This is another pellet review by me, since we have a lot of stories in here. But before I go on I just want to say that this is an amazing, and hefty purchase to have for any comic fan. This was my Pick of the Week for having so many amazing talents involved and also have all of them be near perfect when reading them. IF you haven’t picked this up you have to go and get it. Seriously, ignore the huge price tag, and look what this has to offer. Almost one hundred pages of pure, comic book bliss.

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“Shoot” (Story by: Warren Ellis/Art by Phil Jimenez/Andy Lanning): At first I was getting a bit puzzled on what the purpose of this story was. If it was just a look at an adult’s take on why kids kill eachother; then that would’ve been fine. This read a lot like Ellis in the sense that it had grotesque images and digusting humor (like Transmetropolitan). Then Constantine comes in at the very end to sum up everything. Seriously; the last 3-4 pages of this story really blew my mind. You can’t even begin to describe how disturbing the idea Ellis gives at the end on why the victims become victims. Then you have the art by Jimenez (with coloring by Lanning) and it seals the deal for being a gorgeous looking story. Now it does look a bit more like Gary Frank then Jimenez drawing this…..but that doesn’t mean anything as this is a fantastic story by all three men involved. Definitely worth the wait for it being released.

“The Kapas” (Story and Art by Brian Bolland): This is a very strange story at first; because you don’t know where it’s gonna go. Why Bolland chooses to focus on such a horrible torture of a prisoner and not the exciting rescue of an explorer is beyond me. But I think that is ultimately the point; as it shows what exactly goes on in life instead of comic book adventures. Bolland’s art is just as good as it ever was and the detail of the prisoner tip toeing every day is a great touch. Not as mindblowing as ‘Shoot’ but still an effective story none the less.

“Native Tounge” (Story by Brian Azzarello/Art by Esad Ribic): This story is a bit confusing I must admit. Azzarello’s tale of a reporter trying to discover aliens lost me a bit in some places. By the end of it I am still not sure what the overall message was. But it’s hard to complain when you have the amazing Esad Ribic doing the art. God I would so love to see Ribic do more interior work with his own coloring involved. It really looks like nothing else when Ribic does his own coloring. If anything, it’s the art that makes this a fantastic story to look at.

“New Toys” (Story by Grant Morrison/Art by Frank Quitely): Come on! It’s a Morrison/Quitely team up! How can this not be good? Luckily it is bloody brilliant as always by the duo. It’s a very disturbing look at toys, or maybe Morrison’s failed pitch to Pixar. Either way I just loved what Morrison did with the psyche of the toy soldier. Although Quitely doesn’t do much ‘wacky’ panel layouts or designs in this; it’s still Quitely! Just gorgeous stuff as always.

“Nosh and Berry and Eddie and Joe” (Story by Garth Ennis/Art by Jim Lee): Now here’s a creative team I didn’t expect to see together. Not to slight Ennis but this is the same old territory for him. Just a group of guys talking together, telling stories, be slightly disgusting, and then have a huge twist at the end. But this is still a well written story and it does give me the creeps at the end. Jim Lee, again, is an odd choice for this but it really does mesh well with Ennis’s script. Would love to see the two collaborate in the future.

“Diagnosis” (Story by Steven T. Seagle/Art by Tim Sale): I’m not a fan of Seagle to be quite honest. Never have I enjoyed anything he’s written that I have read. However, I really did enjoy this take at a mind (possibly) questioning to murder his wife. It’s ‘Silence of the Lambs’ like horro as we just see the fragile mind of this husband. Tim Sale really brings some fantastic art into this; sometimes going into ‘Lichenstein’ territory with the pencils. All of the artists bring their talents to each story; but this is the one where I think Sale did the most innovative techniques to tell the story. Great stuff.

“The Death of a Romantic” (Story by Peter Milligan/Art by Edward Risso): Not used to seeing Risso do such a calmer; less violent story in a comic. But he handles the script well with Milligan telling an innocent tale of a woman falling in love with a death poet. It’s a bit creepy; but I can see this actually work as a comedy of sorts. It’s like Milligan’s take on ‘Sex in the City’ but with dead people. Overall a nice, seemingly calmer story then some of the more bloody and creepy stories.

“It Takes a Village” (Story and Art by Bill Willingham): Speaking of lighthearted; not this is was a funny short about a mayor getting a monster for his village. It’s kinda like Fables, as it takes the monster approach in films and does a completel 180 on it. The art by Willingham is pretty good as well; I’d love to see him do more if he has the time. Easily the funniest story out of the bunch…..well that is meant to be at least.

“Resolve” (Story by Bruce Jones/Art by Bernie Wrightson and Tim Bradstreet): This is the month for Wrightson as we get another fantastic series of pages with horror elements by him. I don’t believe he had the chance to finish it so Bradstreet does some of the finishes I believe. Either way it’s in the ballpark with both men as this is a genuinally disturbing horror story. I haven’t been disgusting in a story in quite a while…..But Jones does a really disgusting story about a woman and a seemingly ‘normal’ man. A nice way to end the overall one-shot as a whole.