When reading comics it is common to find a world rather “universalized” by the creators in order to appeal to a more general audience. This often results in plenty of stereotyping and cleansed societies beyond the actual location of the comic.
Readers of critically acclaimed author Jason Aaron know that this isn’t the type of worlds he creates, at least not when he isn’t working on super hero titles like Thor, Wolverine, and Dr. Strange. Famous for his earlier title Scalped, a 60 issue series about life in a reserve in South Dakota, Aaron’s worlds are real and often go beyond stereotypes. When opening a creator-owned title by Aaron you step in the real life world.
Having grown up outside of Memphis, Tennessee, the South is one of Aaron’s favorite places to build worlds in, not to live in or ever return to. Joined by another Southerner, Jason Latour from Charlotte, NC, the duo wrote the perfect “Southern comic by Southerners” and managed to 1UP the stellar world building we know from Scalped.
Of course, Southern Bastards, does also deliver the compulsory BBQ ribs, but Latour’s drawings and Aaron’s writing bring a world much more realistic and grittier than most teams do when creating comics.
From the language to the confederal statue, from the signage on locations to the destitute state of a region in need of rebuilding after decades of poor management, the reality is in the detail and the Alabama of Craw County both take us to couldn’t feel more Southern.
Or suffocating.
In the world of comics many people follow the monthly beat of new issue releases and there’s a general attitude that so-called “trades”, which collect complete story arcs, are less geeky. Personally, I’m a big fan of reading full story arcs at once and thus continue to collect mostly “TPB” issues. Southern Bastards Vol.1: Here Was a Man is a perfect example of why I love reading complete arcs.
Where reading all four issues with a month in between could make the story feel deliberately slow, the trade totally changes the game. The collected first trade is a breathtaking story which barely gives its readers much time for a break, a breather even. Even not when enjoying some ribs or pecan pie with Earl Tubb, the former football player who returned to his paternal home in Craw County.
While Aaron revels in his story telling, Latour’s rough but emotive art fits the story and its tremendous pace perfectly. So well it’s actually almost impossible to separate both or recognize where the story telling end and the art begins, and vice versa. Rico Renzi’s colors, lush and sunburnt, complete the Southern look or how the reader will come to imagine Alabama from here on.
Life in Craw County revolves Coach Boss, who is aptly not shown but only alluded to in the first chapter of Here Was a Man, and the dark world which surrounds him. Upon his visit back home, to the empty house of his late father, Earl almost immediately gets drawn into the violence of Craw County. In a story which doesn’t let up he even becomes a contributor to it, matching the tone and habits of Coach Boss and his peons.
Without divulging much abut Earl, Aaron manages to let the readers discover enough about his character — and background — to develop sympathy for the old man and his acts. This is also due to the engagung dialogue which allows readers to get an insight in the complex characters in the series, even if many of them aren’t fully fleshed out or kept more in the background than a central character like Coach Boss should. The almost real life dialogue comes with more personality than your average reality celebrity.
Here Was a Man is the first of four story arcs in the Southern Bastards series (20 comics in total, 4 trades). In Aaron’s words, Southern Bastards is about a place you can love and hate and miss and fear all at the same time. He and Latour do a heck of a job delivering that message.
It is difficult to state anything else than that Southern Bastards is an amazing comic. It’s violent, it’s gritty, it’s full of assholes, and it’s Southern deep-fried. It’s a flipped middle finger to every redneck cliché and gets our highest possible recommendation.
The print version of Southern Bastards Vol.1 is available from Image Comics for $9.99. The digital version is available under ComiXology’s Unlimited plan, or for $3.99. The first chapter of Here Was a Man can be read online freely on the Image Comics site.
You too will want honey-cured barbecued ribs after reading Southern Bastards Vol.1: Here was a Man. And probably also a good Southern bourbon.
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