HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD!!
It only took me a little more than 2 weeks, but here’s the final volume of one of the best and most ambitious crime series. These last 12 issues are not exactly an arc, they’re just ongoing stories that build to the big finale. So I’ll discuss them separately.
89) Flashback to 1961, Graves kills Javier’s father, which seems to complete their ascension to power. In a surprising move, Cole leaves Graves and take the painting to Jack. He must have been pretty shook up by Branch’s death, not to mention Wylie. A new B story running through part of the following issues is introduced here. Pippen is a young kid who is involved in bigger things than himself.
90) Remi is in Chicago, trying to find D’Arcy. It’s funny how different he is when he’s talking to his mother. Benito wants to impress his father (and maybe Megan too?), so he tells Lono to bring him a Minutemen. So Lono directs Jack to Chicago. However he finds out about Cole, and immediately asks Loop to kill him. That’s even faster than Chicago! Meanwhile Pippen is tasked by Leon (the big boss) to kill his rival, which he does.
91) Another flashback to Javier, Augustus and Graves celebrating their plan and drinking to the “old guard”, whom they’re getting rid of. We finally find out who is Slaughter’s target: Abe Rothstein, the man behind Graves’ attache’. Once Rothstein is gone, Graves’ game is also gone. We also get a brief glimpse at Cole and Jack, so obviously Loop didn’t kill Cole. Meanwhile we find out that Pippen killed the wrong kid, so the authorities are all over this death. Pippen hides from everybody, including Leon.
92) We find out that when Loop pulled his gun on Cole, Jack reacted and put Loop down. Loop is still alive but injured. In the forest, Jack shoots at Loop who runs away, then he knocks Cole out taking the painting with him. Not sure what his motives are. Both he and Cole were ronin as they said, so why taking off like that? Meanwhile both Augustus and Graves find out about Rothstein and go to see Javier, questioning him about it. Pippen is betrayed by his best friend, who kills him in cold blood.
93) Graves and Augustus arrive at Javier’s place, in Seattle. They bring Dizzy and Lono respectively, without the other knowing about it. But the meat of the issue is Remi trying to kill Joan D’Arcy. D’Arcy is surrounded by an army, including her faithful friend/father figure Coop. But Remi is a lethal Minutemen, so he manages to kill almost all her people. Unfortunately for him, he’s shocked by the news that his mother is in the hospital, and in the end he loses his hands without killing D’Arcy. This makes sense because Azzarello planted the seeds in the previous scene between Remi and his mother. The action here was excellent, the final scene obviously had a huge impact. This is basically the first time we see a Minutemen fail (both Wylie and Milo were killed in suspect circumstances, almost as if they didn’t care about dying).
94) In this issue we finally know everything about the pact between Javier, Graves and Augustus. They had long term plans to get rid of the old guard. Javier had the role of the troublemaker so that everyone else would follow Augustus peaceful plan. It’s too late when Graves realizes that Augustus brought Lono with him, he already starts to fight her. But obviously we don’t find out what happens until 2 issues later.
95) Here’s Remi’s last issue, a fitting ending for him but a little too coincidental. I liked his conversation with Victor, it make absolute sense. It also makes sense that he would kill himself, in fact Victor is only surprised for a few seconds when he jumps, then thinking about it he realizes there was nothing else he could do. What felt a little bit forced was landing on his brother Ronnie, and even before that Ronnie being so angry at the motorcyclist. It just didn’t feel organic. But I admit that ending was amusing.
96) We’re now tying the various threads back together. Lono kidnapped Dizzy and left Seattle. Cole is back with Loop. Graves, Javier and Augustus are in Atlantic City. I am not sure I understood the conversation between Graves and Lono. First of all Graves says that Dizzy was responsible for Shepherd’s death, when she decided not to “deliver”. Also, if what would have heard Croatoa from Graves, Shepherd would still be alive. Does that mean that Graves wanted Dizzy to kill himself? And why was Lono pissed off at the end? Why did Augustus and Graves think Benito was in danger? Instead, it’s Lono who’s in danger, because Benito is in love with Dizzy, so when he sees her he shoots Lono. Is this the end of Lono? I doubt it, he’s only shot on the cheek.
97) This issue introduces the young generation of the Trust. Megan, Tibo, Joan. They’re the only remaining members of the Trust outside the Javier/Augustus/Graves alliance, the now old guard. They realize that the only houses that were ready absorb other houses were Medici and Vasco, while the others got richer but weaker. Meanwhile Lono runs away from Benito, Echo finds Jack and the painting (how?). Also, we see Victor and Slaughter separately preparing for their hit. I imagine this is the plan Graves was talking about in the previous issue. Victor is probably in Omaha to kill one of the three (is it Megan?). While Slaughter is in Atlantic City to kill one of the old guard. But who dies at the end?
98) So here we find out that Slaughter was the one who shot Javier in Atlantic City, and after that Graves called off Victor in Omaha. Augustus and Graves want to make a deal with the remaining Trust. For the longest time I couldn’t understand who was killed on page 2, it just didn’t make sense. Than I managed to link it to the end, where we see Lono. There was only one panel with the same guy in the same position. Obvious on a second reading, not so much on my first. Then there is another forced coincidence, where Cole and Loop end up near the motel where Jack is staying. Of course as soon as Cole saw Echo he shot her, still angry about Branch’s death (though how did he know it was her?). But here another piece of the puzzle is uncovered by them, when they realize that the Trust (or some of them) knew that Graves would not agree to another expansion job, so that was just an excuse to start a war (this was obviously planned by Graves, Javier and Augustus). So the Minutemen were played (which is why they were safe). Was Shepherd in on the plan? The issue ends with Lono on the phone with Loop, having Slaughter behind him ready to kill him. Then someone else is outside Jack’s door with two guns (is it Victor?).
99) Augustus and Graves get back to Miami and reunite with Benito and Graves (why are they so happy to see them?). In Jack’s hotel room there is a stand off between Loop/Cole and Victor. Lono is on the phone, Slaughter decides to back off. Why? I’m not sure what actually happened. Loop shot at Cole only grating him, then Cole reacted doing what? In the end they all head to the Medici’s place. Meanwhile the meeting between the remaining Trust brings many changes: House of Vasco to Graves. New agent to be named by Graves. Augustus has no vote, but then resigns and leaves to Benito. At the end Megan seduces Benito.
100) Here’s the final issue. A lot happens. Benito is dead. Dizzy is the new Agent (even though Megan objects to her gender and race). Tibo is killed. The Minutemen attack. There’s not much room left for dialog, except for the scene where Graves explains Augustus’s plan. He planned to step aside and put Benito in charge, so that the others wouldn’t have any other choice but to kill him. So basically he sacrificed his own son, which makes me think of him hugging him last issue, he was just faking. Graves’ hug for Dizzy on the other hand was genuine. More on that later.
Victor is Slaughter’s son, which makes sense given the parallel scene between the two in issue 97. They end up leaving with Loop safely. Which begs the question why did they even go there? I thought they wanted to get answers from Graves. Instead they just decide to leave after killing a few people. Jack is seemingly dead after a battle with Crete and the crocodiles, fitting ending for the Monster. Lono probably gets away.
Cole finishes the job he started with Roland Dietrich, by burning Roland’s daughter Megan, though by mistake he also kills himself and burns the whole house down.
Finally Graves kills Augustus for corrupting him all those years ago. Graves had principles and a vision to offer those principles to other people, but Augustus ruined him and he’s now taken revenge. But obviously he didn’t ruin his life, Graves did it himself, which is why he wants Dizzy to kill him. That was his plan since the beginning of the series, to have Dizzy kill him after taking care of the Trust. But how did Shepherd and even Branch find out about it? Why did Shepherd want to protect Graves from Dizzy? The last page is iconic, an image that Azzarello had in mind since the beginning. However it is slightly ruined by the Dizzy’s disproportionate arm. I know it’s supposed to be dislocated, but it just looks incorrect, not dislocated. Not that it diminishes this great ending. I suppose Dizzy will also die, since she’s can’t walk and she’s in the middle of the fire, about to kill the only person who could save her. What a tragedy.
A fitting end for all these characters, perfectly portrayed on the page by Eduardo Risso. This last issue in particular was excellent. All of the action is done silently and Risso shows us everything that happens with absolute clarity and precision. This issue should have been a mess, but thanks to Risso I was never confused about what happened and what action caused what.
There are still so many questions I have about some of the characters’ motivations (mainly Shepherd), and there are still some dialog’s that I can’t decipher. But the overall plot and the main characters definitely get their ending. I will be happy to re-read this series again some time, maybe I’ll be able to discover more hidden meanings. I had a lot of fun taking notes down, trying to figure out what was going on. This is without a doubt one my favorite series of all time, one that has kept its quality high throughout its 100 issues / 10 years run.