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Best Shot in the West: The Thrilling Adventures of Nat Love—the Legendary Black Cowboy!
The thrilling graphic biography of the unforgettable Nat Love, from acclaimed authors Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack Jr., is now in paperback!
Born into slavery in 1854, Nat Love, also known as Deadwood Dick, grew up to become the most famous African American cowboy in the Old West. A contemporary and acquaintance of Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid, Nat was widely known as an expert roper and driver, a crack shot, and a real Wild West character. Featuring lively full-color artwork by Randy DuBurke, Best Shot in the West is an exhilarating mix of high-interest historical fiction and nonstop adventure.
Born into slavery in 1854, Nat Love, also known as Deadwood Dick, grew up to become the most famous African American cowboy in the Old West. A contemporary and acquaintance of Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid, Nat was widely known as an expert roper and driver, a crack shot, and a real Wild West character. Featuring lively full-color artwork by Randy DuBurke, Best Shot in the West is an exhilarating mix of high-interest historical fiction and nonstop adventure.
132 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2009
8 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Patricia C. McKissack
189 books206 followersPatricia C. McKissack was the Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of The Dark-Thirty and Porch Lies an ALA Notable Book. She collaborated with Jerry Pinkney on Goin' Someplace Special (Coretta Scott King Award winner) and Mirandy and Brother Wind (Coretta Scott King Award winner and Caldecott Honor Book).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
September 1, 2023
Nat Love, a Black man born into slavery, made a life for himself as a cowboy.
“That life included stampedes, gun battles, and almost getting killed trying to ride monster steers and buffalo. I saw friends get crippled from falls or retire from old age when they were still in their 30s. I say men drink themselves out of work or turn to crime. But the cowboy life gave me opportunities I’d never have had if I’d remained in Davidson County, Tennessee. For one, I’d never seen Mexico, and I’d never have learned Spanish. I’d never have seen snow on the Colorado Rockies or tasted cold water from a mountain stream. I’d never have seen wild herds of buffalo racing over the plains. I’d never have met such good men to call my friends. Men who’d lend you a blanket if you were cold or buy you grub if you were out of luck.”
He took up several names (including Deadwood Dick) that reflected his adventures. His tales of meeting many of the icons of the West – “Wild Bill” Cody, Billy “the Kid,” and “Bat” Masterson – all have at least a patina of validity.
This graphic version contains “helpful” illustrations that enhance the storytelling even if some (including traditional tribal Indian dress) may not be quite accurate. An entertaining and somewhat enlightening story about a Black man’s cowboy life.
“That life included stampedes, gun battles, and almost getting killed trying to ride monster steers and buffalo. I saw friends get crippled from falls or retire from old age when they were still in their 30s. I say men drink themselves out of work or turn to crime. But the cowboy life gave me opportunities I’d never have had if I’d remained in Davidson County, Tennessee. For one, I’d never seen Mexico, and I’d never have learned Spanish. I’d never have seen snow on the Colorado Rockies or tasted cold water from a mountain stream. I’d never have seen wild herds of buffalo racing over the plains. I’d never have met such good men to call my friends. Men who’d lend you a blanket if you were cold or buy you grub if you were out of luck.”
He took up several names (including Deadwood Dick) that reflected his adventures. His tales of meeting many of the icons of the West – “Wild Bill” Cody, Billy “the Kid,” and “Bat” Masterson – all have at least a patina of validity.
This graphic version contains “helpful” illustrations that enhance the storytelling even if some (including traditional tribal Indian dress) may not be quite accurate. An entertaining and somewhat enlightening story about a Black man’s cowboy life.
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January 5, 2012Still mulling this one over. The art is fantastic. It's a great story, well told, and I enjoyed reading it very much. The McKissacks, in a brief end note, mention what is complete fiction on their part and that Love's autobiography on which they based this story has been questioned by scholars for veracity, but they just wanted to tell his remarkable story. And it is a remarkable story! But the historian in me wants to know a bit more about what is true and what is not. Not that child readers will feel the same way so maybe this doesn't matter at all. Need to think further about this and am eager to see what others think too.
March 15, 2024
I am going to four star and recommend Best Shot in the West: The Thrilling Adventures of Nat Love―the Legendary Black Cowboy! Frederick L. McKissack Jr., Patricia C. McKissack, Randy DuBurke (Illustrator) even as I emphasize its many limitations. Bottom line, this is a flawed, but entertaining introduction to the reality of Black cowboys in the American west.
Beginning with the illustrations. Randy Duburke has done a fine job with better than average graphic novel visuals. Except. He seems to have no idea of correct tribal clothing and accessories. Over all the original peoples, only known to Nat Love as Indians rarely get their point of view. This alone is enough for some reviewers to fail the book. Nat relates a period of his life as a captured, but respected member of the Pima Indians. A people who considered themselves to have a mixture of black blood and therefore a respect for their fellow people of color.
The story is to an unknown degree a fictionalization of material original to Nat Love. But that material is not fully authenticated by historians, and there is a tradition of people padding their resume, so to speak. Mr. Love may have allowed himself the occasional stretch. He would hardly have been unusual in doing this. For example, he claims to have earned the nick name ‘Deadwood Dick” after winning a rodeo on July 4, 1876. The local newspaper fails to report the fact of a rodeo on that day. His contact with other figures such as Bat Masterson and Wild Bill Cody seems credible enough in what was a fairly small world. However, his sympathetic portrayal of Billy the Kid does not align with what is known of this man’s life as a criminal and murderer. And yes, one should allow for some padding of Billy’s official resume.
Rounding out my take on Best Shot in the West: The Thrilling Adventures of Nat Love, is that it performs a vital and entertaining introduction to the reality of Black faces among the American legends of the cowboy. It is replete with cattle stampedes, shoot outs and Indian raids. Everything to make for adventure and entertainment. I will be wanting to expand my knowledge of the too long suppressed fact of Black cowboys of the real west. Particular to this version, I came away wondering about the degree to which it had been sanitized.
Initially we meet an older Nat Loves working as a train porter. A position of some respect in the black community but a position that came with a lot of disrespect from the white ridership. We get a hint of it. The larger fact has to be that beginning in his days as a slave, than as a Tennessee share cropper he had to have been under the heel of systematic deliberate race-based bigotry. Wiki’s suggests, but not the book that his name, Love, is one he got from his slave owner, Robert Love. Mr. Love’s arrival in the west is portrayed as one of near universal acceptance with him only needing to prove his horsemanship and value as a member of the team on a cattle drive. No doubt this was true, and just as likely was the unreported number of times he was disrespected and undervalued because of his race.
Beginning with the illustrations. Randy Duburke has done a fine job with better than average graphic novel visuals. Except. He seems to have no idea of correct tribal clothing and accessories. Over all the original peoples, only known to Nat Love as Indians rarely get their point of view. This alone is enough for some reviewers to fail the book. Nat relates a period of his life as a captured, but respected member of the Pima Indians. A people who considered themselves to have a mixture of black blood and therefore a respect for their fellow people of color.
The story is to an unknown degree a fictionalization of material original to Nat Love. But that material is not fully authenticated by historians, and there is a tradition of people padding their resume, so to speak. Mr. Love may have allowed himself the occasional stretch. He would hardly have been unusual in doing this. For example, he claims to have earned the nick name ‘Deadwood Dick” after winning a rodeo on July 4, 1876. The local newspaper fails to report the fact of a rodeo on that day. His contact with other figures such as Bat Masterson and Wild Bill Cody seems credible enough in what was a fairly small world. However, his sympathetic portrayal of Billy the Kid does not align with what is known of this man’s life as a criminal and murderer. And yes, one should allow for some padding of Billy’s official resume.
Rounding out my take on Best Shot in the West: The Thrilling Adventures of Nat Love, is that it performs a vital and entertaining introduction to the reality of Black faces among the American legends of the cowboy. It is replete with cattle stampedes, shoot outs and Indian raids. Everything to make for adventure and entertainment. I will be wanting to expand my knowledge of the too long suppressed fact of Black cowboys of the real west. Particular to this version, I came away wondering about the degree to which it had been sanitized.
Initially we meet an older Nat Loves working as a train porter. A position of some respect in the black community but a position that came with a lot of disrespect from the white ridership. We get a hint of it. The larger fact has to be that beginning in his days as a slave, than as a Tennessee share cropper he had to have been under the heel of systematic deliberate race-based bigotry. Wiki’s suggests, but not the book that his name, Love, is one he got from his slave owner, Robert Love. Mr. Love’s arrival in the west is portrayed as one of near universal acceptance with him only needing to prove his horsemanship and value as a member of the team on a cattle drive. No doubt this was true, and just as likely was the unreported number of times he was disrespected and undervalued because of his race.
July 22, 2020
Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love is a graphic novel written by the team of Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack and illustrated by Randy DuBurke. It centers on the life and times of Nat Love – a former slave turned cowboy.
Nat Love was an African-American cowboy and former slave in the period following the American Civil War. His exploits have made him one of the most famous black heroes of the Old West.
Nat Love was born into slavery in Tennessee, but left after emancipation to go to Dodge City, Kansas and find fortune as a cowboy. A nonstop run of cattle drives, shooting contests, and adventures in Indian Territory interspersed with meetings with Bat Masterson and the like follows until Love retires to become a Pullman porter.
Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love is written and constructed somewhat well. Based on his 1907 autobiography, much of this lively tale probably stretches the truth in the penny dreadful style of the day, but the McKissack pair and DuBurke bring this world alive with judicious quotations and in particular, dramatic full-color art. DuBurke channels elements of classic art of the Old West with the horses, guns, and native all feel authentic, while keeping strong characterization at the forefront.
All in all, Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love is an interesting biography of Nat Love – a former slave turn cowboy who made a name for himself during the Old West.
Nat Love was an African-American cowboy and former slave in the period following the American Civil War. His exploits have made him one of the most famous black heroes of the Old West.
Nat Love was born into slavery in Tennessee, but left after emancipation to go to Dodge City, Kansas and find fortune as a cowboy. A nonstop run of cattle drives, shooting contests, and adventures in Indian Territory interspersed with meetings with Bat Masterson and the like follows until Love retires to become a Pullman porter.
Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love is written and constructed somewhat well. Based on his 1907 autobiography, much of this lively tale probably stretches the truth in the penny dreadful style of the day, but the McKissack pair and DuBurke bring this world alive with judicious quotations and in particular, dramatic full-color art. DuBurke channels elements of classic art of the Old West with the horses, guns, and native all feel authentic, while keeping strong characterization at the forefront.
All in all, Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love is an interesting biography of Nat Love – a former slave turn cowboy who made a name for himself during the Old West.
August 26, 2025
Read this after seeing Shane at OSF
April 28, 2020
I found this book to be interesting in many ways, and frustrating in others. Several reviewers have attacked it for its portrayal of Native Americans, but the fact is that this is the version of the west that the original author says he lived through, and these are clearly his opinions. In addition, of the ones portrayed in any depth, Yellow Dog comes across as pretty sympathetic. My own problem with the portrayal of them comes from the art, which is otherwise remarkable, but in the case of the "Apache" attack, is a little weird. I mean, why is an Apache warrior wearing what looks like Sioux ceremonial gear while riding a horse into battle? That was like bad western movie designs...
Other than that, the artwork really is excellent, and the adaptation of Nat Love's story into graphic form seems like a no-brainer, only...even though the notes by the McKissacks suggest that there may be historical inaccuracies, the story is presented in such a way that none of them are actually pointed out to the reader. For instance, there is a side story about Billy the Kid, some of which is totally at odds with pretty much every other version of his story that I've ever seen.
Oddly, the story about trying to "borrow" a cannon was funny and believable.
In any case, this book, about an overlooked African American cowboy from the American West, is still worth reading for that aspect, but could have been much better.
Other than that, the artwork really is excellent, and the adaptation of Nat Love's story into graphic form seems like a no-brainer, only...even though the notes by the McKissacks suggest that there may be historical inaccuracies, the story is presented in such a way that none of them are actually pointed out to the reader. For instance, there is a side story about Billy the Kid, some of which is totally at odds with pretty much every other version of his story that I've ever seen.
Oddly, the story about trying to "borrow" a cannon was funny and believable.
In any case, this book, about an overlooked African American cowboy from the American West, is still worth reading for that aspect, but could have been much better.
February 20, 2014
Okay, so I'm at the library in the children's section with my kiddo waiting for my husband to pick us up and I'm bored so I pick up this book. I got engrossed in it and since my hubbie took forever at the antique shop, I easily finished it. It is a pretty good story about a black man who was a cowboy in the old west. Good story, but I did find it a little hard to follow at times. This could be because I haven't read many "graphic novels" (we called this comic books when I was a kid, but I guess I'm old-fashioned) so I'm not used to the format. Anyway, a good introduction for kids into how black people have been treated in our country and how we have gone backwards in some ways (for adults see this in The Black Count).
July 27, 2012
An absolutely visually stunning bio of Nat Love, famed African American cowboy, in graphic novel format. The authors do a great job of capturing Love's voice and the illustrations are brightly colored and very well done. Artwork consists of paintings and all of them have a hazy feel to them which gives the story a feel from long ago and almost as if Nat Love is speaking directly to the reader and the images on the page are built of memories. The only thing missing from this book is a recommended reading list. Recommended especially for boys grades 4-6 due to the nonstop action.
March 11, 2023
This thrilling graphic novel is based on the true-life adventures of the unforgettable cowboy, Nat Love. Born into slavery in 1854, Love grew up to become the most famous African American cowboy in the Old West. This book is based on his 1907 published autobiography, “The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as “Deadwood Dick”.
Best Shot in the West is a fascinating mix of historical fiction and nonstop adventure. The vivid and full-color artwork by Randy DuBurke truly brings this story to life.
Best Shot in the West is a fascinating mix of historical fiction and nonstop adventure. The vivid and full-color artwork by Randy DuBurke truly brings this story to life.
April 19, 2012
Gorgeous art with a so-so story. I read Nat Love's auto-bio a few years ago and this reads pretty much like it, taking us from one "hey, look at how cool I am" tale to another. It's very difficult to develop an emotional connection to this guy as it's written, and I think there are a number of ways the authors could have played with Nat's story to make it more moving. Too bad, 'cuz I do think there's a great story to tell here.
June 27, 2012
Great graphic novel for upper elementary and older. Interesting biography of Nate Love, aka Deadwood Dick. Engrossing tales of cowboy life, the Old West, etc. I did not know this legend was African-American. The way he was treated in the west and his perspective gave me a fresh insight into racism.
I am sure this would be very appealing to boys, but also a fun read-aloud that is fascinating and informative. The art is color and top notch.
I am sure this would be very appealing to boys, but also a fun read-aloud that is fascinating and informative. The art is color and top notch.
June 25, 2012
American Indians are shown as "bad Indians" without any content that would challenge that idea. My discussion of it is at my site:
http://americanindiansinchildrenslite...
http://americanindiansinchildrenslite...
January 9, 2024
What a fun and engaging way to present the life of "Deadwood Dick," also known as Nat Love, one of the Old West's premiere cowboys! This fast-paced graphic novel presents Nat Love's life and adventures in a way that mixes the flavor of tall tales with a healthy dollop of facts. It's written as if an aging Nat Love is writing down his experiences for a newspaperman, which is a fun way to frame the stories, especially since they are all taken from Love's autobiography.
Is this a 100% factual biography? Nope, and it doesn't pretend to be. The authors acknowledge that, while historians are pretty sure Love embellished some of his adventures, there are quite a few that have been verified by outside sources. Instead of trying to sort the totally true from the exaggerated, they simply picked a nice collection that showcase the diversity of Love's adventures.
Is this a 100% factual biography? Nope, and it doesn't pretend to be. The authors acknowledge that, while historians are pretty sure Love embellished some of his adventures, there are quite a few that have been verified by outside sources. Instead of trying to sort the totally true from the exaggerated, they simply picked a nice collection that showcase the diversity of Love's adventures.
May 12, 2024
I am still not a fan of graphic novels but I am reading several to attempt to grow in my appreciation of this style of literature. I really liked some of the drawings in the book and protagonist, Nat Love, was an amazing cowboy in the Wild West.
I felt like reading a word-centric biography of this cowboy in the late 1800s. The picture-centric approach created too many cracks for me to fill with insufficient information.
I felt like reading a word-centric biography of this cowboy in the late 1800s. The picture-centric approach created too many cracks for me to fill with insufficient information.
June 2, 2020
I really wanted to like this, but I couldn't get into it, and I also didn't love the mentions of drinking and womanizing. I expected more centralizing of race in the story, but the illustrations seemed to whitewash Love, and there were only passing references to his childhood as an enslaved person.
September 2, 2017
I'm exploring graphic novels. This one opened a whole new world to me.
July 21, 2019
Great tale of one of the first African American cowboys, or at least one of the most well known.
It's not a tale of oppression, but one of heroism and adventure, and I highly recommend it!
It's not a tale of oppression, but one of heroism and adventure, and I highly recommend it!
September 11, 2019
Fantastic artwork in this!
August 9, 2021
Interesting with good art. I liked it.
December 2, 2021
After watching "The Harder They Fall" several times, I decided to learn a little more about the real people that inspired the characters. I don't know anything about Nat Love, so I thought his story was pretty interesting (although it sounds like it might not be entirely true). What I didn't like about this book, though, was the art, which was mainly undefined shadow people. There was no way to tell anyone apart until they addressed each other by name, so there are entire scenes where I was lost about who was saying and doing what. There are some truly stunning graphic novels out there, but this is absolutely not one of them.
February 14, 2022
Art 4-5 stars
May 28, 2023
Very good book
May 20, 2024
Good graphic novel. Good illustrations
March 12, 2025
Excellent read. Only wish it was longer. Enjoyed the self-told story format.
July 23, 2025
the writing isn’t the best and the story is a bit flat, but this book has the advantage of absolutely gorgeous art. I just wish there was a bit more complexity yknow?
October 30, 2025
Fascinating story--I'd never heard of Nat Love before. Those were different times, for sure.
I liked the art but I could see how it might not be to everyone's taste.
I liked the art but I could see how it might not be to everyone's taste.
August 10, 2025
An adaptation of Love’s original writings about himself, which tradition stated at the time should be filled with as many tall tales and heroïc exploits as could plausibly fit, and not let the truth get in the way of a good story. I could image this exact same script beïng published, perhaps without a word out of place, back in the heyday of Western comics. I imagine there’ll be readers troubled by Love’s, and thus Mckissack’s treadment of American Indiäns, who fit only two of the biggest stereötypes (which’s as expected for the pulps Love originally published): bloodthirsty marauders and honorable warriörs. I certainly don’t think Love, or at least his anticipated audiënce, had a disparate impression, and McKissack may’ve been a bit stuck with the narrative device of Love telling his own story, but considering the publication date here perhaps a slight commentary might’ve been introduced?
Or we could just read this as an illustrated version of a cowboy’s life, which is where I found this work primarily shone. A lot of “cowboy” fiction, at least as the term is sometimes applied, is actually Western gunfighter fiction, and you’re more likely t’have bank robberies, saloon showdowns, and sheriffs than lassoïng steer, dealing with lightning-inspyred stampedes, and what a cowboy “job interview” looks like—I found myself thinking only of the Xenniäl classic City Slickers for a point of reference here, but this work was much more valuable. And it still finds time to set scenes in saloons and features a sheriff. And of course Billy the Kid shows up too! I believe I first became familiär with Love watching The Harder They Fall, but the liberties taken there seem well in the spirit with the liberties Love himself took—you can read about some possible discrepancies with reälity on Love’s Wikipediä page, if you believe such things.
As mentioned, this is a comic book, tho I mostly didn’t care for the artistic choices made: the style is both as realistic as that of Alex Ross, but also quite abstract in places. Scott McCloud’s observation that the more realistic the drawing style, the harder it is to interpret motion was a bit of a problem with Ross’s work (e.g. Kingdom Come), but this book will now be my go-to example, with the intense scenes of horse breaking and rodeö heroïcs nigh-uninterpretable due to the art style. Perhaps that’s another reason why my favorite part was the cowboy sections, where the style is well-suited to scenes of cowpokes sitting around the fire with tin bowls of beans. I know McKissack is primarily known for prose fiction, and I’d say she dœsn’t convynce me here that she should be branching out to graphic narrative.
Or we could just read this as an illustrated version of a cowboy’s life, which is where I found this work primarily shone. A lot of “cowboy” fiction, at least as the term is sometimes applied, is actually Western gunfighter fiction, and you’re more likely t’have bank robberies, saloon showdowns, and sheriffs than lassoïng steer, dealing with lightning-inspyred stampedes, and what a cowboy “job interview” looks like—I found myself thinking only of the Xenniäl classic City Slickers for a point of reference here, but this work was much more valuable. And it still finds time to set scenes in saloons and features a sheriff. And of course Billy the Kid shows up too! I believe I first became familiär with Love watching The Harder They Fall, but the liberties taken there seem well in the spirit with the liberties Love himself took—you can read about some possible discrepancies with reälity on Love’s Wikipediä page, if you believe such things.
As mentioned, this is a comic book, tho I mostly didn’t care for the artistic choices made: the style is both as realistic as that of Alex Ross, but also quite abstract in places. Scott McCloud’s observation that the more realistic the drawing style, the harder it is to interpret motion was a bit of a problem with Ross’s work (e.g. Kingdom Come), but this book will now be my go-to example, with the intense scenes of horse breaking and rodeö heroïcs nigh-uninterpretable due to the art style. Perhaps that’s another reason why my favorite part was the cowboy sections, where the style is well-suited to scenes of cowpokes sitting around the fire with tin bowls of beans. I know McKissack is primarily known for prose fiction, and I’d say she dœsn’t convynce me here that she should be branching out to graphic narrative.
March 1, 2018
A good, quick, informative read.
August 17, 2012
It started by breaking colts: ten cents a horse. Then one day Nat got lucky in a raffle and he used his winnings to head out west. Before long he found a cattle team and when they tested him on their wildest horse he showed them what he could do. He joined on and they fixed him up with new clothes, a gun, and a new name. Nat Love became Deadwood Dick as he adopted the cowboy lifestyle. His new life full of adventures and the storms, stampedes, and raids made him feel more alive than he ever had before--but if he wasn't careful they would also be the things that killed him.
I absolutely loved the artwork in this comic--the bold colors captured the various highs and lows of the story well and the sketchy style matched the dirty, fast-paced lifestyle described. The story itself is fascinating--all the more so because it is based on real events. Nat was born as a slave, then became a famously skilled cowboy, and finally ended up as a Pullman Porter (their story is fascinating as well--the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters would later be one of the first African American unions) I was absolutely crazy for the narrative voice of Nat Love. The framing of the story is that Nat is looking back on his life as an old man and writing down his reminiscences that would later be turned into an autobigoraphy (the story of why he does this is made up but the autobiography is real: The Life and Adventures of Nat Love Better Known in the Cattle Country as "Deadwood Dick") But for all the truly commendable aspects of the story, if I'm being honest I have to admit that mostly I enjoyed it because it was a good cowboy tale full of excitement and adventure.
Fans of old west adventures, history, and comics will all find plenty to keep them happy in these pages. There is a fair amount of violence, as you'd expect in this type of story, but it is based on real life and not needless or gratuitous. There are a couple oblique references to other activities cowboys got up to, for example his first impression of Dodge City: "I didn't know if I was in heaven or Sodom." But overall it's pretty tame for a cowboy adventure and Nat mostly acts honorably. Some of the vocabulary would be hard for younger students but the pictures help get the point across. I'd say 4th grade and up.
Read more of my reviews at http://auldschoollibrarian.blogspot.com/
I absolutely loved the artwork in this comic--the bold colors captured the various highs and lows of the story well and the sketchy style matched the dirty, fast-paced lifestyle described. The story itself is fascinating--all the more so because it is based on real events. Nat was born as a slave, then became a famously skilled cowboy, and finally ended up as a Pullman Porter (their story is fascinating as well--the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters would later be one of the first African American unions) I was absolutely crazy for the narrative voice of Nat Love. The framing of the story is that Nat is looking back on his life as an old man and writing down his reminiscences that would later be turned into an autobigoraphy (the story of why he does this is made up but the autobiography is real: The Life and Adventures of Nat Love Better Known in the Cattle Country as "Deadwood Dick") But for all the truly commendable aspects of the story, if I'm being honest I have to admit that mostly I enjoyed it because it was a good cowboy tale full of excitement and adventure.
Fans of old west adventures, history, and comics will all find plenty to keep them happy in these pages. There is a fair amount of violence, as you'd expect in this type of story, but it is based on real life and not needless or gratuitous. There are a couple oblique references to other activities cowboys got up to, for example his first impression of Dodge City: "I didn't know if I was in heaven or Sodom." But overall it's pretty tame for a cowboy adventure and Nat mostly acts honorably. Some of the vocabulary would be hard for younger students but the pictures help get the point across. I'd say 4th grade and up.
Read more of my reviews at http://auldschoollibrarian.blogspot.com/
August 18, 2012
The acrylic and pen illustrations in this graphic novel provide a haunting backdrop to the story, told in graphic novel format, of Nat Love, also known as Deadwood Dick. Sometimes it's almost impossible to distinguish the features of the characters or even the setting since the paintings make it seem as though readers are traveling back into the misty fog of time long past. While I loved the story of this man's adventures as a cowboy and felt heartbroken at all the losses he experienced after his birth as a slave in 1854, I wasn't pleased with the one-dimensional portrayal of Native Americans. Surely, his is a story worth telling, even if it has many elements of a tall tale about it, making it partially a biography and partially fiction. Probably this story is best served by being told in a graphic novel format since so much seemed to have happened. How poignant it was to watch Nat as a porter having to snap to the orders of those who considered themselves better than him! If only they had realized with whom they were speaking!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews