Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love and Murder

Barnstormers (Comixology Originals) #1-5

by Scott Snyder, Tula Lotay (Illustrator)

A high-flying, post WWI-era historical fiction graphic novel that’s an intimate portrait of love and war—and a meditation on the dangerous level of trust required in both romance and aviation.

It’s 1927—the late days of the barnstorming era, when pilots competed with each other by performing deadlier and more wondrous feats. Injured pilot Hawk E. Baron is back from the frontlines of the war. Still a young man, he’s an adventurer who lives his life traveling from town to town in his plane entertaining folks—most of whom have never seen a car, let alone a plane.

His world changes when he meets Tillie, a young woman who shares his passion for aviation and adventure. They become a traveling act, delighting folks with their antics. Tillie even becomes Hawk’s wing-walker, climbing out on the wing of the plane mid-flight to perform death-defying acrobatics. 

When they learn they are suspected of a horrific crime, their journey becomes an even deadlier race against time. Along the way they bond, confessing their secrets, and begin a romance in this lush, character-driven series that explores the early days of aviation and the evolving relationship and romance between two young pilots.

This Bonnie and Clyde romp brings together writer Scott Snyder ( We Have Demons ) and the breathtaking illustrations of Tula Lotay ( Blue Rose )—her longest sequential work to date.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Historical Fiction, Romance, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Adventure

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2024

About the author

Scott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best thing Snyder's written in quite a while. Tula Lotay's gorgeous artwork doesn't hurt either. The book is about a stunt pilot of the 20's who meets a girl looking to get away from her life. They end up flying from town to town performing stunts while making money however they can. Snyder is still too verbose, with lots of exposition that's sometimes tough to read due to being set right on the art without a separate background box. That issue aside a had a good time with this story of Bonnie and Clyde in the skies.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really just an aerial Bonnie and Clyde-style story though pre-Depression era, the real attraction here is the luminous art by Tula Lotay as Our Heroes are more than a little light in the characterization department.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barnstormers is really fun with beautiful, stunning artwork, though you'll not be surprised by a lick of it. (Okay, well, maybe you'll be surprised by the random evil robot that shows up in the first issue, but it's quickly explained away in bland fashion.) The story follows barnstormer Hawk E. Baron as he lands in the wrong place, picks up a girl, and picks up an enemy. Hawk and girl race across the country with the bad man (and a reluctant Pinkerton) on their heels.

The reluctant Pinkerton narrates, dully. So much exposition wasted on obvious foreshadowing, in true Scott Snyder fashion. Fortunately, the bones of the fast-moving story hold up and the artwork tugs you along. I enjoyed Barnstormers but a surprise or two would have been welcome.

[Scotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story and excellent artwork. Beginning of book has some really bad writing to get through though. It improves a little ways in

[Matthew Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great character work and beautiful art. Classic love/crime story feeling that takes you back to this era decades ago very well. Great stuff from Snyder and Lotay!

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Snyder goes a more realistic approach to this one. The story is a historical fiction adventure set in the 1920s, a true high-flying "Bonnie and Clyde" tale. Hawk E Baron is a pilot who becomes a barnstormer. That's basically putting on a show in small towns and people watch and pay you with a plane. Mix that with his traumatic fucked up past in World War I, and you can see this poor guy has gone through hell. He's haunted by visions and trying to outrun the demons of his past.

He crashes a wedding but meets a woman named Tillie, and she asks him to take her with him. Tillie is escaping a miserable arranged marriage to the son of a wealthy and powerful family. They leave, thus the hunt to get them back by a vicious husband begins. The pursuit is led by a determined detective hired by Tillie's family, turning their cross-country flight into a desperate race against the law and a powerful foe. It's a fun cat and mouse story, some excellent art, and well done dialogue. Sometimes it drags a bit, with TOO much talking but when it hits, it is great.

A 3.5 out of 5. I'll bump it to a 4.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great art and cool look into post WW1 life. Pinkerton agents, barnstorming, high society parties, romance, Bonny & Clyde. It's got it all.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his latest publication from Dark Horse, Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love and Murder, Scott Snyder reunites with Tula Lotay, who drew an issue for his All-Star Batman series. Set in 1927, during the late days of the barnstorming era, when pilots competed by performing deadlier and more wondrous feats, the story centers on the injured pilot Hawk E. Baron, back from the frontlines of the war. Yearning for adventure, Baron lives his life traveling from town to town in his plane entertaining folks, until one day he crashes into a wedding, where he meets the bride Tillie, a young woman who wishes to escape her old life and share in Hawk’s passion for aviation and adventure. And as the title suggests, there is love and there is murder.

Please click here for my full review.

[shaw rosen]

Great Noir Story

Wonderful, romantic tale of two stunt fliers in the 1920s, running from an unjust and relentless pursuit. Unfolds like a 1940s film noir. The art is perfect for the theme.

[Estibaliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, albeit a bit stereotypical, 'Barnstormers' excels when it comes to the gorgeous art and the whole setting and background, really evocative.

However, there was a couple of minor hitches that prevented it from being 5 stars great. One surprisingly being the aforementioned gorgeous art, that it felt a bit still at times in its preciosity; plus the two main characters seemed to be strongly inspired in some of Hollywood greatest stars, with Bix sometimes looking like James Dean, while others he seemed to be an Elvis Presley or Cary Grant lookalike, which felt a bit inconsistent.

Plus that's my other minor problem with this graphic novel: character development. While I found the detective to be my favorite character, both the bad guy and the main couple seemed to be quite unidimensional at times, and with this story resting so heavily in said characters, you can see how that can be a bit of a letdown.

But, all in all, a pretty sweet story, certainly not the worst by Scott Snyder (though not the best either).

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/barnstormers-a-ballad-of-love-and-murder-by-tula-lotay-and-scott-snyder/

Gorgeous story, set in 1923, where a stunt pilot and a runaway bride fly across the south-eastern United States, bringing havoc and romance in their wake. Tula Lotay’s art is particularly gorgeous and sensuous, and suits the sultry climate of the setting perfectly. There’s a Bonnie and Clyde vibe, and evil detectives, and everything. Great fun.

[Josh Helgeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant period piece story of romance, intrigue, chase, beautiful words, and the ending, while predictable, was whole satisfying. I will read this plenty more times. This is one of those books I could hear and smell as I read it. Just wonderful

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is something completely different, which is always fun. Solid story with great art by Tula Lotay. Love the ending too.

[Lucy Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art in this is beautiful, but the romance aspect felt rushed.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love and Murder collects issues 1-3 of the Dark Horse Comics and Comixology series written by Scott Snyder, art by Tula Lotay, and colors by Dee Cunniffe.

A young pilot trying to make a name and career for himself accidentally crashes (literally) a wedding. After being strung up in the barn by the groom, the bride-to-be rescues the pilot and the duo run off together. The duo perform amazing aerial feats during the day, wowing crowds as they travel from city-to-city, stealing from the rich and the elite as they go.

Snyder and Lotay craft their own version of Bonnie and Clyde set in the sky. The duo here are not near as violent as Bonnie and Clyde but still get up to a fair amount of trouble. Snyder wonderfully captures the era and the two’s blossoming love. Lotay and Cunniffe provide an absolutely beautiful book, presented in physical form with really thick paper, highlighting the gorgeous art. My one small stickler with the art was that it did not do a great job of capturing action. Each panel looks like a still shot of a posed subject instead capturing any fluidity. Still, it’s a small complaint on a book that’s extremely unique.

[Alex Sarll]

Scott Snyder's run of Comixology Originals continues, but while the results of the first wave were variable, to me this one always looked the most exciting of the bunch. Tula Lotay's invariably gorgeous art, applied to the daring aviators of the Good Twenties? Sold! And that was before I even knew about the killer robot. It's the story of Hawk F Baron, pilot extraordinaire – at least by his own account, though the takings from his recent engagements aren't so great. Still, this next town is going to be a good one, he can tell. Except that right from the start, a narrator as yet unseen is telling the reader otherwise:
"Three weeks from now, when it's all over, with the papers damning him to hell, Hawk will be asked about this moment. If he could go back, would he bring the plane down? Knowing what he knew mow. With all the mayhem to come... Would he STILL land?
In answering, he won't even hesitate. Not for a second.
"Heck yeah," he'll say. "I'd go back and do everything just the same this very minute if I could."
Then he'll add, almost as an afterthought...
"I mean, everything except the murder."

By the end of the first issue he's been disgraced, beaten up and imprisoned, and as he makes it back to his plane, someone he really wasn't expecting to see there wants a lift. Which is too much for Hawk, who ultimately mutters "You don't want to get mixed up with me. I'm not... I'm not a good guy."
To which she, looking hot as hell with a shotgun in her hand, replies "You promise?"

That's all in the first issue, not all of which was being entirely honest. But there's more to come; an old Pinkerton, not sure how the hell a detective agency became strikebreakers and minders of shiny gewgaws for the rich; one of said rich, who is very drunk and possibly mad but still has a surprisingly compelling theory about why neon lighting ups anxiety levels. Without which, sure, it might have felt slight. But really that's all just a framework on which to hang Tula Lotay art reminding us that there was once a time when flight meant freedom and adventure, instead of departure lounges and pollution.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barnstormers is a romantic drama meets crime caper period-piece by Scott Snyder and Tula Lotay. Set in the 1920's, the story follows the wayward pilot Hawk E. Baron, AKA Bix, who falls in love with a woman named Tillie on the day she is to be married to someone else. The pair run away together, flying from one place to another as they avoid Tillie's groom-to-be and the Pinkerton agents that are working with him. It's Bonnie & Clyde meets barnstorming, and it's a pretty fun read.

Tula Lotay's artwork is vibrant and maintains a cinematic quality that fits the era and setting well. There is a haziness to the colors that give the artwork a bit of an antiquated look that is a perfect fit for this kind of story. The splotchy uses of color give an uncontrolled, imprecise look to the art, but it works really well to not make the work look overly photorealistic. The story itself was serviceably enjoyable, but the artwork is stunning from start to finish.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is a gorgeously illustrated (the cover image is indicative of what you will find inside) story set in prohibition south. The two main characters are very flawed in a Bonnie and Clyde sort of way, though far less mercenary and deadly.

Story: Hawk E Baron is trying to drum up business as a stunt pilot just as States are beginning to pass laws against it. When he does an impromptu performance over a small crowd in the South, he has a snafu and his plane wrecks what he thought was a party area for him. Unfortunately, the crowd wasn't there to watch him and were in the middle of a wedding. Hawk is beaten and locked up in a barn for authorities to find in the morning. Except he is helped to escape by the bride herself and together they run away and end up performing shows and perhaps doing some small larceny from the rich along the way. But the bride's husband has hired a Pinkerton detective to track Hawk and the runaway bride Tillie down - and neither are people that Hawk and Tillie should cross.

There are several angles to the story but the primary one is that the plot is told through the Pinkerton detective's perspective in addition to Hawk's. The detective is a realist and, like Hawk, is recognizing that their eras have passed and the world is changing (both Pinkerton and barnstorming). He will bring his own thoughts about the couple as we follow the two in their desperate plight to stay ahead of the those pursuing them, make enough money to survive, and make it to Cuba.

I felt the story was engaging and liked that the two main characters were nuanced and dealing with their own demons. The spirit of the late 1920s was nicely captured and we were given enough backstory to really care about all the characters. In a way, this is much better than a spiritual twin to The Rocketeer - it eschews the 80s toxic masculinity and male fantasy obsession for a much more grounded and pathos-driven story.

The artwork is exquisite - every page a joy. The action was very easy to follow and I enjoyed how the panels were arranged and presented. Even if the story had been poor (which it wasn't), the artwork alone is worth the price of this book. I especially appreciated that the looks/clothing/milieu/dialogue felt very period correct.

In all, I greatly enjoyed this book. The story may not cover new ground but it is well done and matched perfectly by excellent art. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Bruno Menetrier]

Ambiance années 20 pour cette aventure aérienne de Bix et Tillie, les Bonnie and Clyde des airs. Le dessin glamour de Tula Lotay, très original, vaut à lui seul le baptême de l'air.

Le barnstorming c'était le cirque volant que pratiquaient dans les années 20, les pilotes US démobilisés de la première guerre mondiale, les fous volants : cascades et prouesses étaient exécutées en plein ciel pour épater les fermiers du monde rampant (et récolter quelques subsides grâce aux baptêmes de l'air qui étaient proposés).

L'américain Scott Snyder (venu des comics US) signe un scénario qui nous emmène survoler les champs de sorgho et de soja US que viennent rehausser les superbes dessins de Tula Lotay alias Lisa Wood (une dame, c'est peu fréquent et il faut le souligner).
Leur collaboration date des années 2010 avec la série "American Vampire" et en 2023, ils ont produit "Barnstormers", une série en ligne [Comixology désormais Amazon] dont est tiré l'album papier d'aujourd'hui, adapté des premiers épisodes.
La superbe colorisation est signée par l'irlandais Dee Cunniffe.

Lui, c'est l'as des pilotes, Hawk E. Baron (ou Bix Huckett c'est selon). Glorieux héros, beau gosse et bon pilote de sa Jenny (le surnom du Curtiss JN4), du moins jusqu'à que son avion s'écrase au beau milieu d'une réception de noces.
Elle, c'est la mariée, Tillie (ou Petra Zolatskyi, c'est selon), une brune fatale qui, du haut des talons de ses santiags, renvoie toutes les blondes au vestiaire.
« [lui] - Je ne suis pas ... un mec bien.
[elle] - Tu me le jures ? »
Et hop, c'est parti pour un « périple qui va terroriser certaines des plus riches familles du pays, et qui laissera cent onze cadavres », excusez du peu.
Mais les années 20 c'est aussi le temps de l'agence Pinkerton et un de leurs agents se retrouve bientôt aux trousses de Bix et Tillie, les Bonnie and Clyde des airs.
Alors on espère très fort que ça finira peut-être pas si mal que ça, et on voudrait bien croire « qu'ils sont trop hauts pour être atteints, trop rapides pour être pris. »

On est vraiment emballé par le dessin de Tula Lotay aux influences multiples : comics, roman photo, affiches de spectacles ou de cinéma, ...
Et le côté glamour qui sied à cette histoire tragique mais terriblement romantique, est rehaussé par une colorisation qui rappelle les effets obtenus à l'aérographe.

À tel point que le scénario, plutôt classique, de Scott Snyder ne semble là que pour permettre à la dessinatrice de déployer tout son talent. Mais sur fond de lutte des classes, un vent de liberté souffle suffisamment fort pour bousculer les conventions et l'intrigue se révèle d'une finesse inattendue, dépassant largement le simple hommage nostalgique à l'ambiance désuète des films d'antan.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.0]
A Bonnie and Clyde story with some airplane daredevilry. Good and sometimes great art with a nice retro feel. The first issue was, unfortunately, the best. It created a pull and a promise of something a bit unique in the comics space.

It was interesting enough and stands out, but neither the story nor the art managed to create much emotion in me. I didn’t care enough how the story would end - in part because it was spoiled in issue 1. I don’t understand why writers do that. Is there a certain reader that, after reading a story, thinks to themselves “That was a great and memorable story, but the only thing I miss about it is that they didn’t spoil the ending early on”? There must be, since this is a trope I’ve come across more than a couple of times.

There seemed to be some confusion about what to focus on. There were some elements, that seemed important initially, that were only explored briefly, and some jumping between different characters to focus on. It was uncharacteristically, for Snyder, not a very tightly written piece.

In the end, it’s a decent story about rebellion, adventure and love. I had hoped for something more exciting, tight, emotional and memorable

[Nate]

A high-flying Bonnie and Clyde adventure set in 1927. Planes, a runaway bride, crime, high society parties, pinkertons, guns, even a killer robot that may or may not be real... it's all here and it's all fun. The art by Tula Lotay is wonderful, perfectly evoking the time period. The cover gives you an exact idea of what’s on the inside. And I like Snyder's writing here, it doesn't overwhelm like his stuff often does, it gives you just what's needed. It's a clean script that knows to let the art shine. On the flipside, that means there's not enough meat to the story. It's a very quick read, too quick I think. But all the adventure and flying generally makes up for it.

Now, can Lotay draw one of Garth Ennis’ aerial war comics?

[Holly Cruise]

A melancholic, noir-ish short series about a barnstormer, a stunt pilot, in the 1920s, the runaway bride he encounters, and the Pinkterton chasing a trail of murder and destruction. This is an enjoyable riff on familiar noir themes, and as someone who likes a nice, gnarly noir, it was a fun read.

Where this comic really shines is in the art. Lotay has a very lush if slightly disorientating style, which adds a layer of unsettling unreality to her expressive, almost pin-up stylised, characters. This and the colour work give a dreamlike quality to proceedings which elevates this above a lot of other noir comics.

[Roberto Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A match made in heaven

This collaboration between Scott Snyder an Tula Lotay is tha plain and simple.

Snyder inserts a little of his horror sensibility to set tje reader kind of off, but this is an attempt at a period puece romance, and it deliver.

This now is in my top five with other projects of Snyder in his amazon comic run

1.Clear (with Francis Manapul)
2. Canary (with Dan Panosian)
3. Night of the Ghoul (with Francesco Fracavilla)
4. Barnstormers (with Tula Lotay)
5. We have Demons (with Greg Capullo)

A recomendation.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A noir outside of the city. A pilot with a secret history. An unwilling bride. A jealous, wealthy husband. A Pinkerton agent who wants to be a detective again. Set in the late 1920's, when barnstormers would travel and put on shows.

I don't like the art style, with it's off-register, feathery colors. Integral parts of the story, I couldn't tell what was happening. The close-ups on all of the male chatacters looked the same. Only when they're in the same panel together can I tell a difference. The story would work as a movie.

[Evy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am doubting a bit between three and four stars.
The storyline is a bit thin, there is not so much happening, in terms of different, consecutive actions. We are following a runaway, and all the misfortune that comes from that. I was not charmed with the perspective also, for me it killed the mood a bit.
I really liked the art and the colours. It feels super unique and is really attractive. There is a lot of play with light and dark and a certain ‘blurred’ look.
I enjoyed it, but the story is less captivating then the art.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me l'avevo consigliato il mio fumettaio di fiducia.

Dalla storia mi aspettavo qualcosa di meglio, ma son solo due che ragazzi che scappano per salvarsi la vita. Anche se, devo dire, il finale mi è piaciuto.

Ma i disegni... Non so come pensare di questi disegni. Da un lato mi sembrano troppo digitali e finti. Riconosco che ci siano delle belle tavole ma, in generale, lo stile mi ha disturbato tanto quanto la semplicità della storia.

Va beh, però almeno c'era un po' di originalità con tutta la storia dei barnstormer.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is definitely the best out of Snyder’s comixology originals so far, it’s also frustrating that it’s so close to being amazing (though I felt much the same about Clear and Night of the Ghoul—they had such promise but ultimately felt a little rushed and weren’t as satisfying as I had hoped). I don’t know if all of these were rushed, or if somehow he forgot how to write smaller stories after being at DC for so long, but none of these have quite lived up to Snyder’s early creator-owned work. Or maybe my tastes have changed. 🤷‍♂️

But this was still really good, especially with Tula Lotay’s absolutely incredible art, and it was nice that Snyder returned to the sensibilities of his short story collection, Voodoo Heart.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally read this story as it was released, in five parts. With several weeks between each chapter, I found it difficult to follow. When I reread all five chapters at once, it made a lot more sense. Chapter one seemed very short, and each chapter got longer. The first time I read the final chapter, it didn’t make much sense to me, but this time, I think I liked the chapter the most. Artwork was spectacular.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story of chasing dreams, love, and thrill-seeking. Beautifully drawn and interesting plot. Only didn't like the mention of the main woman calling herself a different, Russian-sounding name with not explanation and the mention of Bix's seeing mechanical men throughout (which probably has to do with his stay at a psychiatric hospital) and no real mention of that anymore, either.

[Melian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need a simple story...

I thinking that not every story need to be outlandish or innovative to be entertaining. Sometimes, a mundane things that's captivating is enough to refresh your imagination.

That said, It is kind of surreal experience for me that one of DC darkest Batman writer capable to make love story, albeit not very captivating. A breath of fresh air after reading his Absolute Batman runs.

Oh, and his Hal Jordan isn't pussy... A plus score from me.