Wild Bullets (One-Shot)
Michigan Comics Collective
Written by: Greg Wright
Art by: Sean Seal (Steve Bullet), Jason Jimenez (Kelly Bullet), Stephen Sharar (Archie Bullet), Joe Freyre (Minerva Bullet), Sara Sowles (Colors & Letters)
Thanksgiving is always the time of year when family comes together to enjoy a massive feast and be thankful for the years bounty. Of course every family isn’t perfect and while Thanksgiving can also be a time where dysfunction comes to the forefront and what is supposed to be time for love and appreciation turns into a night of bickering and disapproval.
Wild Bullets from writer Greg Wright and independent comic publisher Michigan Comics Collective takes this idea of family dysfunction during the holidays and throws it into an inventive dimension of detective noir, high adventure, science fiction and magic. Wild Bullets literally has something for everyone and its story kind hinges on that idea.
The Bullets are an eccentric family full of every type of person; Steve is the detective, Kelly an archaeologist adventurer, Archie fancies himself a sci-fi hero, Minerva hunts things that go bump in the night and Mom and Dad are a bit of all four. Greg Wright introduces us to the Bullet family as they come together for Thanksgiving dinner but unfortunately for them turkey isn’t all that’s on the menu. They must put aside their constant bickering and come together to figure out who killed the family maid.
Without giving to much away at first it appears as if Greg Wright is just telling your run of the mill crime drama with a unique family twist. But Wild Bullets quickly turns into an intriguing and engaging experiment in art and narrative as when begin to learn about each character. To solve the murder each of our characters tries to find their connection to the murder and through doing so we enter that characters world for a brief moment. It is in these stories within the story that Wild Bullets shines above most other comics. As each character dives into their life the art changes to fit that characters particular world. Each art style perfectly matches the characters personality and background giving the art the ability to add to the character development in a way the writing can’t. Choosing a favorite of these styles would be like picking a favorite child at this point but I was maybe most struck by Sean Seal’s art on the Steve Bullet section. His use of black and white, light and shadows was simply beautiful.
After reading the comic a couple of times I just found myself in awe of this approach to storytelling and Greg Wright’s ability to create multiple worlds within one. This issue could easily serve as a primer for a much larger story set in any one or all of the characters perspective worlds. Wright has created a new world worth exploring and I would love to see each of these characters continue their stories beyond Wild Bullets retaining the artists that brought them so expertly to life.
Wild Bullets is a fun ride through a familiar space that also feels bold and new. Its potential for spin off is infinite as Greg Wright has created an original world that seems to be perfectly suited to thrive in the comic book medium. While Wild Bullets may not be the most original story it is certainly told in an original and imaginative way that will captivate and make you want more. Wright’s characters are definitely the star of this book and that is only amplified by the tremendous art behind each one of them. Wild Bullets is a book that every comic reader should check out as it’s a great of example of how art and writing can come together and create something new, exciting and gorgeous.
*Editors Note: Check out our interview with Writer of Wild Bullets Greg Wright Here.