Bitter Root, Vol. 2: Rage & Redemption

Bitter Root #2

by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, Sanford Greene (Artist)

Best New Series of 2019 - Entertainment Weekly


Monster-hunting has been the Sangerye family business for generations as they battle the jinoo - hideous creatures born out of hate and racism. But now the Sangeryes face a different threat -- the deadly inzondo, a new kind of monster born out of grief and trauma. With one of their own turning into an inzondo and an army of tortured souls on the attack in 1920s Harlem, the Sangerye family must once again fight to save the world, unless their own pain and suffering transforms them into monsters as well!

Collects BITTER ROOT #6-10 and Red Summer Special

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2020

About the author

David F. Walker is a writer, filmmaker, and award-winning journalist. He teaches Writing For Comics at Portland State University.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing in the main feature improves as the storyline for season one concludes, but I'm still slightly more interested in the articles, reviews, and interviews included in the back of the book.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out review/discussion here: https://youtu.be/5n43MWvRpxU

[Tyler Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only getting better. It's very complex. It's full of action but most importantly heart and emotion.

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy the themes explored here but I needed more character development. It just felt like a big fast-paced action book. I don't think I will read Volume 3.

[Valéria. · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was decent enough but I don't feel like I care enough about it to continue with it. As I said in my review for volume 1 I think if the doctor's storyline wasn't there I could enjoy the stuff with the family as a kind of fun action movie type thing, but if you throw in a main who is having like religious hallucinations and being haunted by the ghosts of his past and going on a kind of underworld journey I don't know how you expect me to care about people who are basically running around shooting things. I'm sure this will be perfectly enjoyable to people who aren't so specifically into every aspect of the B-plot but I know if I keep reading I will just be annoyed that they aren't focusing more on the thing that I'm interested in so I'm gonna drop it.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Red Summer special was chaotic and too hard to follow, so this volume got off to a bad start. The rest had its moments, but it still feels a bit shallow, as far as story and character development. For example, Berg’s whole shtick is that he’s supposed to have a massive vocabulary, but instead he seems to have maybe half a dozen favorite “big words”, and nothing much in the way of personality.

Maybe it’s because I don’t know much about the name-dropped mythology, but this series seems to skimp on story and lean too hard on action. It’s pretty stylized visually, and I’m into that, but I don’t know.. I liked this volume alright, but it definitely didn’t wow me.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Individual issue reviews: #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | Summer Special

Total review score: 2.33

[Håvard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The comic is too fast, chaotic, and repetitive. But like the first volume, it comes with educational secondary literature explaining why it is also important. Don't skip those. Five stars.

[Trike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume Two continues the excellence of Vol. 1 and takes things to an even bigger scale. It starts off with brief little vignettes of the various characters, but then settles in for a proper demon-fighting tale, adding a touch of steampunk to the world this time around.

Edit: Goodreads wouldn’t let me save my review last night.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This answered lot of questions I had in volume one.

Where the first volume just basically drops you into this story with these characters and no real explanations, volume two takes its time to introduce you to each character, their place in the family tree and their backstories and how they came to be.

The artwork in this was phenomenal and really drew me into the world. I love the mix of steampunk, magic and history all blending together to form this intricate story. The characters are really well done and fleshed out, and you can feel the emotions of each one hop off the page. The author does a really good job of making you understand each character and why they feel the way they feel.

I love the concept of how anger and hatred can form on kind of monster, and that sadness and pain can form yet another. Looking forward to volume two and seeing what happens next.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I loved Bitter Root Vol. 1. I thought it was phenomenal, fast-paced, and just what I wanted in a monster-hunting comic set in Harlem, NY. I didn't love the second volume in the same way. I struggled with the first half of this volume. I'm not sure if it was the pacing or the story directions that kept me from full engagement. It took me a little over an hour and one sitting to read volume 1, but volume 2 took me 3 days. 3 DAYS! I don't know why it took me so long to find my footing with this volume. I can't put my finger on the exact issue I had because I still enjoyed the characters and the fight sequence, but I found the pacing to be much slower in this volume. I don't know if that was a hindrance for me this time around. The breakneck pace of volume 1 was perfect for me and the building and background work didn't keep me engaged and enthralled 100%. I love that this series has essays in the back and it's one of my favorite aspects of the series. I am still looking forward to volume 3 and finding out how Bitter Root wraps up.

[C.J. Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, this book is closer to a 4 than a 3, but I don’t round up in my reviews.

I really enjoy this series. I saw a few critiques that the characters are flat, but I disagree. I think we see some growth in the characters from the first volume. Is it a lot of growth? Well, no, but this is only the second volume of a series, so there’s definitely more room for growth.

The action is cool, but a bit confusing at times. There’s a lot of jumping around, which can also be confusing, but not enough to take me out of the story. The same themes are prevalent in Vol. 2, but the story expands on them more in interesting ways.

[Chris Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept. Pretty good story. There are a lot of characters but they lack proper development. Cullen is vengeful, Berg used big words, Blink is a girl who wants to fight, Johnny Ray is a white boy, and Ma Etta is the wise woman. They’re the ones who stand out. The action tends to get confusing too, particularly the final fight scene. Walker could benefit from slowing things down somewhat.

[angelofmine1974 · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great series so far! In this volume, the family spans out in New York and Georgia to fight more of the monsters and different type of infected humans. The devil shows up in Georgia (get it?) to try to take over the world but our fighting family has other ideas. Super bloody and violent and great art with the story.

[effa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 - Even better than volume! A unique story mixing historcial fiction, horror and fantasy. The progess of the story is compelling and I connect to all of the characters more and more with each page. I was a bit confused sometimes by the scene switches and time jumps but that's about my only complaint! Love the art style, especially the coloring.
Will continue with volume 3 right away!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first one more than the second.
But I love reading the articles in the back of the graphic novel big fan!

[Kaylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful continuation from the first volume. I learned even more about the family and it just keeps getting better!

[Andrew Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as smooth as the first volume, but thoroughly entertaining and powerfully written.

[Samsalaqueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indubitably the best I've ever read!

[Bill Coffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bitter Root is the story of the Sangerye family, a clan of Black monster-hunters in early 1920s Harlem who are dealing with a swiftly rising tide of hatred and sorrow that is corrupting people's souls and inviting devils in the shape of men into this world. It's all wild and interesting stuff, taking place in an utterly compelling world that is very intentionally placed in the days following the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, and features characters for whom slavery is a living memory, and in a world where equality is both a distant dream and something still worth fighting for. There is so much to love in this thing, and strategically it's a narrative win, but tactically it's got issues. The setting and characters are instantly and deeply compelling, but the entire story - both Volume 1 and 2 feels like the frantic final act of a much larger tale. We know this family has an incredible history and has already lived through tremendous heroism and sorrow. For all of that to live off-stage while the present action is, frankly, not quite as interesting is a pretty big misstep. Bitter Root has truly great foundations in it, and I hope to see more, but I also hope it learns to take time with its storytelling and doesn't rush so headlong into a slam-bang conclusion. You had us at page 1. Let's not rush to the end just yet.

[Alissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I set my hopes too high for this one. It was a tedious read and I didn't quite finish it (my borrow expired and I 'forgot' to hurry up and finish it). In this volume they bounced around in time for all of the characters and it was annoying to follow. I didn't feel lost, I just didn't feel connected to the characters or what was happening with them. Half the time it felt like the only reason they made this thing was to rail against the time period's 'a woman's place is in the home' and that seems to be a big trend in all media these days. This GN didn't offer much that was new, or made me think, and I really don't want to waste anymore more time with the series. The first volume had promise, but that's all gone in volume two. Also, Berg annoyed the hell out of me with his vocabulary. It wasn't amusing or deep.

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.
This volume could have done with being split into two - the one-shots and the main storyline, as it was confusing to be jumping between the two.
Overall though, I did enjoy this and I would love to see more of the other dimension and the other families who hunt!
TW for blood, violence, mild body horror, sexism, 1920's racism, scars, trauma, thinking family members are dead, death of a wife, death of children, grief, funerals.

Edit for 2023:
Tbh, I enjoyed this more the second time round and actually rated it 4 stars. I didn't mind it being split between one-shots and the main storyline, and it felt easier to follow. Still agree thought that this was great fun, and I would love to see more of the other dimension and the other hunter families!

[Dubzor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly had no idea what was going on the entire time. I read volume 1 a few months ago and almost instantly forgot it. That's not a knock against the book, I just tend to consume a lot of media and unless you tickle my fancy just right I'm libel to forget about ever reading a title quickly.

Bitter Root is a complex book that has a lot going on. A lot of character history, arcs, and lore that get tossed at you in quick succession. All well done mind you, it's just a lot to take in unless this is the only title you are reading at the time.

[Paul Allard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horror comic collection dealing with supernatural forces in Harlem and the Deep South. Not brilliant.

I am not too enthralled with this series as it jumps all the time from one situation to another from one page to the next. It's about the struggle of an African-American clan against monsters from another dimension. It's quite complicated but my main gripe is that the artwork is not particularly clear, too colourful and makes the whole experience difficult to follow. A disappointment.

[Adora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit confusing at times, and a little chaotic, with the way it jumps around time and setting with a bunch of different characters. It focuses on plot (and theme) over character, which isn't always my favorite thing, but in this case it really works. The art is also gorgeous.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still probably the most important comic being published right now.

[Mariah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bitter Root continues to befuddle and disappoint me. It is such a cool concept, that is muddied by poor pacing, underdeveloped characters, and weak worldbuilding.

This volume feels like it should be the third. There were so many little things that I feel should have been expanded upon before jumping to the events of this book. None of the story beats from volume one had time to breathe.

For example, Johnnie Ray's entire character and Ford's connection to him is missing any sense of meaning because of how rushed their bonding was. It makes no sense that a character that was introduced as being part of the Ku Klux Klan is just besties with a Black man in 1924 without any exploration of what in his life caused him to join up with them even though he apparently had no hate in his heart (which again doesn't make sense because he was all too willing to 'scare' a bunch of Black people for funsies yet doesn't actually hate them? Yeah, okay) or what in Ford's life has caused him to soften up to this random kid particularly when the kid is white and it's 1924.

When Johnnie Ray died, I felt absolutely nothing. This character has had no time to endear himself to me. It feels like the only thing I know about him is his name. This meant that the plot point about Cullen's soul becoming corrupted by his time away as demonstrated by his hardened attitude towards Johnnie Ray fell totally flat. Why should he trust Johnnie Ray? I barely care about him let alone trust him.

Still no word on what exactly Uncle Enoch did that was so bad. Yes, it led to the murder of a bunch of people. But, was what he did necessary or not? Like there's a huge difference between playing around in matters you shouldn't or taking a risk because of how dire circumstances are. Bitter Root always glosses over the specifics as it's clearly been determined that Blink being angry at him is too essential to her character to add actual nuance to the situation.

Speaking of Blink, the whole schtick of her being the best monster hunter is unconvincing. Most of the time she's doing exactly what everyone else is doing. She is no smarter, or resourceful, or stronger than any other character. It's a lot of showing not telling that, to be honest, feels predicated on her being a woman rather than the desire to have a strong character. It's a selling point to have a strong Black female character so she's hyped up in-text even though there is no evidence of her actually doing anything special via the writing.

The ultimate evil Adro is no more terrifying than the previous villain. She's not doing all that much different than the guy from the first volume. The only thing she has going for her is scope. Otherwise, they were totally on the same page so I didn't see how her showing up was so much worse. Either way they are facing demons which is what they have always done. A prophecy about Adro ushering in the apocalypse or some body horror or Berg permanently transforming into an inzondo would have helped to raise the stakes.

The layout of the panels was confusing. I frequently had a hard time telling who was supposed to be speaking because the speech bubbles were weirdly placed. Many of the male characters looked way too similar; I struggled to tell them apart. The action also looked static and stiff. There were a lot of abrupt transitions from sequence to sequence where I could not tell what had just happened since there was no sense of movement through the art.

And on a personal note, I cannot stand Berg's character. I get the joke but I find it annoying and tedious to parse what he means.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is all over the place. That doesn’t make it bad it just makes it a little hard to follow. I am glad I did not have to wait a super long time between reading book one and book two because I would have been lost. Part of the thing that gets you lost is the time periods and the various dates. There are also multiple storylines and they’re all going to come together. Quick reminder bitterroot is the formula or the medicine to charge to Jingou back in to a human. A jingou is a person so full of hate that they become a monster, usually white people and their hatred and aggression towards Black people. This book takes place in Harlem, and in Tulsa during the massacre, and in Georgia where race problems were rampant. However, in book 2 we are introduced to a new type of monster made of grief. Just like the first book I do really like this book but don’t quite love it. The only reason I don’t love it if I’m still trying to figure out where the story is going. In the story a hole between heaven and hell (purgatory with a different name). A monster/demon full of evil has come through trying to wreak havoc. As far as I know there’s only one more book so we’ll see how it concludes and hopefully it wraps up with an understandable finish.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most noticeable change in Vol2 is its new colorist. Vol2 mostly avoids vol1’s pervasive deep saturation of similar colors that sometimes made it difficult to parse what was happening, but the trade-off is it also loses some of vol1’s distinctive style. Both books are still very attractive though, and overall I think I slightly prefer vol2’s art. I also loved that the variant covers are all homages to famous Black-directed film posters from the 80s and 90s; it was fun to recognize each reference and see it recreated through the world of Bitter Root.

Otherwise, Vol2 builds on the thoughtful racial allegory and the characterful world-building from Vol1 in smart ways, broadening the fight from the Sangeryes to similar families from other immigrant communities in NYC, plus giving more insight into the antagonist pair’s past motivations. The parallel dimension briefly featured near the end of vol1 gets explored a bit more too. There’s also tons of bombastic action again, and while some of the larger mob battles can be a bit too montage-y, it’s usually kinetic and fun.