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A review by woodsbookclub
Southern Bastards, Vol. 1: Aqui Jaz um Homem by Jason Aaron
4.0
Southern Bastards – Here Lies a Man, by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour, invites us to dive deep in the South of the United States. Mixing fiction and even the authors' memoirs, the criminal series was nominated for several Eisner awards and won a Harvey for Best New Series.
The colour palette is filled with dark reds, browns and yellows, which give us the feeling that we are catching a glimpse of hell on Earth. The first page shocks the reader with the image of a dog defecating in front of several signs advertising roadside churches. And the premise is quite simple. In a city that feels powerless, a man decides, against another, that it is time to assert himself, although the chances of winning are few or even non-existent.
Earl Tubb is the protagonist who returns to a small town in Alabama to empty his old uncle Buhl's house. But, unfortunately, he gets into trouble with Boss, the local football coach, turning his (initially brief) stay into a descent into hell.
In his speech, Earl is rational, even soft, and he had sworn he would stay away from the city and the fame of his late father, who had been a sheriff there 40 years ago. But, eventually, he starts to walk around with a baseball bat. After the death of an acquaintance at the hands of the Boss Coach team, leaving is no longer an option.
While facing the coach and, consequently, an entire baseball team, Earl tries to communicate with someone whose identity is only revealed in the epilogue. Right up to the end, the reader is treated to as much authenticity as clichés. Craw County presents itself, in a rural, ultra-violent, southern setting, with lots of barbecues and lots of football.
This first volume doesn't unfold any further, focusing on introducing the characters and backstory, allowing the reader to settle in and see enough curiosity aroused in them to look forward to the next chapter.
The South is known for a past of corruption in small towns. Both authors are southern boys with a love-hate relationship with their origins. Aaron, who promises never to return to the South, describes it as the most peaceful place he's ever been. But also as "a place we can miss and love and hate and be afraid of, all at the same time." As for Latour, he has returned to the South, because he realized that he loves its nonsense.
The colour palette is filled with dark reds, browns and yellows, which give us the feeling that we are catching a glimpse of hell on Earth. The first page shocks the reader with the image of a dog defecating in front of several signs advertising roadside churches. And the premise is quite simple. In a city that feels powerless, a man decides, against another, that it is time to assert himself, although the chances of winning are few or even non-existent.
Earl Tubb is the protagonist who returns to a small town in Alabama to empty his old uncle Buhl's house. But, unfortunately, he gets into trouble with Boss, the local football coach, turning his (initially brief) stay into a descent into hell.
In his speech, Earl is rational, even soft, and he had sworn he would stay away from the city and the fame of his late father, who had been a sheriff there 40 years ago. But, eventually, he starts to walk around with a baseball bat. After the death of an acquaintance at the hands of the Boss Coach team, leaving is no longer an option.
While facing the coach and, consequently, an entire baseball team, Earl tries to communicate with someone whose identity is only revealed in the epilogue. Right up to the end, the reader is treated to as much authenticity as clichés. Craw County presents itself, in a rural, ultra-violent, southern setting, with lots of barbecues and lots of football.
This first volume doesn't unfold any further, focusing on introducing the characters and backstory, allowing the reader to settle in and see enough curiosity aroused in them to look forward to the next chapter.
The South is known for a past of corruption in small towns. Both authors are southern boys with a love-hate relationship with their origins. Aaron, who promises never to return to the South, describes it as the most peaceful place he's ever been. But also as "a place we can miss and love and hate and be afraid of, all at the same time." As for Latour, he has returned to the South, because he realized that he loves its nonsense.