his motivation, but you find your mouth dropping open and half chewed peices of red herring falling out. It's redemtion. Almost. So it made me close the book, sit back and think about the twists and turns, the threads between the stories and really start to appreciate it.
All in all I find myself thanking my goldfish like memory, or surely I'd have passed this book by.
November 21, 2014
'Stray Bullets, Vol. 1: Innocence of Nihilism' collects the first seven issues of the series from the mid 1990s by David Lapham. The art is great and the well written stories veer crazily out of control between morbid humor and outright violence. Ready?
The stories take place over a variety of years and a few of them are linked. From low lifes sent out to bury bodies, to an innocent young girl who's life is changed when she witnesses a murder. Things take place at a crazy party where a bright young man gets in with the wrong crowd. There is even a story about Amy Racecar, notorious bank robber and tall tale spinner.
The characters are memorable, even when they are less than savory. The art is black and white, but really good. I liked 'Murder Me Dead' for it's noir quality, and I like this one for it's similarities to the movie Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino. I think it's a fair comparison and a compliment to the author. Gritty and enjoyable.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this great graphic novel.
The stories take place over a variety of years and a few of them are linked. From low lifes sent out to bury bodies, to an innocent young girl who's life is changed when she witnesses a murder. Things take place at a crazy party where a bright young man gets in with the wrong crowd. There is even a story about Amy Racecar, notorious bank robber and tall tale spinner.
The characters are memorable, even when they are less than savory. The art is black and white, but really good. I liked 'Murder Me Dead' for it's noir quality, and I like this one for it's similarities to the movie Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino. I think it's a fair comparison and a compliment to the author. Gritty and enjoyable.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this great graphic novel.
September 6, 2016
An interesting collection of loosely interlocking violent crime stories, that left me with intrigued but mixed feelings.
This volume collects a number to self contained, typically violent, crime focused stories, which when read together start to show some connected characters (with one exception set over 1000 years after the other stories). Individually each story works quite well, often playing with the readers expectations and taking the story is the opposite direction from what is expected.
While is enjoyed each story individually, and appreciated the self-contained nature of them, I would have preferred a little bit more in the way of an overall cohesive plot, particularly as I found myself really enjoying a number of the characters, and hoping we would see more of them.
I'm interested to see where this series goes over the next few volumes as I feel that while flipping the readers expectations is a interesting plot device, when it is overused it can become predicable. Given the quality of this first volume I will be reading more soon, and hopefully Lapham takes advantage of this great start to continue to deliver interesting stories.
This volume collects a number to self contained, typically violent, crime focused stories, which when read together start to show some connected characters (with one exception set over 1000 years after the other stories). Individually each story works quite well, often playing with the readers expectations and taking the story is the opposite direction from what is expected.
While is enjoyed each story individually, and appreciated the self-contained nature of them, I would have preferred a little bit more in the way of an overall cohesive plot, particularly as I found myself really enjoying a number of the characters, and hoping we would see more of them.
I'm interested to see where this series goes over the next few volumes as I feel that while flipping the readers expectations is a interesting plot device, when it is overused it can become predicable. Given the quality of this first volume I will be reading more soon, and hopefully Lapham takes advantage of this great start to continue to deliver interesting stories.
December 14, 2014
This was interesting...an interconnected series of stories, most of them revolving around one young girl, who witnesses a murder one night, and how her life kind of goes to hell after that. I'm not sure everything here really works, though, and this volume doesn't wrap up neatly. The story about Amy Racecar, world's greatest thief, seems wildly out of place and pretty nonsensical to boot. Lapham's artwork is rather slapdash and kind of hard to follow at times. I'd read another volume if it came my way, though I don't know I'd seek it out.
September 8, 2019
I feel like I missed the bus on this series. I remember hearing about it years back, but never picked up an issue. I now just started reading and most stuff put out by El Capitan is out-of-print right now. These stories are great. If you read graphic novels at all, you should check this out. You can still get good deals on them at eBay.
March 2, 2020
A collection of incredibly compelling stories about the ways in which people are terrible to themselves and each other - sometimes, but not always within a life of crime - and the collateral damage that happens along the way. Unflinching and dark, this is simply essential reading for any crime fiction fan or anyone who likes to see how far graphic storytelling has come as a medium.
November 18, 2014
A great collection of short semi-related stories.
October 15, 2024
I’m late to the game on “Stray Bullets.” It has a storied history but I’m just now discovering it in 2024. I’ve seen multiple reviewers compare the series to Pulp Fiction. I get the comparison. It came out the next year, is noir, and features likeable criminals. However, it’s also its own unique thing.
In these first seven issues there isn’t one coherent narrative (though there are a lot of overlapping characters and a definite emphasis on the character of Ginny). Every issue (except #5) is some kind of gritty crime story. There’s plenty of guns and violence here. Harry, the puppet master of the crimes, is always mentioned but never shown. “Cool beans” shows up in every issue.
The art is fairly realistic in style (but not absolute realism). All the images are in stark black and white.
I’m guessing as I read on, I’m going to wish that I had notes on past issues. Therefore, the following simple summaries are more for my own memory than for any kind of review:
Issue 1 - 1997. Frank and Joey are dumping a corpse. They end up taking out a whole diner.
Issue 2 - 1977. Virginia (Ginny) Alexander witnesses a murder and is brutally attacked on Halloween night.
Issue 3 - 1980. Led and Sonny rob a jewelry store.
There’s talk of Harry moving them to California and then suddenly Harry shows up (but we don’t see him).
Issue 4 - 1978. Back to Ginny. She hitchhikes with a guy who seems like a child predator . . . and it turns out he’s a local politician.
Issue 5 - 1981. After witnessing a person getting hit by a truck, high school senior Orson is seduced by Rose.
Issue 6 - The distant future. Ginny makes up a story about Amy Racecar, a girl who talks face-to-face with God and ends humanity.
Issue 7 - 1982. Ginny is slapped around by her mother. Her father discovers he has stomach cancer.
In these first seven issues there isn’t one coherent narrative (though there are a lot of overlapping characters and a definite emphasis on the character of Ginny). Every issue (except #5) is some kind of gritty crime story. There’s plenty of guns and violence here. Harry, the puppet master of the crimes, is always mentioned but never shown. “Cool beans” shows up in every issue.
The art is fairly realistic in style (but not absolute realism). All the images are in stark black and white.
I’m guessing as I read on, I’m going to wish that I had notes on past issues. Therefore, the following simple summaries are more for my own memory than for any kind of review:
Issue 1 - 1997. Frank and Joey are dumping a corpse. They end up taking out a whole diner.
Issue 2 - 1977. Virginia (Ginny) Alexander witnesses a murder and is brutally attacked on Halloween night.
Issue 3 - 1980. Led and Sonny rob a jewelry store.
There’s talk of Harry moving them to California and then suddenly Harry shows up (but we don’t see him).
Issue 4 - 1978. Back to Ginny. She hitchhikes with a guy who seems like a child predator . . . and it turns out he’s a local politician.
Issue 5 - 1981. After witnessing a person getting hit by a truck, high school senior Orson is seduced by Rose.
Issue 6 - The distant future. Ginny makes up a story about Amy Racecar, a girl who talks face-to-face with God and ends humanity.
Issue 7 - 1982. Ginny is slapped around by her mother. Her father discovers he has stomach cancer.
July 8, 2019
I'm slowly working my way through the issues in between other things and it's clear that Lapham is long form plotting in a big way because the size of the storyline (44 issues, I think) and the first seven are very disjointed at first. The characters are starting to overlap enough now that the shape of it all is a bit more in view but it's still very rough at this point.
November 30, 2018
3.5 stars
June 15, 2019
Noir has never looked better. Lapham is the Coen Brothers of Comic book writers Imo
July 28, 2017
Temos aqui um interessante estudo sobre a violência. Não apenas um olhar geral sobre a violência sistêmica e completa, mas como ela se manifesta de forma sutil até mesmo nos indivíduos aparentemente mais blindados a ela.
A ideia do autor David Lapham é demonstrar como a violência (e mais ainda a violência urbana e criminosa) parece um ser tentacular e cheio de cabeças, capaz de se perpetuar. O gibi traça um painel em que indivíduos (geralmente desajustados) são envolvidos em uma teia sutil que descampa para episódios cruéis de violência completa. Aqui não existe redenção. As histórias geralmente se entrelaçam ao longo do volume e com mais e mais histórias lidas e possível entender que o trampo do cara é cheio de camadas e ideias narrativas.
Em alguns momentos dá a entender que será uma obra-prima, mas não chega a tanto e se mostra um ótimo gibi, indigesto e que faz pensar. Talvez seja como um primo mais novo de "A História da Violência", que inspirou o filme de David Cronenberg "Marcas da Violência".
A ideia do autor David Lapham é demonstrar como a violência (e mais ainda a violência urbana e criminosa) parece um ser tentacular e cheio de cabeças, capaz de se perpetuar. O gibi traça um painel em que indivíduos (geralmente desajustados) são envolvidos em uma teia sutil que descampa para episódios cruéis de violência completa. Aqui não existe redenção. As histórias geralmente se entrelaçam ao longo do volume e com mais e mais histórias lidas e possível entender que o trampo do cara é cheio de camadas e ideias narrativas.
Em alguns momentos dá a entender que será uma obra-prima, mas não chega a tanto e se mostra um ótimo gibi, indigesto e que faz pensar. Talvez seja como um primo mais novo de "A História da Violência", que inspirou o filme de David Cronenberg "Marcas da Violência".
October 21, 2009
In a post-Pulp Fiction world of crime storytelling, the use of multiple, interlocking storylines has become a commonplace device. When employed with skill, it can create a rich and textured universe with depth and veracity. When used ineffectively, the separate storylines become episodic and exist as disjointed short stories stitched together only by a title.
David Lapham's Stray Bullets falls into the former category as a complete, defined and utterly fascinating world of crime and morality. Lapham however exceeds the cartoony caricatures of Pulp Fiction by creating a host of characters that are clearly entrenched in our world, and it is this veracity that makes it one of the truly great crime epics of the past decade.
Stray Bullets is indeed a vast and sprawling crime story, but unlike the works of Hammett, Puzo or Tarantino, its world is not populated by criminal masterminds or slick mobsters who know exactly the right thing to say at exactly the right time. In fact Lapham's characters seem to specialize in saying exactly the wrong things at the wrong time, and it is their fallibility which gives this series the essential dose of realism that takes it to the next level of crime storytelling.
Amongst the large cast of characters there isn't a single admirable protagonist - they all display signs of rage, of violence, of ignorance and sometimes of blatant stupidity. They are bumbling small-time crooks making their way through life in the most convoluted and amoral ways possible. As aforementioned there are no Tarantino-esque clever one-liners, quotable catchphrases, or even slight pop-culture references in Lapham's work. His characters speak in everyday vernacular, at times with accents and differing pronunciations, much of it lewd, snarling and vastly inappropriate. In actuality, there is no real reason for we the readers to personally like any of the characters, but this certainly does not mean that we cannot identify with them. This is where the true power of Lapham's work resides.
Lapham, through his expressive artwork and penchant for details in design and vernacular, creates characters and situations that we all, regardless of our moral compass, tend to find ourselves in and associated with; the small girl who is picked on, the young inexperienced boy with self-esteem problems, the father who feels he has let his family down, the people who can't see an immediate way out. Because of their emotional authenticity and Lapham's ability to set them in a real world (his details of clothing, physicality and environment are simply spectacular) the characters ring as true, and because we identify with them we can actually care about what happens to them, because they are people just like us. This despite the book containing extremely graphic and heinous acts of violence, scenes which we would never hope to witness or experience in our own lives. But even with the violence we still care, which is a remarkable feat and one of the rarest accomplishments in recent comics, which have specialized in desensitized and emotionally empty violence.
Recent books like Jimmy Corrigan and Asterios Polyp craft characters and worlds that exist within our reality, and it is what makes these books the prime examples of the artform. David Lapham's Stray Bullets certainly belongs in that canon, and in many facets surpasses these works by eschewing literary pretensions for deceptively complex declarations of simple, basic truths. These are not just interweaving crime stories, they are the paths of everyday people living life in its most unglamorous and naked self, a collective web of experience that is both beautiful, shocking and thought provoking. Essential reading.
Note: This review applies to the first eight issues of the series, and not the collected trade listed here.
David Lapham's Stray Bullets falls into the former category as a complete, defined and utterly fascinating world of crime and morality. Lapham however exceeds the cartoony caricatures of Pulp Fiction by creating a host of characters that are clearly entrenched in our world, and it is this veracity that makes it one of the truly great crime epics of the past decade.
Stray Bullets is indeed a vast and sprawling crime story, but unlike the works of Hammett, Puzo or Tarantino, its world is not populated by criminal masterminds or slick mobsters who know exactly the right thing to say at exactly the right time. In fact Lapham's characters seem to specialize in saying exactly the wrong things at the wrong time, and it is their fallibility which gives this series the essential dose of realism that takes it to the next level of crime storytelling.
Amongst the large cast of characters there isn't a single admirable protagonist - they all display signs of rage, of violence, of ignorance and sometimes of blatant stupidity. They are bumbling small-time crooks making their way through life in the most convoluted and amoral ways possible. As aforementioned there are no Tarantino-esque clever one-liners, quotable catchphrases, or even slight pop-culture references in Lapham's work. His characters speak in everyday vernacular, at times with accents and differing pronunciations, much of it lewd, snarling and vastly inappropriate. In actuality, there is no real reason for we the readers to personally like any of the characters, but this certainly does not mean that we cannot identify with them. This is where the true power of Lapham's work resides.
Lapham, through his expressive artwork and penchant for details in design and vernacular, creates characters and situations that we all, regardless of our moral compass, tend to find ourselves in and associated with; the small girl who is picked on, the young inexperienced boy with self-esteem problems, the father who feels he has let his family down, the people who can't see an immediate way out. Because of their emotional authenticity and Lapham's ability to set them in a real world (his details of clothing, physicality and environment are simply spectacular) the characters ring as true, and because we identify with them we can actually care about what happens to them, because they are people just like us. This despite the book containing extremely graphic and heinous acts of violence, scenes which we would never hope to witness or experience in our own lives. But even with the violence we still care, which is a remarkable feat and one of the rarest accomplishments in recent comics, which have specialized in desensitized and emotionally empty violence.
Recent books like Jimmy Corrigan and Asterios Polyp craft characters and worlds that exist within our reality, and it is what makes these books the prime examples of the artform. David Lapham's Stray Bullets certainly belongs in that canon, and in many facets surpasses these works by eschewing literary pretensions for deceptively complex declarations of simple, basic truths. These are not just interweaving crime stories, they are the paths of everyday people living life in its most unglamorous and naked self, a collective web of experience that is both beautiful, shocking and thought provoking. Essential reading.
Note: This review applies to the first eight issues of the series, and not the collected trade listed here.
August 25, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Follow the lost lives of people who are savagely torn apart by events beyond their control.
As the innocent world of an imaginative little girl is shattered when she witnesses a brutal double murder.
Or an introverted young boy on the verge of manhood gets a lesson on just how far is too far when he falls for a needy woman who lives life in the fast lane.
Or party with a pair of low-rent hoods who learn about what is really important in life just when they shouldn’t.
And even learn the story of the most infamous gangster who ever lived, Amy Racecar, who talks to God, lunches with the President, and just may be responsible for the end of the world.
These are some of the tales that will rip out your guts and break your heart.
This book collects the first seven issues of Stray Bullets.
This is a collection of 7 loosely connected crime stories. For the most part, they have all the ingredients (in stories) that I like: violence that is definitely right there, but never over the top silly; characters that I can connect with - both good guys and the baddies; and razor-sharp dialogue that actually brought this book from 3 stars to 4.
The artwork was the surprise, though - it was very, very good and really did a lot of the work for the reader. It is dark and moody, creating an atmosphere that words alone cannot do.
Why only 4 stars? I would have liked all of the stories to have been connected in a more cohesive way. They weren't bad stories, I would have just liked to have had a sense of continuity to the plot of the book.
Paul
ARH
Follow the lost lives of people who are savagely torn apart by events beyond their control.
As the innocent world of an imaginative little girl is shattered when she witnesses a brutal double murder.
Or an introverted young boy on the verge of manhood gets a lesson on just how far is too far when he falls for a needy woman who lives life in the fast lane.
Or party with a pair of low-rent hoods who learn about what is really important in life just when they shouldn’t.
And even learn the story of the most infamous gangster who ever lived, Amy Racecar, who talks to God, lunches with the President, and just may be responsible for the end of the world.
These are some of the tales that will rip out your guts and break your heart.
This book collects the first seven issues of Stray Bullets.
This is a collection of 7 loosely connected crime stories. For the most part, they have all the ingredients (in stories) that I like: violence that is definitely right there, but never over the top silly; characters that I can connect with - both good guys and the baddies; and razor-sharp dialogue that actually brought this book from 3 stars to 4.
The artwork was the surprise, though - it was very, very good and really did a lot of the work for the reader. It is dark and moody, creating an atmosphere that words alone cannot do.
Why only 4 stars? I would have liked all of the stories to have been connected in a more cohesive way. They weren't bad stories, I would have just liked to have had a sense of continuity to the plot of the book.
Paul
ARH
September 26, 2015
I just began to read Stray Bullets and I already feel frustrated that it took me so long to begin it. This is the kind of stories that I usually feel interested in, but don’t found as often as I would like to.
Judging for the first seven issues, the comic book is formed from one issue stories that happen in the same world with different characters crossing in different stories. Also, it is a story that occurs through different decades. There is even a story in the future with a very unexpected future.
From the seven stories I would have problems saying which one is the best. They all were great in different ways. It was a great mix of dark humor, social commentary, violence and human tragedy.
There is also the fact that David Lapham writes and draws which I think it is a bonus. Some of the best comic books come from the vision of only one artist. From Frank Miller to Stan Sakai, there is something really wonderful about the storytelling abilities of a one-man army.
Great comic book, highly recommended for anyone interested in great noir stories with broken characters and sad endings.
Judging for the first seven issues, the comic book is formed from one issue stories that happen in the same world with different characters crossing in different stories. Also, it is a story that occurs through different decades. There is even a story in the future with a very unexpected future.
From the seven stories I would have problems saying which one is the best. They all were great in different ways. It was a great mix of dark humor, social commentary, violence and human tragedy.
There is also the fact that David Lapham writes and draws which I think it is a bonus. Some of the best comic books come from the vision of only one artist. From Frank Miller to Stan Sakai, there is something really wonderful about the storytelling abilities of a one-man army.
Great comic book, highly recommended for anyone interested in great noir stories with broken characters and sad endings.
July 13, 2017
3.5-4.
The title is a perfect representation of what's inside this strange compilation, often featuring young kids being thrust into the dark underbelly of crime, or having to deal with domestic tragedy. It's dark and can genuinely be unsettling, thanks to the stark but nuanced artwork. The facial expressions are spot on, with realistic dialogue allowing you to imagine it like a movie as you read. Sometimes the artwork can be slightly confusing when there's a lot of movement, and it can be so bleak and defeatist at times that enjoyment is lost to discomfort, the last issue in particular.
Overall I was impressed, showing that graphic novels or comics don't have to be bombastic to draw you in, I'll pick up the next volume sometime.
The title is a perfect representation of what's inside this strange compilation, often featuring young kids being thrust into the dark underbelly of crime, or having to deal with domestic tragedy. It's dark and can genuinely be unsettling, thanks to the stark but nuanced artwork. The facial expressions are spot on, with realistic dialogue allowing you to imagine it like a movie as you read. Sometimes the artwork can be slightly confusing when there's a lot of movement, and it can be so bleak and defeatist at times that enjoyment is lost to discomfort, the last issue in particular.
Overall I was impressed, showing that graphic novels or comics don't have to be bombastic to draw you in, I'll pick up the next volume sometime.
August 8, 2007
Stray Bullets is my all-time favorite ongoing series. The art is dynamic, the storyline is enthralling...I love how Lapham doesn't feel the need to explain anything yet everything unwraps itself perfectly as the series progresses.
This first story arc appears to be a bunch of uncorrelated stories, really. But what Lapham's doing is introducing you to the main cast of characters that'll be with you for the remainder of the issues...unless they die first, of course.
Highly recommended - just don't get too disappointed if you never get to complete the whole story. Lapham hasn't released issue 41 yet and it's been close to two years since it was solicited.
This first story arc appears to be a bunch of uncorrelated stories, really. But what Lapham's doing is introducing you to the main cast of characters that'll be with you for the remainder of the issues...unless they die first, of course.
Highly recommended - just don't get too disappointed if you never get to complete the whole story. Lapham hasn't released issue 41 yet and it's been close to two years since it was solicited.
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