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Bitter Root #1
Bitter Root, Vol. 1: Family Business
In the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance is in full swing, and only the Sangerye Family can save New York—and the world. Once known as the greatest monster hunters of all time, the Sangerye family specialized in curing the souls of those infected by hate, but those days are fading. A terrible tragedy has claimed most of the family, leaving the surviving cousins split between curing monsters and killing them. Now, with a new breed of monster loose on the streets of Harlem, the Sangerye family must come together, or watch the human race fall to untold evil.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2019
76 people are currently reading
2873 people want to read
About the author
David F. Walker
293 books280 followersDavid F. Walker is a writer, filmmaker, and award-winning journalist. He teaches Writing For Comics at Portland State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
January 2, 2022
Check out review/discussion here: https://youtu.be/5n43MWvRpxU
First Read:
Re-Read 11/15/2020: This was just as good as the first time that I read it. Bitter Root is more than just a comic book that follows a Black family that practices Root Magic; it is an exploration of the consumption of the soul by racism. The Sangerye family is responsible for healing the souls of those who have become so invested in the tenants of racism that it consumes their soul. As a result they turn into these creatures called Jinroo. The Sangerye family has been through a lot by the beginning of this comic. The reader quickly discovers that they have lost family members in their battle against the Jinroo. While handling a situation, one of the family members is attacked by something that is otherworldly but isn't Jinroo. They then have to race against time as the city becomes infected with both Jinroo and other wordly creatures.
This comic book is so complex, but really speaks to the Black experience especially in terms of how we attempt (as a Black community) to handle breaking down the pillars of racism. There are those in the Black community that are peaceful while there are those who want retribution because of the pain and fear that has plagued and traumatized their life. These different view points come to a head in the comic and it was interesting to watch it play out. This story also makes reference to some important historical moments for Black Americas like the Tusla Riots or the Red Summer. This makes the work as a whole even more impactful and even more emotional. There is this sense of hopelessness at some point in the story and I resonated with that because how do we defeat racism when the whole concept of race itself was developed by men. It's not supposed to exist. That makes the work that the main characters in this book attempt to do even more difficult but even more worth praise and admiration. It shows that we, now, in the 21st century still have a lot work to do ourselves. I think that most people will enjoy the story of this comic, but that a lot of people are going to have to take some time and adjust to the art style. While I enjoyed it, there were panels where there was too much going on and it was hard to keep up. There is also a heavy use of earth tones in both the foreground and background which makes the "lighting" of the entire work fill dim. I enjoyed the somber feel it evoked, but I know that everyone won't enjoy that. Overall, this was great as always and I hope that more people pick it up.
First Read:
Re-Read 11/15/2020: This was just as good as the first time that I read it. Bitter Root is more than just a comic book that follows a Black family that practices Root Magic; it is an exploration of the consumption of the soul by racism. The Sangerye family is responsible for healing the souls of those who have become so invested in the tenants of racism that it consumes their soul. As a result they turn into these creatures called Jinroo. The Sangerye family has been through a lot by the beginning of this comic. The reader quickly discovers that they have lost family members in their battle against the Jinroo. While handling a situation, one of the family members is attacked by something that is otherworldly but isn't Jinroo. They then have to race against time as the city becomes infected with both Jinroo and other wordly creatures.
This comic book is so complex, but really speaks to the Black experience especially in terms of how we attempt (as a Black community) to handle breaking down the pillars of racism. There are those in the Black community that are peaceful while there are those who want retribution because of the pain and fear that has plagued and traumatized their life. These different view points come to a head in the comic and it was interesting to watch it play out. This story also makes reference to some important historical moments for Black Americas like the Tusla Riots or the Red Summer. This makes the work as a whole even more impactful and even more emotional. There is this sense of hopelessness at some point in the story and I resonated with that because how do we defeat racism when the whole concept of race itself was developed by men. It's not supposed to exist. That makes the work that the main characters in this book attempt to do even more difficult but even more worth praise and admiration. It shows that we, now, in the 21st century still have a lot work to do ourselves. I think that most people will enjoy the story of this comic, but that a lot of people are going to have to take some time and adjust to the art style. While I enjoyed it, there were panels where there was too much going on and it was hard to keep up. There is also a heavy use of earth tones in both the foreground and background which makes the "lighting" of the entire work fill dim. I enjoyed the somber feel it evoked, but I know that everyone won't enjoy that. Overall, this was great as always and I hope that more people pick it up.
August 26, 2020
"All art is propoganda and ever thus shall be"--W.E.B DuBois
A 2020 Eisner series winner! The premise is on the face of it simple: Something is infecting people and making them into monsters. The source? Racism. And the focus of the story is Harlem, during the time of the Harlem Renaissance. The Cure? Well, the Sangerye family specializesin curing the souls of those infected by hate. On the one hand this feels like a simple allegory, with a kind of war for the soul of the country and the world at stake.
The art is very busy with allusions to the time period and to African American culture and I see some hints of Walt Kelly and probably black cartoonists/storytellers I don't yet know. The southern gothic. The supernatural. Racism as American horror, as I also saw in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. The panels are garish and crowded and loud, and the action seems very much apocalyptic good guys vs. bad guys, but the unique angle here is that this is a mythic-superhero horror story told from the heart of the black American experience. I like it and I like all the essays that contextualize the work in African American history and culture and art. Black resistance, black invention, with some joy!
A 2020 Eisner series winner! The premise is on the face of it simple: Something is infecting people and making them into monsters. The source? Racism. And the focus of the story is Harlem, during the time of the Harlem Renaissance. The Cure? Well, the Sangerye family specializesin curing the souls of those infected by hate. On the one hand this feels like a simple allegory, with a kind of war for the soul of the country and the world at stake.
The art is very busy with allusions to the time period and to African American culture and I see some hints of Walt Kelly and probably black cartoonists/storytellers I don't yet know. The southern gothic. The supernatural. Racism as American horror, as I also saw in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. The panels are garish and crowded and loud, and the action seems very much apocalyptic good guys vs. bad guys, but the unique angle here is that this is a mythic-superhero horror story told from the heart of the black American experience. I like it and I like all the essays that contextualize the work in African American history and culture and art. Black resistance, black invention, with some joy!
November 21, 2020
Taking place during the Harlem Renaissance, Bitter Root is the story of the Sangerye Clan. The family has rooted out and cured Jinroo for generations. Jinroo are racists so filled with hate that they actually become monsters. There's some really cool world building here. I love the idea of this family working together to root out monsters. And I like how they mix in real historical events like the Red Summer and the Tulsa Race Massacre. The back half of these 5 issues just becomes one big fight though and the message is muddied.
Sanford Greene's chaotic, frenzied art actually works well in this instance. I didn't like Rico Renzi's muted colors at all though. It flattened out the art instead of drawing the eye to the context of each panel. It gave all the pages a sameness that all ran together giving you nowhere to focus on.
Sanford Greene's chaotic, frenzied art actually works well in this instance. I didn't like Rico Renzi's muted colors at all though. It flattened out the art instead of drawing the eye to the context of each panel. It gave all the pages a sameness that all ran together giving you nowhere to focus on.
November 3, 2019
I was going to give this book a 2-star rating after finishing the main feature, because despite the interesting start and showing us horror through an African American prism, the story quickly became a lot of slam-bang action scenes with one-dimensional characters fighting monsters. It felt like I was skipping all the other episodes in the season and just watching the cliffhanger finale of Supernatural. Who are these people and why are they all fighting?
But the book was saved by the many scholarly articles in the end matter. A lot of thought provoking notions were raised there that I hope the creators of the comics will start to integrate more fully into their narrative.
But the book was saved by the many scholarly articles in the end matter. A lot of thought provoking notions were raised there that I hope the creators of the comics will start to integrate more fully into their narrative.
January 11, 2022
I *LOVED* the art in this comic and the concept and start to the story is really interesting. But the pacing in this story is so poorly done, it goes from zero to 100 within the turn of a page and I hardly felt invested in the action taking place toward the end of the volume because there wasn't any set up to fully understand the stakes. I love the idea and discussions happening here, so if you don't mind the pacing I definitely recommend it
Watch me discuss this more in my December wrap up: https://youtu.be/xQg8xt0Or3Q
Watch me discuss this more in my December wrap up: https://youtu.be/xQg8xt0Or3Q
August 15, 2019
It was okay. I enjoyed the use of traditional Black folklore and history in the plot and was pleased to see how much love and research the creative team put into the story and the characters. Bitter Root follows a family of monster hunters who're trying to root out/find the root of all evil in their world. The story deals with hate and love and loss and racism and forgiveness. It's certainly a much needed and inclusive entry into the world of comics.
But.
There were some problems I couldn't ignore and some that bothered me as a POC.
The world building was a tad lacking for me and, at times, it was difficult to figure out what exactly was going on/what exactly the timeline of this story was. And while I do think it was a great decision to include the numerous essays that delved deeper into the themes/messages this comic was trying to portray, I wish those messages actually found their way into the comic itself. Obviously those essays made this comic much more impactful, but I question how this comic would be received had they not been included.
I'm also really on the fence about the idea that hatred and racism turn people into literal monsters. Monsters who, when they are "set free"/exorcised, awaken confused and innocent, as if they are not to blame, at all, for their own hatred or racism that turned them into monsters in the first place. I guess, to me, it feels a little cheap, as if this comic is absolving those who are racist from being seen as a perpetrator in the first place. Instead, they're seen as totally innocent victims of hatred. Which, I mean, don't get me wrong, is a very interesting way to tackle the problem and plays into that theme of forgiveness. But that's only because I read the essays at the end. I don't know. Without those essays at the end, the message of racism and hate becomes lost in translation and devolves into a message that racism and hatred aren't human traits, they're created by supernatural forces only Black people can control and exorcise. And I definitely don't think that was the creators' intention at all.
But.
There were some problems I couldn't ignore and some that bothered me as a POC.
The world building was a tad lacking for me and, at times, it was difficult to figure out what exactly was going on/what exactly the timeline of this story was. And while I do think it was a great decision to include the numerous essays that delved deeper into the themes/messages this comic was trying to portray, I wish those messages actually found their way into the comic itself. Obviously those essays made this comic much more impactful, but I question how this comic would be received had they not been included.
I'm also really on the fence about the idea that hatred and racism turn people into literal monsters. Monsters who, when they are "set free"/exorcised, awaken confused and innocent, as if they are not to blame, at all, for their own hatred or racism that turned them into monsters in the first place. I guess, to me, it feels a little cheap, as if this comic is absolving those who are racist from being seen as a perpetrator in the first place. Instead, they're seen as totally innocent victims of hatred. Which, I mean, don't get me wrong, is a very interesting way to tackle the problem and plays into that theme of forgiveness. But that's only because I read the essays at the end. I don't know. Without those essays at the end, the message of racism and hate becomes lost in translation and devolves into a message that racism and hatred aren't human traits, they're created by supernatural forces only Black people can control and exorcise. And I definitely don't think that was the creators' intention at all.
March 22, 2021
I first learned of this series when I met the artist Sanford Greene at San Diego Comic Con a few years ago. Greene was super sweet and he was super excited about this new project because he'd be working with David F. Walker again. Even if I hadn't heard about it from Greene, I'm sure I would've checked this out anyway because I've yet to find a David F. Walker book that I haven't loved. He just puts so much love and love and so many layers of black history into his books. This was no exception.
Walker builds a world here wherein people have been living in a world filled with demons most of them aren't aware of. The demons are created when they're overtaken by hatred and, while they're a clear metaphor for racial hatred and white supremacy, there's a lot of nuance in the ways different black characters choose to deal with the demons. There are that prefer to be on the front lines, those that fight with science, those that fight alone - in the end, it takes all kinds which I think is a great message.
I loved the female characters, especially Blink. I loved that she chose to fight despite that that's "not what women do." Etta is also a total badass and I loved what she had to say about the community supporting each other, even when there was a war going on.
The art is awesome! I loved Sanford Greene's work in Power Man & Iron Fist and that 70s vibe carries over into this book as well. The colors, the art, the setting and the story just makes for such a cool world and I can't wait to read the next volume! Also, I heard there's a show in the works and I can't wait to see it!
Walker builds a world here wherein people have been living in a world filled with demons most of them aren't aware of. The demons are created when they're overtaken by hatred and, while they're a clear metaphor for racial hatred and white supremacy, there's a lot of nuance in the ways different black characters choose to deal with the demons. There are that prefer to be on the front lines, those that fight with science, those that fight alone - in the end, it takes all kinds which I think is a great message.
I loved the female characters, especially Blink. I loved that she chose to fight despite that that's "not what women do." Etta is also a total badass and I loved what she had to say about the community supporting each other, even when there was a war going on.
"The Sangeryes don't turn their backs on folks in need. That ain't the way we do things. We gonna fight the fight. But we also gonna feed the hungry, we gonna comfort them's that's scared... and we gonna heal the sick."
The art is awesome! I loved Sanford Greene's work in Power Man & Iron Fist and that 70s vibe carries over into this book as well. The colors, the art, the setting and the story just makes for such a cool world and I can't wait to read the next volume! Also, I heard there's a show in the works and I can't wait to see it!
December 19, 2019
The current HBO series Watchmen, loosely based on the comic, is predicated on the idea that the 1921 attack on the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma — an area known as “black Wall Street” — has long-lasting effects on not just the survivors of that white-on-black race riot but also on their descendants.
This comic postulates a similar thing, where hatred and greed turn a person evil and monstrous, into what is called a jinoo. The Sangeryes family are survivors of Greenwood, and they have, in the 3 years since, tried to help others overcome the effects of their hate by synthesizing a treatment that purifies their soul sickness, turning the creatures back into people.
But other survivors can’t get over those events, and they embrace the monstrous changes in order to advance their own agenda, which involves a heaping helping of vengeance.
This is the sort of thing comic books excel at: talking about serious subjects like racism and mass murder by looking at them through the lens of allegory. In this instance, it’s a Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer-style story of a family of monster hunters. The twist being not that they are black and this is 1924, but that they are trying to cure these people rather than kill them.
It is altogether very well done, but the 25+ pages of historical context in the appendix essays really elevates the comic itself.
This comic postulates a similar thing, where hatred and greed turn a person evil and monstrous, into what is called a jinoo. The Sangeryes family are survivors of Greenwood, and they have, in the 3 years since, tried to help others overcome the effects of their hate by synthesizing a treatment that purifies their soul sickness, turning the creatures back into people.
But other survivors can’t get over those events, and they embrace the monstrous changes in order to advance their own agenda, which involves a heaping helping of vengeance.
This is the sort of thing comic books excel at: talking about serious subjects like racism and mass murder by looking at them through the lens of allegory. In this instance, it’s a Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer-style story of a family of monster hunters. The twist being not that they are black and this is 1924, but that they are trying to cure these people rather than kill them.
It is altogether very well done, but the 25+ pages of historical context in the appendix essays really elevates the comic itself.
August 15, 2020
A nice monster clash comic-like-movie with huge racial underlines.
This is about a family who doesn't seem very connected but all working together to purify monsters or in some cases kill them. Most of these monsters are broken souls tainted by darkness to do horrible acts of violence. However, when one of their own in the family is infected they most band together to find out what is happening.
I really enjoyed this for the most part. Fast read, easy, and super fun. I like the message, and the racial issues it covers work really well here. I also dug the atmosphere here, very urban-fantasy which is my favorite type of fantasy mixed with solid humor. But I expected that from David F. Walker. A 4 out of 5.
This is about a family who doesn't seem very connected but all working together to purify monsters or in some cases kill them. Most of these monsters are broken souls tainted by darkness to do horrible acts of violence. However, when one of their own in the family is infected they most band together to find out what is happening.
I really enjoyed this for the most part. Fast read, easy, and super fun. I like the message, and the racial issues it covers work really well here. I also dug the atmosphere here, very urban-fantasy which is my favorite type of fantasy mixed with solid humor. But I expected that from David F. Walker. A 4 out of 5.
August 21, 2023
I think that I learned about this graphic novel via Instagram, and instantly wanted to read it. I love graphic novels, and I read pretty widely on the topic of race and racism, so this felt like it was pretty much right up my alley.
I wish I could say that I enjoyed it a bit more than I did. There were just some things that felt off or didn't work for me.
But first, let's talk about what I did like.
- I loved the way that historical detail was included, and the level of detail that the artwork went to to include it. Here's an example - the newspaper headlines in this one panel (this scene takes place in 1924):
- I liked the steampunk feel and the artwork. You can't tell me that you don't know what this woman is saying without her saying a word. So good!
- I liked the lore, and the concept...
...But it reminded me SO STRONGLY of Ring Shout in the general concept that I couldn't help but compare the two. The concept of racism as an actual monstrous thing inside people makes complete sense, though the execution differed a bit between these books.
In Ring Shout, it's a "possession" of sorts, brought on by an external influence - something that people are contaminated with and is not inherent to their nature.
In Bitter Root... I'm not really sure. There are two different types of creatures, and one of them isn't explained in any way (at least not in volume 1). That's the normal "Jinoo", which is not contagious, and the people who become Jinoo can be "healed" using a particular root. But that's about the extent of the explanation. Then there's another creature, which is contagious, or at least able to spread infection, and that seems to be different and come from a different source.
In both books, only white people seem to be afflicted with these racism-based monstrosities. Though, in Ring Shout, it's implied that Black people COULD be. In Bitter Root, it's explicitly stated that Black people "don't have it in them", which seems... not accurate. And therein lies my biggest issue with this.
There's a lot to unpack about that, not least of which is that racism (particularly Jim Crow, which is the setting for both of these stories) requires a power dynamic imbalance, as well as hatred, fear, etc. White people in this setting have power to enact racist policies and laws and actions that Black people do not. But that's not to say that Black people are INCAPABLE of it, in a different situation. Everyone has that capacity. We're human.
And so it seems like this book is saying that SOME of us are human, and some of us are not. Some of us are racist monsters.
Just to be clear, I am not saying that this is "rEvErSe RaCiSt" because it's not. (See power balance requirement again.) But what I am saying is that the implication that only white people can be racist monsters doesn't sit well with me. Humans are tribalistic, and the "us vs them" of that aspect of humanity can take many forms.
I know that the focus of this book is on Jim Crow in the United States, and that was a horrific time that spawned attitudes and policies that still exist to this day. But that's not the entirety of racism. The United States didn't invent racism out of whole cloth just to create Jim Crow laws, or even to facilitate the slave trade before that.
It's strange to me that this one line has had such an impact on my feeling about this. But, if you know me, you know that I'm pretty particular in the details, and sometimes I get into implication black holes. This was one of those things. Granted, it was said by a character in the story, so maybe that character is just misinformed, or biased, or just doesn't want to believe something that doesn't align with their concept of Jinoo reality. But this family are supposed to be the experts, so it's assumed that they'd know whether this is true or not. And it was said as though it was true.
I went into this fully expecting to like it, if not love it. So much so that I nearly bought all three volumes in order to read them. But... honestly I'm not sure if I'll continue. I'm a little bit curious about some of the developments and what they mean, but not fully invested, and with other library books clamoring for my time, I think I'll probably fit these in IF I can... or not.
I wish I could say that I enjoyed it a bit more than I did. There were just some things that felt off or didn't work for me.
But first, let's talk about what I did like.
- I loved the way that historical detail was included, and the level of detail that the artwork went to to include it. Here's an example - the newspaper headlines in this one panel (this scene takes place in 1924):
"Woodrow Wilson Dead" - referring to the famously racist president. "Fun" fact, Wilson premiered the first movie to be shown in the White House - that being the racist propaganda film "Birth of a Nation", a film which directly led to a huge increase in KKK members and lynchings and race-based violence during the Jim Crow era.
"Immigration Bill Signed, Japanese Ban" - referring to The Johnson-Reed Act
"Murders [In] Omaha" - likely referring to KKK actions; they were at their peak membership and activity in the 1920s.
"Jack Johnson" - Black heavyweight boxer, likely in the news frequently during this time period.
- I liked the steampunk feel and the artwork. You can't tell me that you don't know what this woman is saying without her saying a word. So good!
- I liked the lore, and the concept...
...But it reminded me SO STRONGLY of Ring Shout in the general concept that I couldn't help but compare the two. The concept of racism as an actual monstrous thing inside people makes complete sense, though the execution differed a bit between these books.
In Ring Shout, it's a "possession" of sorts, brought on by an external influence - something that people are contaminated with and is not inherent to their nature.
In Bitter Root... I'm not really sure. There are two different types of creatures, and one of them isn't explained in any way (at least not in volume 1). That's the normal "Jinoo", which is not contagious, and the people who become Jinoo can be "healed" using a particular root. But that's about the extent of the explanation. Then there's another creature, which is contagious, or at least able to spread infection, and that seems to be different and come from a different source.
In both books, only white people seem to be afflicted with these racism-based monstrosities. Though, in Ring Shout, it's implied that Black people COULD be. In Bitter Root, it's explicitly stated that Black people "don't have it in them", which seems... not accurate. And therein lies my biggest issue with this.
There's a lot to unpack about that, not least of which is that racism (particularly Jim Crow, which is the setting for both of these stories) requires a power dynamic imbalance, as well as hatred, fear, etc. White people in this setting have power to enact racist policies and laws and actions that Black people do not. But that's not to say that Black people are INCAPABLE of it, in a different situation. Everyone has that capacity. We're human.
And so it seems like this book is saying that SOME of us are human, and some of us are not. Some of us are racist monsters.
Just to be clear, I am not saying that this is "rEvErSe RaCiSt" because it's not. (See power balance requirement again.) But what I am saying is that the implication that only white people can be racist monsters doesn't sit well with me. Humans are tribalistic, and the "us vs them" of that aspect of humanity can take many forms.
I know that the focus of this book is on Jim Crow in the United States, and that was a horrific time that spawned attitudes and policies that still exist to this day. But that's not the entirety of racism. The United States didn't invent racism out of whole cloth just to create Jim Crow laws, or even to facilitate the slave trade before that.
It's strange to me that this one line has had such an impact on my feeling about this. But, if you know me, you know that I'm pretty particular in the details, and sometimes I get into implication black holes. This was one of those things. Granted, it was said by a character in the story, so maybe that character is just misinformed, or biased, or just doesn't want to believe something that doesn't align with their concept of Jinoo reality. But this family are supposed to be the experts, so it's assumed that they'd know whether this is true or not. And it was said as though it was true.
I went into this fully expecting to like it, if not love it. So much so that I nearly bought all three volumes in order to read them. But... honestly I'm not sure if I'll continue. I'm a little bit curious about some of the developments and what they mean, but not fully invested, and with other library books clamoring for my time, I think I'll probably fit these in IF I can... or not.
November 1, 2021
I enjoyed the characters in this comic more than I enjoyed the plot.
It made for a fun commute to work read, following the adventures of a family combating magical monsters who are transformed from people to monsters by spilling blood as an act of hate. It's kind of a cool premise.
I read a review that was upset that the white characters are the only ones who can turn into the hateful monsters, and how the writer thinks that's racist. He fails to take in account that the people of color CAN also turn into monsters, they just turn into a different type of monster. If you're focusing on the metaphor, let's say it's the difference between being a bigot and being prejudiced. The difference between being a racist, and being affected by institutional racism. Not all the white people in the book are monsters. In fact, a white supremacist who is definitely a bad dude, hasn't ever participated in killing anyone, and thus doesn't ever transform into a monster. He's a person who ends up aligning with the protagonists to avoid being the monsters he sees the other white supremacists turning into.
I wish it wasn't so timely. Like, all of the time.
This isn't a perfectly plotted book. The last issue reveal was interesting, but it felt a bit like Rick Remender's Black Science, Vol. 1: How to Fall Forever, in that I like and trust the writer is going to somewhere interesting but I'm not going to be shocked if I'm disappointed, either.
If you enjoy magicy/sci-fi-ish adventure stories enough to forgive some confusing world building, this might be the book for you. While I enjoy the metaphor/message behind it, I also think it stands on its own as a decent comic adventure story.
****Update****
I didn't enjoy this when I read through it a second time. The characters are clearly ideas rather than fleshed out people. The plot is even more bare bones than I remember. And it feels overall more disappointing because the conceit of the book is so much better than the execution.
I'm in the midst of reading volume two right now, and I'm not sure this series is going to ever be as good a story as it is a vehicle for incredibly talented artists to make very cool variant covers.
It made for a fun commute to work read, following the adventures of a family combating magical monsters who are transformed from people to monsters by spilling blood as an act of hate. It's kind of a cool premise.
I read a review that was upset that the white characters are the only ones who can turn into the hateful monsters, and how the writer thinks that's racist. He fails to take in account that the people of color CAN also turn into monsters, they just turn into a different type of monster. If you're focusing on the metaphor, let's say it's the difference between being a bigot and being prejudiced. The difference between being a racist, and being affected by institutional racism. Not all the white people in the book are monsters. In fact, a white supremacist who is definitely a bad dude, hasn't ever participated in killing anyone, and thus doesn't ever transform into a monster. He's a person who ends up aligning with the protagonists to avoid being the monsters he sees the other white supremacists turning into.
I wish it wasn't so timely. Like, all of the time.
This isn't a perfectly plotted book. The last issue reveal was interesting, but it felt a bit like Rick Remender's Black Science, Vol. 1: How to Fall Forever, in that I like and trust the writer is going to somewhere interesting but I'm not going to be shocked if I'm disappointed, either.
If you enjoy magicy/sci-fi-ish adventure stories enough to forgive some confusing world building, this might be the book for you. While I enjoy the metaphor/message behind it, I also think it stands on its own as a decent comic adventure story.
****Update****
I didn't enjoy this when I read through it a second time. The characters are clearly ideas rather than fleshed out people. The plot is even more bare bones than I remember. And it feels overall more disappointing because the conceit of the book is so much better than the execution.
I'm in the midst of reading volume two right now, and I'm not sure this series is going to ever be as good a story as it is a vehicle for incredibly talented artists to make very cool variant covers.
November 15, 2021
Seriously this is probably one of the best comic series that I have ever read. It is set during the Harlem renaissance. The images and graphics is very much giving me Jazz and historical relevance. These comics are about a family that is trying their best to get rid of the evils in the world. While also dealing with multigenerational trauma. They are dealing with white folks who view them as less than themselves (human beings). These comics are more than a work of art and telling of conjure women and root work and how Black women has been on the forefront and the backbones of Black communities. I was loving every bit of it, even the hard parts.
This comic series also asked the question, “what happens to Black folks when the pain is too much and consume you?”
The best parts of these comics were the articles in the back that provides a more theoretical explanation for why things were explored a certain way in these comics. Their was close attention paid to the work of Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Charles Chestnut, and W.E.B Dubois.
This comic series also asked the question, “what happens to Black folks when the pain is too much and consume you?”
The best parts of these comics were the articles in the back that provides a more theoretical explanation for why things were explored a certain way in these comics. Their was close attention paid to the work of Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Charles Chestnut, and W.E.B Dubois.
February 16, 2021
Šupnem znova recenziu na 1 a 2 rovno dokopy. Vyhýbala som sa tomuto jak veľa veciam, ktoré sa zameriavajú na problémy v spoločnosti (LGBT+ témy, rasizmus a podobne), lebo neznášam, keď tá téma prebije čokoľvek iné v komikse, ak to nie je priamo na to zameriavané. Tuto ale Bitter Root jemne naznačil v celom príbehu, že ide o rasizmus cez skvelý príbeh s monštrami. Výborne nakreslená vec, s krásnymi farbami a s krásnym letteringom. Obe knihy ma vtiahli do deja od začiatku do konca (v druhej sa na začiatku dočkáme špeciálu, kde v kratučkých príbehoch kreslených vždy iným ilustrátorom dostaneme vysvetlené udalosti z minulých rokov, ktoré boli celý čas spomínané v prvom booku). Maličké mínus, čo som na tom celom až v druhom booku videla bolo skákanie ako v čase (rokoch), tak v miestach a začínala som miestami mať v tom celom chaos a musela som niekedy prebehnúť niektoré stránky dvakrát. Ale ak to zhrniem, prvý 4,5/5 a druhý 4/5 a teším ďalej.
January 21, 2022
Loveddddd this. Review to come!
June 11, 2020
Když už chcete dělat komiks o rasismu, tak není nejhorší nápad zamaskovat ho do pořádných bitek proti monstrům.
Další možný výherce Eisnera a za mě jeden z těch zasloužených kandidátů. Akce tu jede prakticky od začátku do konce, kresba krásně sedí k příběhu a člověk jim i odpustí, že ten boj proti rasismu tady není úplně skrytý, ale podaný vcelku polopatě. Naštěstí skrze monstra, které mají pěkně ostré zoubky. Čteno sice digitálně, ale fyzická kopie už je v košíku pro další nákup a hype na další knížku je víc než solidní.
Další možný výherce Eisnera a za mě jeden z těch zasloužených kandidátů. Akce tu jede prakticky od začátku do konce, kresba krásně sedí k příběhu a člověk jim i odpustí, že ten boj proti rasismu tady není úplně skrytý, ale podaný vcelku polopatě. Naštěstí skrze monstra, které mají pěkně ostré zoubky. Čteno sice digitálně, ale fyzická kopie už je v košíku pro další nákup a hype na další knížku je víc než solidní.
December 5, 2019
This is a wonderful book. It is full of allegory, nostalgia and history.
The only detraction I have found is that it is part of the "to be continued" genre of comic book. In my opinion, one of the detriments that contributes to declines in the popularity of comics and graphic novels is not getting a full story when you spend 25 cents, one dollar or seventeen dollars for a publication.
I do encourage people to check out Bitter Root because it is a wonderful premise and is full of action.
The only detraction I have found is that it is part of the "to be continued" genre of comic book. In my opinion, one of the detriments that contributes to declines in the popularity of comics and graphic novels is not getting a full story when you spend 25 cents, one dollar or seventeen dollars for a publication.
I do encourage people to check out Bitter Root because it is a wonderful premise and is full of action.
May 19, 2019
Took awhile to get there but the world building seemed a little slow and confusing. Great characters though.
January 2, 2023
A conceptually-creative series that gives hate and racism a tangible and monstrous form while presenting a curious cast of characters divided by a desire to either cure or kill evil.
The artwork is mesmerizing, fully embracing a captivating and stylistic tone.
Stretchy, murky, and crazy.
I'm in for the rest of the ride.
The artwork is mesmerizing, fully embracing a captivating and stylistic tone.
Stretchy, murky, and crazy.
I'm in for the rest of the ride.
August 28, 2023
Great world building, themes, and pretty well realized characters. Artwork is on point. Really, if I was just more into monster of the week type stuff this would knock it out of the park for me. I can see why this is on so many best-of lists.
September 8, 2019
Comics and graphic novels are in dire need of more diversity, if only for equal representation, but better yet to tell new, original stories.
Bitter Root starts with an interesting, original premise, to then tell a mediocre story you've read a million times before.
There are a lot of characters, but there's not a lot of characterisation, beyond obvious characteristics (Berg is loquacious, for example).
There is a lot of action, and a lot of characters explaining what is happening.
And there is 'root work', which I never had heard of, and I feel is such an interesting, tantalising idea, that seems strangely underused.
There is a solid premise here, now all it needs is a good story.
Bitter Root starts with an interesting, original premise, to then tell a mediocre story you've read a million times before.
There are a lot of characters, but there's not a lot of characterisation, beyond obvious characteristics (Berg is loquacious, for example).
There is a lot of action, and a lot of characters explaining what is happening.
And there is 'root work', which I never had heard of, and I feel is such an interesting, tantalising idea, that seems strangely underused.
There is a solid premise here, now all it needs is a good story.
February 6, 2020
Read for Popsugar 2020: Book Set in the 1920s
Dang, I really wanted to like this more than I did. I've been so excited to read this since it came out, and I felt a bit let down by it. The art is -amazing-, so freaking good, I can't handle how good it is. The worldbuilding in the first issue is really enjoyable, the family members are dynamic and interesting, but somewhere around the halfway point I lost the thread (and my enthusiasm for the book).
Will I read the eventual Volume 2? Almost certainly, if only to clear up some confusing plot lines.
Dang, I really wanted to like this more than I did. I've been so excited to read this since it came out, and I felt a bit let down by it. The art is -amazing-, so freaking good, I can't handle how good it is. The worldbuilding in the first issue is really enjoyable, the family members are dynamic and interesting, but somewhere around the halfway point I lost the thread (and my enthusiasm for the book).
Will I read the eventual Volume 2? Almost certainly, if only to clear up some confusing plot lines.
June 29, 2019
Now this is a 'universe' I want to spend a lot more time in. You've got at least five different wide character arcs going. Endless directions and depth for this story and some great world building. You've got the horrors of racism mixed with action, horror, romance and more. I really can't wait to see where this goes.
January 10, 2024
In Walker's version of 1924 Harlem, bigots are transformed by their bigotry into huge slavering monsters. Bitter Root follows a family of monster hunters who believe in rehabilitation (in the form of a root-derived serum that turns them back into humans) over warfare. Which puts them at odds with other monster hunters in their community.
In the tradition of works such as Lovecraft Country and Ring Shout, Bitter Root treats Jim Crow racism as literal monsterism. And the approach is appealing: take one of society's most pervasive evils and draw a face on it. Then punch that face. Repeatedly. For 160 pages.
It's in the execution that Bitter Root falls down. There's virtually no world-building. Characters have little personality beyond the one defining trait each is assigned. Take Berg, a mountain of a man who's unexpectedly erudite and sesquipedalian. It's an entertaining idea, but his word choices are suspect and always gratuitously bolded. It's an AFFECTATION that I find unnecessarily DISTRACTING:
Once the A+ concept is established, the book is almost entirely action hero poses and bad one-liners. Disappointing.
In the tradition of works such as Lovecraft Country and Ring Shout, Bitter Root treats Jim Crow racism as literal monsterism. And the approach is appealing: take one of society's most pervasive evils and draw a face on it. Then punch that face. Repeatedly. For 160 pages.
It's in the execution that Bitter Root falls down. There's virtually no world-building. Characters have little personality beyond the one defining trait each is assigned. Take Berg, a mountain of a man who's unexpectedly erudite and sesquipedalian. It's an entertaining idea, but his word choices are suspect and always gratuitously bolded. It's an AFFECTATION that I find unnecessarily DISTRACTING:
Might I offer a bit of SAGACIOUS INSIGHT to your current predicament?
My assistance would hardly prove HEURISTIC to your cause.
Pay attention to the task at hand before you get killed--which would be most INSALUBRIOUS.
Once the A+ concept is established, the book is almost entirely action hero poses and bad one-liners. Disappointing.
February 18, 2023
3.5 stars!
The concept of this series is so interesting - people have their souls infected by hate and turn into literal demons that a family of monster hunters have to deal with. The family is split, with some wanting to kill the monsters, while others want to heal them of their hate.
There is a lot of symbology in this outside of the action graphic novel it's presented as. I really appreciated Bookishrealm's review and would recommend checking it out!
I don't generally read a lot of action-packed graphic novels, and this was a bit out of my realm of there being so many fighting scenes. I wish there might have been a bit more of scenes with the family members or conversations to help space out the nonstop fighting, if that makes any sense.
Please check CWs on this before trying, there's a lot of historical references of racism and hate included in this.
The concept of this series is so interesting - people have their souls infected by hate and turn into literal demons that a family of monster hunters have to deal with. The family is split, with some wanting to kill the monsters, while others want to heal them of their hate.
There is a lot of symbology in this outside of the action graphic novel it's presented as. I really appreciated Bookishrealm's review and would recommend checking it out!
I don't generally read a lot of action-packed graphic novels, and this was a bit out of my realm of there being so many fighting scenes. I wish there might have been a bit more of scenes with the family members or conversations to help space out the nonstop fighting, if that makes any sense.
Please check CWs on this before trying, there's a lot of historical references of racism and hate included in this.
August 17, 2020
This was a very cool and unique graphic novel that combined elements of horror, steampunk, sci-fi, and African-American history. A family passes down the magical tradition of battling the literal demons that take hold of humans' souls when they are tainted by hate and prejudice. However, during the course of this story a new monster arises that their magic cannot touch. Can they close the gates that are allowing monsters to spill into the physical world without losing any more family members?
March 30, 2024
Spännande, jag vill veta mer!
June 11, 2020
Bitter Root, Vol. 1 collects the first 5 issues of the series written by David F. Walker and Chuck Brown and drawn by Sanford Greene. A sci-fi/horror series about a family of Black monster hunters living in 1920’s Harlem, it felt like a natural fit to read this month. This isn’t the first time Walker and Greene have teamed up. I remember fondly their work on a run of Power Man and Iron Fist over at Marvel about 4 years ago.
The Sangeryes are the aforementioned family of monster hunters. Their family business is to hunt Jinoo, which are humans humans whose souls have been corrupted and turned into monsters. The Sangeryes family holds the secret to purifying Jinoo using their serum concocted from the titular Fif’no root. This time around, the family is facing a threat from more than just your run-of-the-mill Jinoo. While the premise sounds like fairly standard horror/sci-fi material, what sets it apart is the book’s focus on tackling racism and Black history through a genre lens.
I’m often guilty of focusing too much on the written portion of comics at the expense of the art. Not this time. David Walker and Chuck Brown have spun a fine yarn, to be sure, but Sanford Greene is putting in some absolute work in Bitter Root. His Harlem is both gritty and full of life. The steampunk aesthetic of a group of early twentieth-century monster hunters is quite imaginative. The action sequences and fights with the Jinoo are pitch perfect. The colors by Greene and Rico Renzi are well done. The sci-fi elements and monsters are vibrant against the muted backdrop and buildings of Harlem. Bitter Root is a visual treat.
As a sci-fi/horror blend, Bitter Root is very effective. It’s setting and style make for a unique series. That’s always refreshing in the never-ending wave of repetition that can sometimes plague the comics medium. The book is heavy on the action. I felt like the story was pretty fleshed out, but it’s quickly paced and there’s a generous serving of splash pages. I think I might have had more issue with how the plot unfolded had I not known going in that there was more Bitter Root on the horizon. It works well as a standalone, but working with the knowledge that some of the unexplored threads are likely to be covered further down the road was comforting.
Bitter Root is steeped in Black history. Taking place in 1920’s Harlem lends itself well to that effort, but the writers also make the Red Summer of 1919 and the Tulsa massacre in 1921 central to the story. The book expects that you’ll have already learned about these events or will be curious enough to research them on your own. Seeing as our educational system often ignores these important events in US history, you may have missed them, but I think they were given the right amount of weight in Bitter Root. A full historical re-telling would have felt forced, but weaving them into the story is sure to introduce them to some for the first time.
My favorite character here was Berg. He’s got real Beast from the X-men vibes. He’s a whip smart doctor that uses a never-ending parade of large words from his vast vocabulary. When it comes time to throw-down though, Berg isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. There are further, more spoiler-y similarities with Beast too, but I’ll leave you to find those out on your own. The rest of the cast is pretty well-built out too. Ma Etta, the family matriarch, even gets to tangle with some Jinoo. I will admit I’d have liked to see more time spent on Blink. There’s a bit of her primary character motivations teased, but I think the action got in the way of spending more time on those themes in volume one. I’m hoping there will be more exploration in that vein in further volumes.
This first volume has a ton of high-quality back-matter. I don’t typically spend a ton of time on back-matter, but Bitter Root’s was worth exploring. Firstly, the collection has all of the variant covers from a group of absolute all-stars, including Bill Sienkiewicz, Mike Mignola, and more. The covers are cool but also included are quotes from famous Black writers like Toni Morrison and James Baldwin set to page against Greene’s early character sketches. Then there’s essays from Black academics exploring some of the folklore and themes that helped influence the creation of Bitter Root (including the coining of the great term “EthnoGothic”). The back-matter alone might be worth the price of admission.
All told, Bitter Root is first and foremost just a good comic. It’s written well and the art is stellar. Beyond that, it exists as a commentary on racism by Black creators in a time where that feels more essential than ever. To pull off that balance of story and symbolism is no small feat. It’s no wonder this series was recently nominated for the Eisner for best continuing series. I can’t wait to read more.
The Sangeryes are the aforementioned family of monster hunters. Their family business is to hunt Jinoo, which are humans humans whose souls have been corrupted and turned into monsters. The Sangeryes family holds the secret to purifying Jinoo using their serum concocted from the titular Fif’no root. This time around, the family is facing a threat from more than just your run-of-the-mill Jinoo. While the premise sounds like fairly standard horror/sci-fi material, what sets it apart is the book’s focus on tackling racism and Black history through a genre lens.
I’m often guilty of focusing too much on the written portion of comics at the expense of the art. Not this time. David Walker and Chuck Brown have spun a fine yarn, to be sure, but Sanford Greene is putting in some absolute work in Bitter Root. His Harlem is both gritty and full of life. The steampunk aesthetic of a group of early twentieth-century monster hunters is quite imaginative. The action sequences and fights with the Jinoo are pitch perfect. The colors by Greene and Rico Renzi are well done. The sci-fi elements and monsters are vibrant against the muted backdrop and buildings of Harlem. Bitter Root is a visual treat.
As a sci-fi/horror blend, Bitter Root is very effective. It’s setting and style make for a unique series. That’s always refreshing in the never-ending wave of repetition that can sometimes plague the comics medium. The book is heavy on the action. I felt like the story was pretty fleshed out, but it’s quickly paced and there’s a generous serving of splash pages. I think I might have had more issue with how the plot unfolded had I not known going in that there was more Bitter Root on the horizon. It works well as a standalone, but working with the knowledge that some of the unexplored threads are likely to be covered further down the road was comforting.
Bitter Root is steeped in Black history. Taking place in 1920’s Harlem lends itself well to that effort, but the writers also make the Red Summer of 1919 and the Tulsa massacre in 1921 central to the story. The book expects that you’ll have already learned about these events or will be curious enough to research them on your own. Seeing as our educational system often ignores these important events in US history, you may have missed them, but I think they were given the right amount of weight in Bitter Root. A full historical re-telling would have felt forced, but weaving them into the story is sure to introduce them to some for the first time.
My favorite character here was Berg. He’s got real Beast from the X-men vibes. He’s a whip smart doctor that uses a never-ending parade of large words from his vast vocabulary. When it comes time to throw-down though, Berg isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. There are further, more spoiler-y similarities with Beast too, but I’ll leave you to find those out on your own. The rest of the cast is pretty well-built out too. Ma Etta, the family matriarch, even gets to tangle with some Jinoo. I will admit I’d have liked to see more time spent on Blink. There’s a bit of her primary character motivations teased, but I think the action got in the way of spending more time on those themes in volume one. I’m hoping there will be more exploration in that vein in further volumes.
This first volume has a ton of high-quality back-matter. I don’t typically spend a ton of time on back-matter, but Bitter Root’s was worth exploring. Firstly, the collection has all of the variant covers from a group of absolute all-stars, including Bill Sienkiewicz, Mike Mignola, and more. The covers are cool but also included are quotes from famous Black writers like Toni Morrison and James Baldwin set to page against Greene’s early character sketches. Then there’s essays from Black academics exploring some of the folklore and themes that helped influence the creation of Bitter Root (including the coining of the great term “EthnoGothic”). The back-matter alone might be worth the price of admission.
All told, Bitter Root is first and foremost just a good comic. It’s written well and the art is stellar. Beyond that, it exists as a commentary on racism by Black creators in a time where that feels more essential than ever. To pull off that balance of story and symbolism is no small feat. It’s no wonder this series was recently nominated for the Eisner for best continuing series. I can’t wait to read more.
May 22, 2019
In terms of theme, the book is pretty simple: racism and hate make people into monsters.
The strength of this graphic novel lies in the relationships of the family members. Even though we are all acquainted with the drama and angst that familial issues cause, it doesn't alter the fact that we are drawn to them, even for the same reason.
In this novel, the Sangeryes family has had its share of tragedy, even for a family whose business is to capture and purify (not kill) people who have been made into monsters by their hatred. Decreased in numbers, they are in the middle of dealing with an explosion of new cases when they're confronted by a couple of new problems - portals from another dimension letting in more powerful true demonoid monsters and a transformed doctor (Sylvester) who, because of his own pain and loss, is trying to eliminate pain by eliminating the ones who cause it.
Set in Harlem a few years before the Renaissance flourished, the book jumps into action right away without time spent on the cultural and intellectual growth of that time and how it might be impacted by the racial hate that caused the killings of the Red Summer of 1919 in Harlem and the massacre that was the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. But those events are mentioned: the Sangeryes lost family during the Red Summer and the doctor-turned-monster lost his family to white vigilantes in Tulsa.
There's much push and pull related to the characters trying to find their balance in such an environment. The Sangeryes continue to help others regardless of race, even as they argue about it amongst themselves. Doctor Sylvester starts out as somewhat admiring of the Sangeryes, but then becomes dismissive as his own hate grows to eclipse his desire to cure the new infection from the demons coming through from another dimension and causes him to decide to use it, instead.
There is despair as white policemen who know the true story, avoid speaking up out of fear, but there is also hope in a young white member of a KKK group becoming a follower of one of the Sangeryes.
The artwork is so good and the pacing is very quick, moving from one member of the family to another until the point where all of them converge in the streets of Harlem to find both a daunting challenge in Doctor Sylvester and the new - intelligent - demons, and renewed strength through family reunion.
I don't know that I will continue with the series - I found the story to be less challenging than I like - but I enjoyed this book and consider the time on it spent well, if only for the reminders of our bloody history of racial hate and the ways people have of surmounting it and still flourishing.
The strength of this graphic novel lies in the relationships of the family members. Even though we are all acquainted with the drama and angst that familial issues cause, it doesn't alter the fact that we are drawn to them, even for the same reason.
In this novel, the Sangeryes family has had its share of tragedy, even for a family whose business is to capture and purify (not kill) people who have been made into monsters by their hatred. Decreased in numbers, they are in the middle of dealing with an explosion of new cases when they're confronted by a couple of new problems - portals from another dimension letting in more powerful true demonoid monsters and a transformed doctor (Sylvester) who, because of his own pain and loss, is trying to eliminate pain by eliminating the ones who cause it.
Set in Harlem a few years before the Renaissance flourished, the book jumps into action right away without time spent on the cultural and intellectual growth of that time and how it might be impacted by the racial hate that caused the killings of the Red Summer of 1919 in Harlem and the massacre that was the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. But those events are mentioned: the Sangeryes lost family during the Red Summer and the doctor-turned-monster lost his family to white vigilantes in Tulsa.
There's much push and pull related to the characters trying to find their balance in such an environment. The Sangeryes continue to help others regardless of race, even as they argue about it amongst themselves. Doctor Sylvester starts out as somewhat admiring of the Sangeryes, but then becomes dismissive as his own hate grows to eclipse his desire to cure the new infection from the demons coming through from another dimension and causes him to decide to use it, instead.
There is despair as white policemen who know the true story, avoid speaking up out of fear, but there is also hope in a young white member of a KKK group becoming a follower of one of the Sangeryes.
The artwork is so good and the pacing is very quick, moving from one member of the family to another until the point where all of them converge in the streets of Harlem to find both a daunting challenge in Doctor Sylvester and the new - intelligent - demons, and renewed strength through family reunion.
I don't know that I will continue with the series - I found the story to be less challenging than I like - but I enjoyed this book and consider the time on it spent well, if only for the reminders of our bloody history of racial hate and the ways people have of surmounting it and still flourishing.
January 23, 2021
Another week for my comic club and another Image comic. On the one hand, I admire that Image is willing to go outside the mainstream of capes and spandex and return to the gritty horror comics of the pre-code era. On the other hand, Image can get a bit heavy-handed with their politics. I feel like they end up preaching to the choir a lot. Image has maybe 10,000 readers and they're all extremely liberal. They probably don't need to be told that racism is evil.
As an action comic, Bitter Root works quite well. It definitely has some Hellboy in its DNA. I had a lot of fun with the wild and grotesque monster designs and steampunk superweapons. My favorite character from volume 1 had to be Berg followed by Ford.
Bonus points: It did do some research on the violent race riots and white mob violence of the early 20th century including the Red Summer of 1919 and the Tulsa massacre of 1921.
Points deducted: That ridiculous plot point in which only white people can be possessed by the demons of racism because black people "don't have it in them". Although black people can be possessed by the demons of pain and loss, which white people can't. If racism were solely a white, American problem the world would be a far more peaceful place. Sadly, genocides inspired by racism and hatred continue all over the world. In just the last 30 years, there have been at least 3 major black on black genocides in Africa. There was the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the anti-Hutu revenge genocide during the first Congolese War, and the genocide committed against the Mbuti tribe by Congolese rebels in 2002-2003. American media doesn't care about Africa, so here's the short version. A rebel faction called the MLC decided that the short statured Mbuti people who live in the rainforest are sub-human and needed to be wiped out. A secondary motivation was the folk belief that Mbuti flesh granted dark magical powers. Yes really. In October of 2002, the MLC launched Operation Effacer le Tableau "Erase the Board". After just 4 months, they had systematically slaughtered 70,000 Mbuti pygmies or 40 percent of the entire Mbuti population! Sadly, racism is a widespread human problem. We are a MESSED UP species!
As an action comic, Bitter Root works quite well. It definitely has some Hellboy in its DNA. I had a lot of fun with the wild and grotesque monster designs and steampunk superweapons. My favorite character from volume 1 had to be Berg followed by Ford.
Bonus points: It did do some research on the violent race riots and white mob violence of the early 20th century including the Red Summer of 1919 and the Tulsa massacre of 1921.
Points deducted: That ridiculous plot point in which only white people can be possessed by the demons of racism because black people "don't have it in them". Although black people can be possessed by the demons of pain and loss, which white people can't. If racism were solely a white, American problem the world would be a far more peaceful place. Sadly, genocides inspired by racism and hatred continue all over the world. In just the last 30 years, there have been at least 3 major black on black genocides in Africa. There was the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the anti-Hutu revenge genocide during the first Congolese War, and the genocide committed against the Mbuti tribe by Congolese rebels in 2002-2003. American media doesn't care about Africa, so here's the short version. A rebel faction called the MLC decided that the short statured Mbuti people who live in the rainforest are sub-human and needed to be wiped out. A secondary motivation was the folk belief that Mbuti flesh granted dark magical powers. Yes really. In October of 2002, the MLC launched Operation Effacer le Tableau "Erase the Board". After just 4 months, they had systematically slaughtered 70,000 Mbuti pygmies or 40 percent of the entire Mbuti population! Sadly, racism is a widespread human problem. We are a MESSED UP species!
August 29, 2020
The art of Bitter Root is extremely expressive, but still very easy to parse, which is a very cool combination. Not trying to be realistic, both the use of line and color was very expressive. Fully utilizing the visual elements of the graphic novel to tell us about the characters and scenes. I feel like it reminded me of Paul Pope, but I have not read anything by them of late so this is through the fuzzy lens of memory. I certainly felt like this story was a bit easier to follow then some of Pope's stuff.
As far as sexuality and gender goes, it didn't appear to be something that the creators wanted to engage at all. There's a decent amount of what modern society tells me is an assumed cis woman and cis man, although one of these is more central to the action then the other, generally...
Race is obviously a big focus of the book. Set during the Harlem Renaissance, I guess this is alternative history urban fantasy, urban alt. history fantasy? For interested parties there are, as I already mentioned, a number of essays at the end of the volume that talk about some of the different Afro cultural and spiritual traditions that inspired Bitter Root. We also have a white character who reminded me more then a little bit of Everett K. Ross of Christopher Priest's Black Panther fame. Thankfully he's not the view point character, but it did feel like Johnny-Ray Knox (cross my fingers I think that was his name) fulfilled some of the same roles.
As you might have guessed from my mentioning the attempted lynching in the warnings, racism is something covered in this volume. It does go beyond that however, and really weaves the effects of racism into the more fantastical elements of the story as well as the plot. Reading a lot of more nonfiction stuff about race recently it was nice change to read through not only a fictional work tackling race but doing so in a creative sideways sort of way overflowing with creativity.
As far as class goes, while (assuming I didn't miss anything) this volume doesn't really mention money at all the aesthetic read as fairly working class IMHO. Not much, but we get even less (aka nothing) for disability vs ability rep.
As far as sexuality and gender goes, it didn't appear to be something that the creators wanted to engage at all. There's a decent amount of what modern society tells me is an assumed cis woman and cis man, although one of these is more central to the action then the other, generally...
Race is obviously a big focus of the book. Set during the Harlem Renaissance, I guess this is alternative history urban fantasy, urban alt. history fantasy? For interested parties there are, as I already mentioned, a number of essays at the end of the volume that talk about some of the different Afro cultural and spiritual traditions that inspired Bitter Root. We also have a white character who reminded me more then a little bit of Everett K. Ross of Christopher Priest's Black Panther fame. Thankfully he's not the view point character, but it did feel like Johnny-Ray Knox (cross my fingers I think that was his name) fulfilled some of the same roles.
As you might have guessed from my mentioning the attempted lynching in the warnings, racism is something covered in this volume. It does go beyond that however, and really weaves the effects of racism into the more fantastical elements of the story as well as the plot. Reading a lot of more nonfiction stuff about race recently it was nice change to read through not only a fictional work tackling race but doing so in a creative sideways sort of way overflowing with creativity.
As far as class goes, while (assuming I didn't miss anything) this volume doesn't really mention money at all the aesthetic read as fairly working class IMHO. Not much, but we get even less (aka nothing) for disability vs ability rep.
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