List of characters in 100 Bullets

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100 Bullets is a fictional crime drama published by DC Comics. As with other noir and pulp characters, both protagonists and antagonists of 100 Bullets are deeply flawed.[1]

Contents

[edit] The Trust

Main article: The Trust (100 Bullets)

[edit] Notable members

[edit] Augustus Medici

First appeared in issue #4. The Trust's most powerful member. Augustus is the de facto leader of the thirteen families and has plans to bring peace to the rivalries that plague the Trust. Since the death of Daniel Peres, Augustus became even more powerful and has consolidated his position by removing the Peres family from power. Other family heads are now plotting against him. Through Shepherd, Augustus monitored Graves and his schemes, as well as his son. Recent events have forced him to deal directly with Graves and accede to Lono's suggestion to pardon Kotias and Vasco for their participation in a failed scheme to assassinate him. It seems that his power is ever increasing, with all the remaining houses dominated by his position.

[edit] Benito Medici

First appeared in issue #20. Augustus' son and heir apparent, mentored by Mr. Shepherd, Benito is a spoiled and reckless young man with a seeming excess of luck who is more interested in gambling than in his responsibilities towards life or the future of the Trust. A botched attempt made on his life on the orders of Fulvio Carlito, as well as Mr. Shepherd's death later on, led him to reassess his priorities. He was pursued by Megan Dietrich but appeared enamored with Dizzy Cordova, who he tracked down to Mexico, with Wylie Times. After a stay with Lono's accrued Minutemen, and incapacitation at the hands of Victor Ray, Benito has been reminded of his importance within the De Medici Family, and to the Trust at large. Returning to the De Medici estate in Florida, Benito seems to have given his future inheritance more thought. He is seen planning the capture of the minutemen as a gift for his father. Last seen feeding the De Medici alligators, in a manner entirely similar to his father.

[edit] Megan Dietrich

First appeared in issue #4. The series' femme fatale; a charming, confident yet deadly member of the Trust. Megan had risen to become the head of the Dietrich family, also running the family securities firm following the death of her father. A seemingly staunch supporter of the House of Medici and a close friend of Augustus, Megan had a hidden agenda and was not above murder to protect her own interests, also displaying more than a passing interest in Benito Medici. Some time after unsuccessfully attempting to meet with Mr. Branch, she was shot in a failed assassination attempt in San Diego (in issue #66). Since then, she has "consummated" a partnership with Augustus Medici, who was able to convince Megan to not seek retribution for the attempt on her life.

[edit] Roland Dietrich

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #69 (in a flashback). Roland was Megan's father and the Head of the House of Dietrich around the time of the Atlantic City incident. He was present in the 1962 meeting at which he and Axel Nagel approved Graves's ascension to the role of Agent and leader of the Minutemen. He voted in favor of the Trust's dissolution of the Minutemen, on the advice of Graves and despite his reservations. Ultimately, this lead to his execution at the hands of the Minutemen in Atlantic City.

[edit] Javier Vasco

First appeared in issue #25. Javier Vasco's family has historically been viewed as aggressors within the Trust. They have had problems with the Nagel family which were dealt with by the Minutemen, but a rivalry is still evident. Javier is quite suspicious of the intentions of the House of Medici in restructuring the Trust and eliminating the Minutemen. He had formed a trio of dissent along with Helena Kotias and Fulvio Carlito, planning to eliminate Augustus Medici with the apparent agreement of Graves, in return for his reinstitution. Javier persuaded Axel Nagel to commit suicide, apparently as a consequence of some obligation.

[edit] Helena Kotias

(Deceased) First appeared in issue #25. Helena is unhappy with the leadership of the Trust. She is part of the alliance between the Kotias, Carlito and Vasco families determined to remove Augustus Medici from power. The trio recently met with Agent Graves, offering him to reinstitute the Minutemen in exchange for his help. It appears that Helena is a very close ally of Javier Vasco and Lono even refers to her House as a wing of the House of Vasco. Killed by Victor in issue #86.

[edit] Mia Simone

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #24. Another ally of Medici. Graves considered the Simones to be the weakest of the families of the Trust. Mia is close to both Megan Dietrich and the late Daniel Peres, and seems dismissive of the aggressive influence of the Vasco family within their organisation. She was killed by Remi Rome in issue #76 by being thrown out a window and landing on a car.

[edit] Mr. Vermeer

First appeared in issue #25. Not much is known about Mr. Vermeer, besides his last name. It is speculated that the House of Vermeer is in alliance with the House of Vasco after Mr. Vermeer and Javier Vasco approach Lars Nagel in issue #72.

[edit] Daniel Peres

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #23. Daniel Peres was head of the Peres family and powerful within the Trust. During a summit meeting, Peres delivered a message to Augustus Medici from Graves. Peres tried hard to prevent a war between the former close friends, but thanks to Graves and Cole Burns, became the next message to the Trust (in issue #25). The House of Peres was then absorbed by the other then-12 families.

[edit] Anwar Madrid

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #25. Father of Rose Madrid and a supporter of Augustus Medici in the elimination of the Minutemen, Anwar also had a personal ax to grind against the Trust's former soldiers. Wylie Times killed Anwar Madrid (in issue #56) shortly after being reactivated as a Minuteman.

[edit] Rose Madrid

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #52 (in a flashback). Daughter of Anwar Madrid and heiress to the House of Madrid, Rose was also secretly romantically involved with Minuteman Wylie Times. This relationship, which broke the rules of both the Trust and the Minutemen, was doom laden due to Rose's involvement with a conspiracy against the House of Medici.

[edit] Fulvio Carlito

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #25. Fulvio Carlito had been openly critical of the direction in which the Trust was heading. He had formed an alliance with the Kotias and Vasco families to terminate Augustus Medici. The trio induced Agent Graves to not interfere with the achievement of their goals. It was revealed that Carlito was behind a failed assassination attempt of both Augustus and Benito in Miami. Lono's first overt action as the Trust's new warlord was to capture and torture Fulvio for information concerning the alliance (in issue #65) and subsequently to eliminate the House of Carlito.

[edit] Axel Nagel

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #25. An elder member of the Trust, he seems as sceptical as Vasco about the abandonment of the Minutemen. His family apparently has had disagreements with the Vascos which had to be adjudicated by the Minutemen (presumably in a brutal fashion). He is considered an ally of the House of Medici and his family is based in New York City. Axel was instrumental in approving Graves' elevation as the head of the Minutemen in 1962. This was against the wishes of the Trust's then liaison, Mr. Shore, who distrusted Graves' closeness to the Houses of Medici and Vasco. He dies in issue #69 after willingly taking poison given by Vasco.

[edit] Lars and Anna Nagel

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #70, they are the twin heirs to the House of Nagel. Before they can fully decide who will lead the House of Nagel, Anna was deceived by Lono. After Lars finished an unexpected business dinner, Lono deceived Anna by telling her that Lars was trying to ally himself with the men who killed their father. Back at their hotel room, right before the truth was revealed, Lars unknowling took lethal pills that Anna set out. Upon finding out Lars was planning to give the House of Nagel to Anna, she tried to stop him from taking the lethal pills. Already too late, she willingly took the pills after her brother died.

[edit] Sigmar Rhone

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #25. Based in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Sigmar was a loving husband and father as well the head of the House of Rhone. Instantly recognisable by his white beard and love of cigars, he owned a casino, record label, media outlets as well as other business interests. He just received confirmation of the duplicity of Graves and other Trust leaders when he was forced to witness the cold blooded murder of his wife and children by the Minutemen, Victor Ray and Remi Rome.

[edit] Joan D'Arcy

First appeared in issue #25. The head of the House of D'Arcy was alleged to be allied to the House of Medici. In the wake of the elimination of eight Trust families, Joan D'Arcy approaches retired Minuteman Will Slaughter to perform a hit on an undisclosed target in order to protect her family.

[edit] The Minutemen

Led by Agent Graves, the Minutemen are seven killing machines who policed The Trust, originally thirteen rich, corrupt, and powerful families. Mr. Shepherd, himself a former Minute Man, trained Lono and Wylie personally though it is unknown if he trained the rest.

[edit] Past and present members

[edit] Agent Graves

The main protagonist of the series, Agent Graves (Philip Graves, homophone of "fill up graves") is a mysterious and enigmatic old man who presents wronged individuals with the opportunity for revenge without consequences. He is first introduced in the eight page story in the 1998 Vertigo Summer special "Silencer Night", before appearing in 100 Bullets issue #1. Graves is a man in his mid to late sixties who appears like a police or government agency official. He was the head of the Minutemen up until their apparent demise in Atlantic City. His true motives are unclear, but it is apparent that Graves is looking to avenge his betrayal by taking down the Trust. He retains his access to the attaché cases containing evidence of a crime, a gun and 100 untraceable bullets to give to whomever he pleases. He is always meticulous and calculating,rarely showing any outbursts of emotions. Although Graves does not appear in every issue or story arc, his presence dominates most of the action and intrigue that occurs in the book. It seems that he is in a weakened position due to the death of his attache supplier. The character was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Best Character in 2000.

[edit] Mr. Shepherd

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #2. An equally mysterious associate of Graves, Joseph Shepherd is a former Minuteman who became their trainer and liaison with the Trust when he was appointed as its Warlord. He consented to the Minutemen's dissolution but concealed five of the seven that were present at Atlantic City. His loyalties remained in a grey area as he maintained his own agenda somewhere between that of Graves' and the Trust's. Vying with Graves for control of Dizzy Cordova, he was mortally wounded when Wylie activated her, but managed to appoint Lono as his successor and entrust him with Loop's training before succumbing. He also cited Dizzy as a replacement for Milo, which suggests that his death may have been manipulated more than previously thought.

In the Tarantula story arc, Mr. Shepherd's origin story revealed him to be a park basketball player who had served in Vietnam before being dishonorably discharged. Agent Graves recruited Shepherd for the minutemen after being unable to prove Shepherd murdered a young man who the story indicates beat another man into a coma. Graves was impressed by his inability to determine how Shepherd killed the man or even rattle Shepherd whatsoever with intimidation. Graves' decision to recruit Shepherd appeared to be the last straw for Loop's father Curtis Hughes, who was excluded from the Minutemen because of his race, but had remained in service to Graves in the apparent hope that an exception would eventually be made if he proved himself capable and loyal.

[edit] Lono (aka "The Dog")

First appeared in issue #5. A dangerous, larger-than-life character; the series' most unredeemed character. Lono is a former Minuteman, the only one it seems that wasn't involved in the re-enactment of "The Greatest Crime in the History of Mankind". Lono is an ultra-violent, sadistic man who doesn't believe in "bad sex" (though, curiously, is thoroughly repulsed by the idea of anal sex). Lono was the only Minuteman not to be in Atlantic City, the reason being Shepherd needed him. Believing his comrades dead, Lono served his own self interests until Graves came back into his life. He was framed for robbing a bank by Shepherd at Graves' request and was tutoring Loop Hughes to join the seven. Before his death, Shepherd told Lono to work for Augustus as a warlord, revealing that he had never trained Lono to remain as a Minuteman. Lono has thrown himself into his new role with characteristic enthusiasm, covertly recruiting several ex-Minutemen as his team and seeking to recruit new ones such as Loop Hughes, he even tried to recruit Crete to his group. He anticipates that Graves will kill Augustus Medici, and he will have a position of considerable influence over Benito. He has ordered the elimination of Cole Burns.

Since he was not involved in the Atlantic City event, he did not need to be reactivated.

[edit] Milo Garret (aka "The Bastard")

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #27 (and previously, in a flashback sequence in issue #10). Milo was one of the most ruthless of the Minutemen, earning him the code name "The Bastard". After Atlantic City he became a hard boiled and heavy drinking private detective. Re-awakened by a stolen painting, in a case involving Megan Dietrich, Milo was unwilling to re-adjust to life as a Minuteman, preferring his new life and all that it involved to the prospect of returning to Graves' fold. To that end, he engineered his own demise at Lono's hand, the full story only becoming clear to Milo in his dying seconds. He seems to have been good friends with Lono. This can be seen when Lono seems visibly distraught when he realised that he killed Milo.

Reactivated in issue #34 after seeing the painting "La Morte dil Cesare" in Megan Dietrich's house.

[edit] Cole Burns (aka "The Wolf")

First appeared in issue #9. Cole was the first one seen to be reactivated, shortly after he accepted Graves' offer to avenge his grandmother's untimely death. Prior to his rebirth, he was an ice cream salesman and was running small deals for a local racketeer. He had a girlfriend, Sasha, but recent events have left anything between them finished. Cole has been described as Graves "right hand man" and is fiercely loyal to him even when not fully understanding Graves plan. This loyalty has led him to kill Daniel Peres and assisting Remi Rome in the killing of Mia Simone. He has since become disillusioned about Graves plans. He then met up with Jack and Loop and seemed to be considering changing sides. However he has since been subjected to termination by Lono, it is not yet known if Cole will meet his demise or not.

Reactivated in issue #9 when a rock musician, paid by Graves, whispered the word "Croatoa" to Cole. He was fully "awakened" after his ice cream truck exploded and he caught the blast.

[edit] Wylie Times (aka "The Point Man")

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #28 (and previously, in a flashback sequence in issue #10). A seemingly unimportant gas station attendant and part time smuggler in El Paso, Texas, Wylie was once thought to be the most intelligent and focused of the Minutemen, as well as the most skilled of the group and the leader. Graves offered to Wylie an attaché whose contents implicated Shepherd in the murder of Rose Madrid, a deceased girlfriend of his and a Trust family member. He attracted the attention of Dizzy Cordova after an unsuccessful attempt by Shepherd to reactivate him, and had been since lugging the attaché for some time, living as a waster in El Paso. Reactivated by Graves in New Orleans, he briefly flared with purpose in order to confront his demons, finally making peace with Shepherd shortly before the latter was slain. He has since reverted to being a waster, tagging along behind Dizzy in the Mexican desert. Wylie told Graves off when Graves requested he bring Dizzy into the fold and was forced to kill Coochie and his men when they confronted him upon Graves' orders. Wylie, after encountering Victor Ray, decided to meet Graves and exchanged words with Cole and Remi, suggesting he had figured out Graves' plan, mentioning that Graves was possibly attempting an atonement for a dark deed in his past, and that it might involve the death of a lover. Tragically, Remi mistook Wylie's reaching for matches as him going for a gun and shot his former leader through the chest. Graves rushed to him in shock and horror, but it was too late to save him. As Wylie died, he had a vision of Rose coming to greet him.

Reactivated in issue #53 by a musician telling him the title of a song he created, in which Agent Graves suggested the title "Blue Day for Croatoa".

[edit] Victor Ray (aka "The Rain")

First appeared in issue #50, where he recounted the story of Roanoke and the origins of the Trust (and previously, in a flashback sequence in issue #10). Graves activated Victor while on his way to meet Dizzy in Chicago for the first time, although this fact is revealed later on in the series. Since then Victor has been involved in a diamond heist gone wrong but remained unaffiliated with the rest of the Minutemen, for reasons known only to him and Graves. Recruited by Lono and Loop shortly after they were released from prison, he carried out the assassination attempt on Megan Dietrich in San Diego with poise and precision and escaped unnoticed. It was later revealed in issue #79 that Lono engineered the purposely botched assassination attempt to solidify power. Victor has since deserted Lono's group in Mexico in favor of Graves, apprehending Branch and Dizzy and leaving an unconscious Benito for his former comrades. "The Rain" struck again in issue #84, gunning down the wife, children, and associates of the Rhone faction, just before taking care of Sigmar Rhone himself.

Though the killing of the Rhone children is a brutal crime, the exact triggerman of the Victor/Remi pair is left ambiguous. In issue #86, Victor's rescue of a child may be an indication of his uninvolvement with killing the kids. However, it is equally unclear as to whether the child's rescue was the purpose of his attack (issue #86), or just a happy by-product. Whatever the case, The Rain has consistently shown an utter control of his emotions. His callousness does not in the least interfere with his extreme intelligence or precision in executing his missions. Victor is also a highly accurate shot, able to shoot Megan Dietrich just above the heart, as ordered. This complete control of his emotions and his incredible skill with killing has possibly made him the most dangerous Minuteman. Example of this can be seen when he subdues Dizzy, Benito and Mr. Branch even when the latter had a gun pointed to the back of his head.

Reactivated off-screen before issue #1 by Agent Graves whispering the word into his ears before he first approached Dizzy.

[edit] Jack Daw (aka "The Monster")

First appeared in issue #21 (and previously, in a flashback sequence in issue #10). Jack was once a Minuteman, but his life became ruled by heroin. Jack was given an attaché by Graves that essentially prompted him to commit suicide, as it was (apparently) the only one containing a picture of its recipient. After receiving the attaché, Jack carried on with his life of crime and addiction, but following a run in with a zoo full of wild animals being hunted by the mafia, Jack has kicked the habit and is lying low, bareknuckle boxing in Atlantic City. Graves is openly scornful of the waste that Jack has made of his life and seems reluctant to reactivate him before he fully overcomes his self-destructive tendencies. Lono has since reactivated him, but whether or not this was under instruction from Shepherd, Graves or his own inclination is unknown. Jack is physically the largest of all the minutemen which makes him able to inflict and sustain large amounts of damage, even when boxing the powerful Lono. Lono has stated that Jack is capable of taking on any other minutemen.

Reactivated in issue #68/69 when Lono got the word Croatoa tattooed onto his stomach and approached Jack.

[edit] Remi Rome (aka "The Saint")

First appeared in the flashback sequence in issue #10 with his full appearance in issue #70. The seventh was concealed by Graves himself, following the Atlantic City incident, for a purpose as yet unknown. Following an assault on meat thieves, Remi has gone back into the fold and is shown to be remarkably sadistic, displaying cruel tendencies on the level of Lono, as when he volunteered to kill Mia Simone. In Mexico, Remi is responsible for murdering Wylie Times when he ostensibly mistook Wylie's reaching for matches to be going for a gun. The subsequent elimination of the Rhone faction culminated in the murder of Rhone's family, and mistress (both of which Sigmar Rhone watched, helplessly, until his own elimination occurred). Remarkable to this is the presence of Rhone's children at the scene of the crime, all killed with precise, purposeful shots by Remi and Victor. There also seems to be some bitterness between Remi and Cole as they both go out of their way to insult the other. Remi seems to annoy lots of people with his couldn't care less attitude, even Graves who confronted him violently about this.

Reactivated in issue #73 by Bobby after Agent Graves paid a bum to write "Croatoa" in the snow on Remi's car.

[edit] Will Slaughter

First appeared in issue #87. A retired Minuteman, Slaughter has been working as a contract killer in order to support his young wife and three girls. According to himself, his replacement as a Minuteman was his own son. He has recently been brought back into the activities of the Trust by Joan D'Arcy, following the elimination of three Trust heads within one week. He is next seen killing a mysterious figure named mr. Rothstein on behalf of the trust.

[edit] Minutemen in training

[edit] Dizzy Cordova (aka "The Girl")

First appeared in issue #1. The first person to be visibly approached by Graves, Dizzy was an ex-gangbanger who accepted his offer to avenge the deaths of her husband and child at the hands of crooked cops, after her release from prison. She was subsequently recruited by Shepherd on behalf of Graves and sent to Paris, ostensibly to be briefed by a reticent Mr. Branch on the nature of her employers. Dizzy was undergoing training by Shepherd to replace Milo as a Minuteman (perhaps the first female one), and was contested for control between Shepherd and Graves, until her -apparently accidental- activation by Wylie led to Shepherd's death at her hands. Grief stricken, she sought solace in the desert surrounding Juárez and was soon to be confronted by the attentions of three men. Following Wylie's death, she was taken to Graves by Victor Ray, and, for reasons as yet unrevealed, has agreed to become a Minuteman, working for him calling herself 'The Girl'.

[edit] Loop Hughes (aka "Lil Hughes")

First appeared in issue #15. Loop was a relatively well adjusted teenager living in Philadelphia, foregoing the gangster life-style of his peers. He was re-united with his estranged father, Curtis, and was tutored by him for a short while, thanks to an attaché from Graves. He reconciled his differences with his father before Curtis' death, but was soon after fingered for murder by Graves and sent to prison, after declining an offer to work for him. While imprisoned, he was trained to become a Minuteman under Lono, at Mr. Shepherd's request. The two were released following Shepherd's death, who had an unfinished agenda requiring their attention. His first assignment was to act as spotter for Victor Ray in the assassination attempt on Megan Dietrich. With Lono promoted to Warlord, it seems that Loop has found a third mentor in Victor. He was last seen being ordered to kill Cole by Lono, and is currently MIA.

[edit] Supporting characters

[edit] Mr. Branch

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #12. Branch was a journalist who was offered the attaché by Graves. He chose to investigate the origins of Graves' power and uncovered the existence of the Trust. This earned him a traumatic visit from Lono, as well as an encounter with Shepherd, who revealed to him the history of the Trust and the Minutemen. Branch fled to Paris, and continued to research his obsession at great personal risk. He was briefly scared off the case by Cole Burns during Dizzy Cordova's visit to Paris, but developed an infatuation for her, which led him to accept a dangerous request by Megan Dietrich to return to the States. Diverted from meeting with Megan, he was compelled by Cole to track down Echo Memoria in Europe, but reneged on the deal in order to chase after Dizzy. Recently, he formed a plan with Wylie and lost a finger to Victor Ray. He met his end in Atlantic City in issue #88.

[edit] Coochie

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #29, his real name is Mik Kuchenko. A rough but earnest smuggler and gunrunner based in Juárez (and apparently a good judge of character), Coochie is an old friend of Shepherd who becomes acquainted with Dizzy and Wylie during a border crossing gone wrong and provides them with shelter when they drift across the border again after Shepherd's death, later in the series. Displaying the same equanimity, he also leads Mr. Branch and Benito Medici to confront Dizzy, during a loaded moment between her and Wylie. He was terminated in issue #77 by Wylie Times.

[edit] Crete

First appeared in issue #23. Crete is the silent and bulky, but preternaturally quick, bodyguard of Augustus Medici. He recently declined Lono's attempt to recruit him as warrior in service to the Trust at large, preferring instead to continue to provide his services to the House of Medici.

[edit] Curtis Hughes

(Deceased)

First appeared in issue #15. Curtis is the father of Loop Hughes. He left his family when Loop was very young, and was working as a collections man for small time mobster Rego in Philadelphia. Curtis is a past acquaintance and operative of Graves, and he enjoyed at least token respect from most of the Minutemen. He was selected by Graves to become one himself, but the Trust blocked his appointment because he was black. He became acquainted with his son, whom he mentored for a brief period of time, thanks to Graves, but refused Graves' offer of an attaché and another chance to become a Minuteman in his old age. Curtis was killed by Rego's henchmen in an arson attack.

[edit] Echo Memoria

First appeared in issue #26. An art thief of Italian origin, Echo was first seen in Paris, touting herself as a prostitute to Branch in order to extract information about the Trust from him. She was next seen being investigated by Milo Garret. She disappeared with Lono, but grew bored with him and left. She was arrested at the airport, trying to buy a plane ticket with some of the stolen money that was used by Shepherd to set Lono up. She was apparently released from custody and, according to Cole Burns, has since returned to Europe. However she was in Atlantic City in issue 88 talking to Mr. Branch before he was killed.

[edit] Ronnie Rome

First appearance in issue #70. Brother of Remi Rome, he was an enforcer for small time mobster Mimo Pallidino. Ronnie was handed an attaché from Agent Graves, with Remi as his target. Remi found the attaché before it could be used, and confronted Ronnie about it but the gun was not used until a gun battle between the Rome brothers and meat thieves. Following the assault, Remi disappeared and Ronnie was eventually confronted by Agent Graves. Graves has seen to make use of Ronnie, sending him to Italy to recover La Morte dil Cesar. Ronnie has since delivered the painting to Cole Burns.

His current status has been left ambiguous, as he was last seen with Cole holding a gun to his head (#88).

[edit] Mr. Rothstein

(Deceased)

A very well-connected arms dealer with ties to local organized law enforcement, FBI, CIA and "higher". He was an ally of Graves, providing him with the attaches as well as the untraceable bullets. He was tortured and killed by Will Slaughter in issue #91 at Joan D'Arcy's request, thus terminating Graves' game.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mclaughlin, Jeff (2005). Comics as Philosophy. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781578067947. 

[edit] External links