100 bullets is a comic book series without super powers, spandex or silly names. Not that I don't love that stuff: I'm a huge Batman fan, but I can always make room for a little noirish realism. Especially if there are explosions!

The basic concept of 100 bullets goes like this: a mysterious man, Agent Graves, offers someone an attaché case. The case contains 100 untraceable bullets, a similarly untraceable handgun, a photo of somebody the recipient may want to use their new firearm on, and detailed evidence giving them the justification they need to do it. Graves seems to know more about these people than they expect, and most of them choose the path to revenge that he offers them.

A foregone tomorrow is the fourth collection in the series, and it's starting to get really interesting. The plot is thickening, with a complex and long-standing conspiracy revealing itself, piece by piece. And, let's be honest about the main draw here, tons of gunfights!

The smaller plot arcs, typically covering each individual's revenge mission, offer succinct but well-rounded portraits of the characters involved, their lives and their motiviation. The miniature character portraits work especially well within this format, whether their connection to the overarching storyline is explicit or not.

The whole thing is quite macho, definitely for a mature audience, and executed (pun intended!) in a moody, subdued style. The dialogue is in Azarello's customary snappy, abbreviated style and the artwork is a wonderful thing to behold. The muted colours and and kinetic panels match the tone of the stories perfectly.

I'm hooked. I want to know how the conspiracy pans out. I want to keep reading these stories and looking at the artwork.

Batman is scary. Much scarier than Adam West was in the TV series. Or maybe scary in a different way: West's lycra getup was pretty frightening!

This book is one of many versions of Batman's origin story. It's grounded in reality: why does Bruce Wayne decide to fight crime? How does he train for the job? Why the heck does he dress like that??

The story is tight, focusing on the man behind the bat and on his complex psychological makeup. The thing I like most about Batman is that anyone could be him, given the massive childhood trauma. And the billion-dollar empire. And the manufacturing company. And the field-medic-turned-butler... Okay, maybe not anyone, but he wasn't born on another planet or bitten by a radioactive spider. He chose to do what he does.

This is a Batman who fights crime before the OTT supervillains. He has to come to terms with the realities of the life he has chosen and the implications it has for his public persona. He has to define his relationship with the legitimate crime-fighting efforts of the Gotham City PD, and build a relationship with a young cop named Gordon. His problems are as real-life as Batman could ever be.

The artwork (this is a graphic novel) is suitably moody and noirish, with muted colours and slightly scratchy strokes. It's a great read for comic book fans, and for anyone who enjoyed Batman begins.