Billi 99 is a hard story to nail down. It has elements of vigilante justice right out of Zorro and Batman, a story of corporate malfeasance that resonates especially strongly in a post-Enron era and plenty of character drama as well. At times, Byam's story feels a little unfocused or unclear as a result, but in general these disparate influences and approaches make for a gripping narrative. Byam's story is backed up by artwork from Tim Sale, whose work is every bit as impressive in gray shades as it is in color, and even though the artwork is ten years old, it holds up remarkably well in comparison to his modern work.
Byam has set Billi 99 in a world that is slightly futuristic, where the division between haves and have-nots has grown to noticeable proportions. It's remarkable and frightening how the setting and events could easily take place in the modern era, as the technology and social divisions all seem well within the realities of post-millennial corporate culture. While the character of Euchre is a little more depraved in terms of his predilection for serial murder, the cold-hearted corporate raider of Vey Hunder is someone who seems all too real, and the notion of a change in corporate culture as a result of foul play makes for an interesting and realistic central plot.
While the central plot has to do with who murdered Billi's father and the change in the Chadam corporation as a result, there are a lot of side stories going on related to that story as well. The investigation of a moral cop, the legacy of a costumed hero, a murderer preying on desperate women forced into prostitution and a difficult romance all play their part in the story of Billi 99. One of my favorite parts of this graphic novel was seeing Chief Andrews pursuing Billi and trying to put the truth together. Like Jim Gordon in Batman: Year One, he stands out as a paragon of righteousness amongst corruption, and serves as an unexpected ally in the corridors of power for the hero. Don Quixote and Unk are also terrific supporting characters, and Quixote serves an important role in terms of providing context and hints of the future for what's happening to Billi.
However, while I enjoyed all of these side characters, it's Billi who really makes the story work. She's not perfect, but she's pure of heart, and her difficulties in trying to be one of the good guys in a situation where moral compromise is absolutely necessary are at times heartbreaking. Her role in the story varies depending on what part of the plot is going on, sometimes a pawn, sometimes the hero, sometimes gaining strength from others, sometimes providing the strength that others need. She is at once the damsel in distress for Unk or Anunzio and the light of hope for those in the Cordon, and though the confrontation with Euchre is her business, it's not something she could easily do without the aid of Chief Andrews.
Bringing this multi-layered story to life is Tim Sale's job, and he does it well. The amount of detail in the backgrounds is phenomenal, and the sense of grime and disuse in the Cordon is palpable. Sale always tailors his artwork to the particular job, whether it's the Norman Rockwell influence of Superman: For All Seasons, the Mazzuchelli style in Long Halloween or the Depression-era look of Daredevil: Yellow, and Billi 99 has a look all its own as well. I'm reminded both of Sale's work on Grendel and of the squalor of corporate slums in Robocop or other 80s and 90s era science-fiction as well. He also gets a lot of mileage out of the gray tones, giving the work a lot of depth and shading even without any color to help sculpt it.
