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Southern Bastards
Southern Bastards, Vol. 3: Homecoming
The Craw County Running Rebs are gearing up for the most important, and bloody, game of the year, and everyone in town has a stake in it. Six stories. Six bastards. One southern-fried crime series. Collects issues #9-14.
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2016
30 people are currently reading
545 people want to read
About the author
Jason Aaron
2,358 books1,676 followersJason Aaron grew up in a small town in Alabama. His cousin, Gustav Hasford, who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers, on which the feature film Full Metal Jacket was based, was a large influence on Aaron. Aaron decided he wanted to write comics as a child, and though his father was skeptical when Aaron informed him of this aspiration, his mother took Aaron to drug stores, where he would purchase books from spinner racks, some of which he still owns today.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
October 1, 2022
Another Four Star rating for a volume in this series?
I'm a' trying to work out why not Five Stars despite the stylistically sparse hard-hitting art and unrelenting unpredictable storyline? Because despite the unpredictability, on an incident by incident basis, almost every bad behaviour fits in with negative stereotypes of the South - almost like the story is a patchwork of real incidents struck together? Nethertheless this football-centric series that has nothing to do with football is a gem on its own.. It's the dirty South, come and visit. Another Four Star, 9 out of 12 read for me.
2019 read
I'm a' trying to work out why not Five Stars despite the stylistically sparse hard-hitting art and unrelenting unpredictable storyline? Because despite the unpredictability, on an incident by incident basis, almost every bad behaviour fits in with negative stereotypes of the South - almost like the story is a patchwork of real incidents struck together? Nethertheless this football-centric series that has nothing to do with football is a gem on its own.. It's the dirty South, come and visit. Another Four Star, 9 out of 12 read for me.
2019 read
May 23, 2016
Almost every time they’ve played each other the Craw County Runnin’ Rebs have beaten their rivals, the Wetumpka County Warriors, thanks in part to Coach Big, the Rebs’ long-time defensive coordinator. Following the brutal murder of Earl Tubb on the orders of Coach Boss, Big is ashamed to be in league with Boss and chosen suicide. Now it’s homecoming week and once more it’s the Rebs vs the Warriors - and, denied Big’s knowledge and experience, Coach Boss is due a reckoning… in more ways than one.
Southern Bastards is a series that gets better and better! I liked the first book, was ambivalent about the second, and the third one, Homecoming, is definitely my favourite. Besides the overarching storyline of the big match, Jason Aaron and Jason Latour explore more of Craw County’s colourful characters.
One issue looks at Sheriff Hardy’s life from when he was once a promising young player with a bright future to becoming stuck in Craw County in the role Coach Boss wanted him to play all along: puppet Sheriff. It’s amazing how much story Aaron can pack into a single issue as well as creating a believable person, distinct voice and tangible life all at once - such a talented writer!
Another issue follows Esaw Goings, one of Coach Boss’s redneck goons who, following Big’s suicide, gets promoted to defensive coordinator and realises the job’s not so easy as he thought. A preacher looking to save Esaw follows him around during one of his usual days witnessing Esaw’s violent craziness first-hand.
The best issue featured my favourite new character, Boone, a backwoods hunter and snake-handler who hates football and wants to kill Coach Boss. We see what life is like for those in the deep country and discover he’s kind of the hillbilly Punisher, a secret vigilante who metes out the Lord’s justice to rapists and murderers with his bow and arrows. I’m really looking forward to seeing more of him in future storylines!
Jason Latour writes the Tad Ledbetter issue, the kid who befriended Earl Tubb and became hospitalised as a result. Chris Brunner draws, adding a fun cartoonish look to the series with his style. I loved Latour’s covers for this arc too, my favourites being the one featuring Boone (so cool) and the one with the blue Wetumpka Warriors which was wonderfully eye-catching.
And, following the big match (the result of which of course I’m not going to spoil), Roberta Tubb, Earl’s daughter and a Marine, is back in Craw County after finishing her latest tour in Afghanistan - and she’s looking for the men who killed her dad. I loved her dealing with the racist white trash neighbours (she’s half black) and can’t wait to see her go up against Coach Boss and his lunatic cohorts. Go Roberta, fuck up them redneck shitbags!
In ranging over Craw County’s citizens, the two Jasons have enriched the series further as well as opened up tantalising new narrative possibilities while simultaneously ramping up the tension as Coach Boss’s tenure comes under threat. Homecoming is a smashing success, capturing life in the American South in all its darkness and glory while telling a riveting story full of compelling characters. Southern Bastards is back and better than ever - this third volume is as decisive a comic book touchdown as you can get!
Southern Bastards is a series that gets better and better! I liked the first book, was ambivalent about the second, and the third one, Homecoming, is definitely my favourite. Besides the overarching storyline of the big match, Jason Aaron and Jason Latour explore more of Craw County’s colourful characters.
One issue looks at Sheriff Hardy’s life from when he was once a promising young player with a bright future to becoming stuck in Craw County in the role Coach Boss wanted him to play all along: puppet Sheriff. It’s amazing how much story Aaron can pack into a single issue as well as creating a believable person, distinct voice and tangible life all at once - such a talented writer!
Another issue follows Esaw Goings, one of Coach Boss’s redneck goons who, following Big’s suicide, gets promoted to defensive coordinator and realises the job’s not so easy as he thought. A preacher looking to save Esaw follows him around during one of his usual days witnessing Esaw’s violent craziness first-hand.
The best issue featured my favourite new character, Boone, a backwoods hunter and snake-handler who hates football and wants to kill Coach Boss. We see what life is like for those in the deep country and discover he’s kind of the hillbilly Punisher, a secret vigilante who metes out the Lord’s justice to rapists and murderers with his bow and arrows. I’m really looking forward to seeing more of him in future storylines!
Jason Latour writes the Tad Ledbetter issue, the kid who befriended Earl Tubb and became hospitalised as a result. Chris Brunner draws, adding a fun cartoonish look to the series with his style. I loved Latour’s covers for this arc too, my favourites being the one featuring Boone (so cool) and the one with the blue Wetumpka Warriors which was wonderfully eye-catching.
And, following the big match (the result of which of course I’m not going to spoil), Roberta Tubb, Earl’s daughter and a Marine, is back in Craw County after finishing her latest tour in Afghanistan - and she’s looking for the men who killed her dad. I loved her dealing with the racist white trash neighbours (she’s half black) and can’t wait to see her go up against Coach Boss and his lunatic cohorts. Go Roberta, fuck up them redneck shitbags!
In ranging over Craw County’s citizens, the two Jasons have enriched the series further as well as opened up tantalising new narrative possibilities while simultaneously ramping up the tension as Coach Boss’s tenure comes under threat. Homecoming is a smashing success, capturing life in the American South in all its darkness and glory while telling a riveting story full of compelling characters. Southern Bastards is back and better than ever - this third volume is as decisive a comic book touchdown as you can get!
August 21, 2016
Southern Bastards recently was awarded an Eisner for Best Continuing Series, and it deserves it, but I want to warn you (or entice you?), it is violent. Coach Boss is the biggest Southern Bastard; he was the guy who oversaw the killing of Earl Tubb, which makes defensive coach Big feel bad enough to kill himself, just in time for homecoming week and the big game between the Craw County Runnin’ Rebs and the Wetumpka County Warriors. Football continues to play a central role in the series. They love them some football in this little town.
A couple highlights, in addition to the game antics:
Boone, a snake-handler and archer who hates football and Coach Boss would seem to be a vigilante; he's a great new character.
Roberta Tubb, Earl’s daughter returns to Craw County from her tour in Afghanistan, to try and solve her Dad's murder. She's (half African-American) great in facing all of the racist neighbors. Tough, like her Daddy done been.
The third volume, Homecomng--the big game and Roberta's return--is a very good one, a set up for more action in the next issues. It's a dark and violent look at the Jasons' South.
A couple highlights, in addition to the game antics:
Boone, a snake-handler and archer who hates football and Coach Boss would seem to be a vigilante; he's a great new character.
Roberta Tubb, Earl’s daughter returns to Craw County from her tour in Afghanistan, to try and solve her Dad's murder. She's (half African-American) great in facing all of the racist neighbors. Tough, like her Daddy done been.
The third volume, Homecomng--the big game and Roberta's return--is a very good one, a set up for more action in the next issues. It's a dark and violent look at the Jasons' South.
December 24, 2016
Bastards under the Christmas Tree
Jason Aaron excels at writing two kinds of stories: bombastic and gritty ones. The beginning of his Thor: God of Thunder run is Aaron at his bombastic best, I’d say, Scalped is Aaron at his gritty best. As the title suggests, Southern Bastards falls squarely into the gritty category.
The first two volumes of Southern Bastards were good, but also quite a bit on the stagy, clichéd, predictable side. This third volume is where the story really comes to life for me, as the bigger picture is starting to emerge. Most characters are still southern-fried archetypes taken to the extreme, but the story feels more fleshed out than before, and thus ultimately even more brutal and devastating. In fact, it increasingly reminds me of Preacher by Ennis and Dillon.
After the football-heavy second volume, I had my doubts whether the series was really for me; now I’m officially hooked! The relevance of Southern Bastards has also been enhanced by the sad fact that the mentality it depicts, a vicious cocktail of desperation, ruthlessness and ignorance, has by now turned Trump into the most powerful person on the planet. Hell, considering what Trump & Co have in store for us, I’m afraid Southern Bastards even makes for a perfectly appropriate Christmas read these days.
Jason Aaron excels at writing two kinds of stories: bombastic and gritty ones. The beginning of his Thor: God of Thunder run is Aaron at his bombastic best, I’d say, Scalped is Aaron at his gritty best. As the title suggests, Southern Bastards falls squarely into the gritty category.
The first two volumes of Southern Bastards were good, but also quite a bit on the stagy, clichéd, predictable side. This third volume is where the story really comes to life for me, as the bigger picture is starting to emerge. Most characters are still southern-fried archetypes taken to the extreme, but the story feels more fleshed out than before, and thus ultimately even more brutal and devastating. In fact, it increasingly reminds me of Preacher by Ennis and Dillon.
After the football-heavy second volume, I had my doubts whether the series was really for me; now I’m officially hooked! The relevance of Southern Bastards has also been enhanced by the sad fact that the mentality it depicts, a vicious cocktail of desperation, ruthlessness and ignorance, has by now turned Trump into the most powerful person on the planet. Hell, considering what Trump & Co have in store for us, I’m afraid Southern Bastards even makes for a perfectly appropriate Christmas read these days.
October 29, 2019
A lot of people are going to give this 5 stars just because it's from Jason Aaron and the previous 2 volumes are really good. However, the book seems to have lost its focus here. This volume is an anthology, each issue featuring a different character while tangentially revolving around the big Homecoming game. The problem is that each of these characters are caricatures of southern stereotypes and don't feel like real characters at all. Jason Latour's art seems to get sloppier and less detailed with each issue. Its quality is becoming very poor.
October 4, 2016
This series just never lets up, now does it? It stomps right ahead like a hulkish quarterback, red-eyed and unforgiving. Dispensing with the admittedly lazy simile for a moment, Jason Aaron's Southern Bastards is shaping up to become a modern comics classic, folks. I'm calling it right here, right now. Preacher, Y: The Last Man, Transmet, Sandman, it will literally belong in that same pantheon of creator owned series, mark my words. Later generations will return to it in eager anticipation, and for decades to come it will be an evergreen for Image comics. Heck, I'm convinced it will be fast-tracked for an HBO television adaptation soon.
This is just plain godlike level writing Aaron is displaying here, while in the process forging a new mythology for his beloved South. He obviously is in total narrative control here, with glee obliterating my earlier, slight reservations (no plot progression, little world-building) regarding the second volume. Now he finally has put all of his pieces in place, and boy is he eager to play. The rivers, woods and white trash trailers will be overflowing with blood.
Oh, and the art? If possible, even better. Latour is rocking it. It's so raw, it's still bleedin'. Absolutely perfect. I want to make special mention of Chris Brunner, who provided the art for the - especially trippy -12th issue, with Latour on writing duty (which he pulls off without a hitch). A seemless transition.
Pure Kentucky fried chicken goodness. Get on it. As in right now.
August 20, 2016
Christ this is a good comic. This volume expanded the universe some, setting up future volumes perfectly. One of the best I've ever read.
November 25, 2016
As always, rude, crude, bloody and profane, yet very imaginative. This volume includes an extra treat in an afterward by co-author Jason Latour. Apparently written soon after the killings at Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church Latour, a North Carolina native, addresses the subject of the Confederate battle flag, an image that appears frequently in this series. It's a fascinating, well-reasoned essay but the best part is its summation. This is what he has to say about Southern Pride:
I refuse to believe that Southern pride stems from the pain we’ve inflicted on others. Southern pride comes from what we’ve built together. In our music and art and innovation.
In the people who honor us by taking our culture out into the world and celebrating it. It comes from people seeking us out, and flocking here to experience all that we know and love.
We are all neighbors. We are all Southerners. This is OUR culture, and it means what WE choose it to mean.
So, yes. I’ll say it again—Southern Pride is good collard greens.
Death to the flag.
Long live the South.
December 31, 2016
Whew, Jason Aaron sure writes the hell out of this volume. We get to see more depth from other characters such as Sheriff Hardy, Roberta Tubb, Tad Ledbetter, Esaw Goings, Materhead, and Boone, a total righteous badass. Craw County itself grows as well, like both a collective twisted character and background presence of tension and hate. Jason Latour's illustrations (and Chris Brunner's in Issue 12) are fucking awesome as usual, rough and scary and beautiful. I gotta say, I read this in about an hour. If you're into crime stories, southern gothic literature or country noir, you will probably love this.
May 23, 2016
Man, I love this comic. It's so raw and unforgiving and GOOD. Latours art is perfect for it, because his style isn't necessarily always pretty to look at, but that makes it a perfect fit for a comic set in the south of America.
May 12, 2016
Živim uprkos zlim fakultetskim silama i dajem peticu onome što možda zaslužuje i šesticu. Dekadencija maksimus. Kad bi samo još brojevi izlazili češće nego jednom u nikad, eh, nada umire poslednja.
5
5
March 1, 2017
Waiting more than a couple seconds after release date to read this was a mistake. Bring me volume four, and maybe some BBQ, then we can forget this ever happened and no one else gets hurt.
Those are my terms.
Those are my terms.
December 17, 2016
Southern Bastards Volume 3 fleshes out the other characters in the story, and by doing so paints an expanded picture of the ugliness and grit of Craw County. Euless Boss may be a main player of the town, but he doesn't own the place. After all, he's just one tough evil coach.
Aaron has set all the chess pieces in Southern Bastards Homecoming. I love to see how things will go down with these bastards, but honestly I'd be more than satisfied with just seeing Boss being brutally murdered.
Aaron has set all the chess pieces in Southern Bastards Homecoming. I love to see how things will go down with these bastards, but honestly I'd be more than satisfied with just seeing Boss being brutally murdered.
January 13, 2017
Now this is what I'm talking about. Nice big jump in quality and gives us characters we can love and hate.
You get the individual personalities of a ton of characters here and when you see inside their mind, their life, you really get to know them. The amazing thing is each character feels vastly different, even more so the voices inside their heads give them distinct personalities.
I truly thought this was near perfect except I was sadden by the end, because I felt they could have progressed her story more. It feels like they''re slowly building up, but we could have had another issue of her and made the coach issue just one instead of two for the game.
Overall though the volume is strong, and very much worth reading, this is the best stuff read from Jason Aaron so far!
You get the individual personalities of a ton of characters here and when you see inside their mind, their life, you really get to know them. The amazing thing is each character feels vastly different, even more so the voices inside their heads give them distinct personalities.
I truly thought this was near perfect except I was sadden by the end, because I felt they could have progressed her story more. It feels like they''re slowly building up, but we could have had another issue of her and made the coach issue just one instead of two for the game.
Overall though the volume is strong, and very much worth reading, this is the best stuff read from Jason Aaron so far!
October 28, 2016
Bullet Review:
Very high 4 stars, hot DAMN am I loving this series! Robert Tubbs the sheriff - so many fun characters and I can just imagine the sh!t hitting the fan rather soon. Just wish Aaron and Latour wouldn't keep dragging it out.
Very high 4 stars, hot DAMN am I loving this series! Robert Tubbs the sheriff - so many fun characters and I can just imagine the sh!t hitting the fan rather soon. Just wish Aaron and Latour wouldn't keep dragging it out.
June 22, 2016
Southern Bastards just keeps being brilliant and extremely brutal. Can't wait for the next volume, where hopefully Roberta Tubb will finally start to kill off some of those evil Craw County bastards.
October 27, 2018
Trade intermédia com update às diversas dimensões da narrativa, pejadinha de MAGAdepoorables enraivecidos.
Há aqui uma lucidez distópica quase saída de certas reportagens sobre os EUA do Trump. Prova da acuidade observadora dos autores.
Há aqui uma lucidez distópica quase saída de certas reportagens sobre os EUA do Trump. Prova da acuidade observadora dos autores.
March 30, 2021
(4,5 of 5 for a great story from the American south)
Yeah, it's basically Scalped of the southern part of the US. The third book is a classic noir-ish vortex, spiralling all the characters into the inevitable and most certainly grim ending. Classic but well executed. Aaron has the skills there, no doubt about that. This is gritty, thrilling, full of suspense and drama. And those are the shores where Aaron deliver with ease. I waited for this series to become complete to enjoy some "Scalped" experience again. And I'm not disappointed. I can easily compare Southern Bastards to the Scalped, but there is enough difference (in setting and story) to not be disappointed that Aaron just recycled his previous successful series.
Yeah, it's basically Scalped of the southern part of the US. The third book is a classic noir-ish vortex, spiralling all the characters into the inevitable and most certainly grim ending. Classic but well executed. Aaron has the skills there, no doubt about that. This is gritty, thrilling, full of suspense and drama. And those are the shores where Aaron deliver with ease. I waited for this series to become complete to enjoy some "Scalped" experience again. And I'm not disappointed. I can easily compare Southern Bastards to the Scalped, but there is enough difference (in setting and story) to not be disappointed that Aaron just recycled his previous successful series.
October 29, 2016
I really dig the grit and gristle of this series; there is nothing polite about it which makes it a refreshing alternative to many mainstream series. I also like how the story uses sports (football specifically) as a metaphor for all that is terrible and disturbing in North America. Usually sports in literature is used as a metaphor for hope and togetherness, but not in this series, now way. Political corruption, dishonesty, abuse of democracy... it's all football in Southern Bastards.
4/5
4/5
July 10, 2016
Southern corruption, sleaze, squalour and all ugy stuff down under the Mason-Dixon line is Aaron's forte and it shows. The pigeons are back to roost and
the coach is still holding the corrupt horrorshow together.
the coach is still holding the corrupt horrorshow together.
July 31, 2017
Doesn't matter who you are or what you do in Craw County but it always ties back to football somehow.
Homecoming to me wasn't as intense as the previous two volumes. Still enjoyable though.
Through a number of backstories, we get a sense of the amount of hatred harbored towards the coach.
Does this mean Coach Boss' days are numbered?
Homecoming to me wasn't as intense as the previous two volumes. Still enjoyable though.
Through a number of backstories, we get a sense of the amount of hatred harbored towards the coach.
Does this mean Coach Boss' days are numbered?
January 7, 2017
I like this series more with every volume.
Volume 3 is just the Jasons exploring various characters in the deeply resonant world they've built, putting the pieces on the board for the looming v4 (?) confrontation (although there are so many players now that it's shaping up to be a battle royale).
--Issue 1 features the corrupt county sheriff, chafing under the boot of Coach Boss and grieving for the man he could have been.
--Issue 2 peeks at Esaw, Boss's stupid, dangerous, sadistic chief goon. A couple panels in this issue are wholly pornographic, which initially struck me as a departure, inconsistent with the rest of the series to date. I think it was done to convey the extent to which Esaw is animalistic, uncivilized, comprised of nothing but id and meanness. It's a great demonstration of the possibilities of the comic medium, how it can communicate at length without words. (OR maybe the authors just like naughty pictures and I'm waaay over-analyzing.)
--Issue 3 introduces Deacon Boone, a throwback woodsman (great name choice) and elder of a full-blown snake-handling tongues-speaking backwoods Pentecostal church. Boone feels called by the Spirit to eliminate, Punisher-style, the worst elements of the community. Which makes him a natural enemy of Coach Boss.
--Issue 4 highlights Materhead, a Coach Boss thug with a tormented conscience. He wants things to go back to how they were before the events of volume 1, when everyone in the county toed Boss's line and Materhead didn't have to hurt people very often.
--Issue 5 gives us Coach Boss himself before, during, and after the all-important homecoming game, in which he has a 19 game win streak.
--FINALLY, issue 6 delivers on the promise of the previous volume, introducing Roberta Tubb, USMC and daughter of the first volume's POV hero. And shows us what a black woman might deal with even today in a poor redneck off-the-grid Alabama county. Roberta kicks ass and I'm disappointed we barely got to meet her. (Two cops, after harassing her for a bit: "She's a damn war hero. Can you believe that shit?" "Fuckin Obama." Heh.)
Jason Latour finishes with an essay on the Confederate flag and why he and Aaron chose to create an issue cover with a dog tearing it to pieces. He details his bona fides as a proud southerner, explains his reasoning, and weighs in on the whole flag debate. It's far more interesting than the usual masturbatory author's afterword. Kudos.
Excellent volume but it left me feeling kind of spent. Reading it felt too much like reliving the 2016 presidential election.
Volume 3 is just the Jasons exploring various characters in the deeply resonant world they've built, putting the pieces on the board for the looming v4 (?) confrontation (although there are so many players now that it's shaping up to be a battle royale).
--Issue 1 features the corrupt county sheriff, chafing under the boot of Coach Boss and grieving for the man he could have been.
--Issue 2 peeks at Esaw, Boss's stupid, dangerous, sadistic chief goon. A couple panels in this issue are wholly pornographic, which initially struck me as a departure, inconsistent with the rest of the series to date. I think it was done to convey the extent to which Esaw is animalistic, uncivilized, comprised of nothing but id and meanness. It's a great demonstration of the possibilities of the comic medium, how it can communicate at length without words. (OR maybe the authors just like naughty pictures and I'm waaay over-analyzing.)
--Issue 3 introduces Deacon Boone, a throwback woodsman (great name choice) and elder of a full-blown snake-handling tongues-speaking backwoods Pentecostal church. Boone feels called by the Spirit to eliminate, Punisher-style, the worst elements of the community. Which makes him a natural enemy of Coach Boss.
--Issue 4 highlights Materhead, a Coach Boss thug with a tormented conscience. He wants things to go back to how they were before the events of volume 1, when everyone in the county toed Boss's line and Materhead didn't have to hurt people very often.
--Issue 5 gives us Coach Boss himself before, during, and after the all-important homecoming game, in which he has a 19 game win streak.
--FINALLY, issue 6 delivers on the promise of the previous volume, introducing Roberta Tubb, USMC and daughter of the first volume's POV hero. And shows us what a black woman might deal with even today in a poor redneck off-the-grid Alabama county. Roberta kicks ass and I'm disappointed we barely got to meet her. (Two cops, after harassing her for a bit: "She's a damn war hero. Can you believe that shit?" "Fuckin Obama." Heh.)
Jason Latour finishes with an essay on the Confederate flag and why he and Aaron chose to create an issue cover with a dog tearing it to pieces. He details his bona fides as a proud southerner, explains his reasoning, and weighs in on the whole flag debate. It's far more interesting than the usual masturbatory author's afterword. Kudos.
Excellent volume but it left me feeling kind of spent. Reading it felt too much like reliving the 2016 presidential election.
December 2, 2018
While the first two volumes focused on major characters, this volume focuses on stories of supporting characters. Some of the supporting characters bring something interesting to the story, while others are just unpleasant to read--Essau's story in particular. Towards the end of the volume, the story starts building towards a conflict, but you'll have to read the next volume to find out what that conflict is.
July 3, 2016
This series just gets better and better. The first two arcs were really good and this one is awesome.
Each issue is focused on a particular character, some you already know, some you don't, leading towards the big game between Craw county and their arch-ennemies and the arrival of Earl Tubbs'daughter.
Something is boiling down there and it's gonna be messy when it explodes...
Each issue is focused on a particular character, some you already know, some you don't, leading towards the big game between Craw county and their arch-ennemies and the arrival of Earl Tubbs'daughter.
Something is boiling down there and it's gonna be messy when it explodes...
March 4, 2018
Probably the weakest so far. Just backstory with multiple characters. Some not so important and some dont really move the entire series along. It ends on a pretty intriguing note so will probably reas Vol 4, however if its anything like this I'll probably give this series a rest.
September 21, 2018
Paletos Cabrones sigue sorprendiéndome para bien. Hasta han hecho un epílogo que me encanta.
En este tomo destaca el artista invitado, los colores, y cómo la historia va adentrándose en nuevas capas del negacionismo vital y el racismo.
Muy bien todo.
En este tomo destaca el artista invitado, los colores, y cómo la historia va adentrándose en nuevas capas del negacionismo vital y el racismo.
Muy bien todo.
January 13, 2017
Like any good Southern Gothic piece, this series is starting show hints of the supernatural. God this series is good; but definitely not for the faint of heart.
January 17, 2017
Started weak and ended strong. Will continue with a fourth if it comes out.
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November 23, 2021This one's for Dad.
Jason Aaron and I have a few things in common. 1. we both love comic books. 2. we both love football. And 3. we both love crime fiction. So when Jason Aaron decided to take a crack at writing a southern fried football crime comic, it's like he's speaking my language. Despite my doubts, and the fact that Aaron is a heathen Roll Tide fan, I was willing to give it a shot.
I've been consistently surprised with this series, mostly in a pleasant way. I've been impressed in this series' constant ability to keep us invested, despite the premise being as ridiculous as it is. The two Jasons have managed to craft a harsh, mean, and compelling story about tough old southern guys dishing out mean unpleasantries to anyone who gets in their way. It's not always pretty, and it's not always nice. But it is compelling in all the ways a good story should.
As I've noted before, Aaron has a habit of repeating himself in his stories. Not really in theme, but in his set ups and pay offs. In this volume, we end up taking a backseat to the main story as we become flies on the wall to the colorful characters of Craw County. This was particularly interesting to me, as the one off stories were some of my favorite parts in Aaron's previous effort Scalped. Aaron once again shows what he's gifted at: getting into the characters' heads and seeing what makes them tick and make the choices that they do. Aaron continues at a strong pace with the one offs like he did with Scalped, only now he has a better story and better pacing to compliment what he's attempting to convey with the one offs.
Aaron's other great skill is his use of set up and pay off, and the storytelling is very subtle (for the most part) in this volume. The characters in this volume are interesting, and Aaron gives us plenty of meat to chew in as we experience their journeys in this story. Aaron doesn't stoop to explaining to us every nook and cranny of these characters, but allows their actions to define them and fill in the gaps of what we already know. The other Jason even had an issue to take a crack at writing, and he does a pretty good job as well. Guy's not a bad writer by any means.
Despite its many strengths, there are a few weaknesses that hold this volume back from being as excellent as the first two arcs. The Esaw story felt like a relapse to the over the top extremes that Aaron relied on in Scalped and all of the kinks that he had outgrown with Southern Bastards. I knew this series is meant to be harsh and uncomfortable, but the Esaw story took it too far. Also Chris Brunner's art was unappealing as well, it looked like someone who was trying to ape Latour's style and it just went wrong. The anatomy looks wonky and the characters look like they're about to explode at any moment, or have their eyes bounce out of their heads like a Looney Tunes cartoon lusting over a woman.
Latour's art continues to be strong in this arc. A detail I enjoy with his artwork in this series is that he makes the main two characters, Tubb and Coach Boss, look like old, tough hickory trees. They are supposed to be older, tough guys who are as mean as an old hickory tree. It compliments the story's motif about toughness and what it means to be a man. His art continues to have the balance between bounciness and mean spirited grit that you'd expect in a pulp crime noir such as this.
Southern Bastards continues to be tough, harsh, and mean and I have to say that I'm still enjoying it thoroughly as it keeps rolling along. Aaron has a knack for writing about misunderstood tough guys, and he shows that he's damned good at it. Now...how do I get my dad to read this?
Also, if you're curious on who I pull for. I bleed Crimson red for Oklahoma. BOOMER SOONER BABY!
April 29, 2019
Each issue in this arc explores secondary characters in Craw County. Just like in the previous arcs it's done in the first person narrative, with each issue an intimate view into the character's goals and thoughts.
The last scene in the previous arc had Coach Boss find Ol' Big after the latter killed himself. Coach Boss insists the man was killed by someone from Wetumpka County before the big game. They are Craw County's biggest football rivals and the only chance to defeat them was with Ol' Big's strategies.
The last scene in the previous arc had Coach Boss find Ol' Big after the latter killed himself. Coach Boss insists the man was killed by someone from Wetumpka County before the big game. They are Craw County's biggest football rivals and the only chance to defeat them was with Ol' Big's strategies.
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