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.

The Collected Stray Bullets, Volume 8 is another excellent book in this crime comic series by David Lapham. As always, the art and the writing are top notch. Volume 8 actually improves a bit over the past couple of volumes, as the stories had been getting a little convoluted and meandering. In this book, several of the issues and conflicts raised in previous volumes are resolved. In particular, the story of Virginia Applejack is brought full circle to where it first began in Volume 1. There are also appearances by Beth, Monster, Bobby, and Roger (the cop). If you have been reading and enjoying these books all along, you will certainly appreciate this addition to your collection.

A few caveats. This book is not the place to start! If you are new to Stray Bullets, you should go back to Volume 1 and read them in order. OK, this is not absolutely essential, because the stories do pop back and forth across time, but it will deepen your experience of this volume. Another caveat is that the book is a bit dark and gruesome. This series is not for kids. Finally, of the four stories, I'd have to say that the last installment was a bit weak. It's interesting enough, but it introduces some new characters and doesn't fit well after all of the plot resolution in the previous stories. That's a minor quibble though. Overall, this is a very good read.

"The Collected Stray Bullets" is among the finest noir I've ever seen or read, and I've seen and read quite a lot.

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.