Unraveling the West’s Dark Secrets: David Lapham’s Stray Bullets Vol. 2

I spent the day with my grandkid and walked my loyal hound, and now’s the moment to cap this weekend with David Lapham’s Stray Bullets Vol. 2: Somewhere Out West. Snagged it from the library a few weeks ago, and I’ve slowly been making my way through the book. And tonight’s the night I read the last chapter. Been savoring every twist, every page, and every panel.

Somewhere Out West hides a town, a blink-and-you-miss-it desert pit, where folks bank on an earthquake, turning sand into prime beachfront. There, three desperate buddies dodge the Mob and a runaway kid, all wrestling with the ghosts of their pasts. They join forces against the internal demons, facing off against a corrupt cesspool of vice, vice, and more vice. Eventually, their dark history catches up, pushing them to make gut-wrenching calls.

Lapham is a master at his craft, favoring an audacious eight-panel grid. Bold move, but me? I’m all about that nine-panel grid. The setup, beat, payoff structure — works like a charm.

Bittersweet seeing this tale ride off into the sunset, but the third volume’s waiting at the downtown library. Check out your local library for Stray Bullets, or drop some cash for your copy.

Huge shoutout to the folks at Supercontext for turning me onto Lapham. A real public service.