Somewhere out West is a town no one knows about-a desert town-whose inhabitants wait for the day a great earthquake will bring them beachfront property. Here, three desperate friends on the run from the Mob and a young runaway Virginia Applejack will try to escape the nightmares of their pasts. They'll band together to battle the demons that threaten to destroy them from within while taking on a corrupt town full of sex, drugs, and inbreeding. Eventually, they'll be forced to make horrifying choices when their dark pasts finally catch up with them... About the STRAY BULLETS series: Beginning in the 1970s and carrying on into the 1990s, Stray Bullets is a period crime drama with moments of humor and absurdity. David Lapham's crime noir masterpiece follows the lost lives of people who are savagely torn apart by events beyond their control: 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. What makes Stray Bullets so brilliant is that it's a crime comic, but it's also about growing up, about being frustrated with your lot in life, about the disappointment of settling down, and the mundanity of suburban life. Lapham shrewdly presents almost every type of criminal behavior imaginable in stories that can be both unflinchingly honest and heartbreakingly sympathetic. The almost Altman-esque mix of characters provides seemingly endless pathos and drama, and there is a level of realism to the violence that makes it truly startling. If movies like Oceans 11 are about the sexy allure of the criminal worlds, then Stray Bullets is about the desperation and rage of characters whose lives are ultimately defined by a series of bad choices.
Will stick with you long after you're done reading.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
There are no superheroes here. There's not really any heroes of any kind. The book is in simple black and white, but the characters are emotionally very grey. This collection introduces us to a world of dingy, low level criminals in Baltimore. Lapham avoids the obvious trappings of the genre. Instead of cruel criminals, who enjoy inflicting misery and pain, the cast of Stray Bullets seems to be in the business they're in to make a living. Instead of evil, these folks seem to be moral nihilists. I can't explain why, but these characters resonated with me, not just while I read, but for weeks after. One of the very best trades I've read ever.
Great Comic, exclusive short film link here
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
This book is absolutely insane. The way lapham weaves the stories of the different characters across time and the country is truly incredible. I liked it so much I adapted a scene from issue 2 "Victimology" for class. [...]
The Best STRAY BULLETS Collection Yet
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
David Lapham's Magnum Opus STRAY BULLETS has always been kind of hit-or-miss for me.....There have been some issues that I thought were outstanding, and some that were incredibly boring and seemed to have nothing to do with the overall arc of the series, as huge and nebulous an arc as it might be. I'm happy to say that STRAY BULLETS VOLUME 7 is all killer and no filler, as Lapham focuses fully on the character who I consider to be the heart-and-soul of the series, Virginia Applejack/Amy Racecar. Virginia is probably one of the most tragic characters in modern literature, with a backstory worthy of Dickens, and while I'm sorry to say that her plight isn't improved much by the events in this collection, the reader is given a great deal of insight into the events that shaped this extraordinary young girl. My heart broke for her as I read this book, and my hat is off to Lapham for an outstanding job. I can't wait to see what happens next......
The First Volume of Stray Bullets
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
The first volume of Stray Bullets collects issues 1-7 of the series, and I was surprised by how good this book was. The start of this volume hooks you to the story, and one learns more about the characters through an ever changing time frame in this volume. The volume starts in 1997, and the second story takes place in 1977. I certainly would recommend this series, and I am personally going to continue to the read the books.
Flawless Noir Tales- Cool Beans.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
I don't remember why I initially picked up my first issue of Stray Bullets, I'm just incredibly happy that I did. Except for my frantic, nervous search for every new issue that comes out, this book is a pure joy. Filled With incredibly real and fleshed out characters, who may not all be too likable, but who can all grab my attention without losing it for a second. Weaving between times and setting, between reality and fantasy this book is crafted absolutely flawlessly, and is among the greatest Crime-Noir books that have been made.
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