Southern Bastards Volume 1: Here Was a Man

Southern Bastards Vol 1 by Jason Aaron and Jason LaTour:I don't do reviews often. Something has to really compel me to sit down and take the time to express it here. And for the most part, I'm a Jason Aaron fan. Scalped was a one-of-a-kind series. But I've read some of his Marvel work and have been pretty underwhelmed. My feeling is that his work shines when he is doing creator-owned stuff that is near-and-dear to his heart. Which is why I am excited to have picked up Southern Bastards. Here we see what Aaron does best: snappy, noire dialogue with genuine Southern dialect, and a crisp, simple plot with a few pleasant surprises.But the true superstar of Southern Bastards is Jason Latour. Comics are riddled with overdrawing cartoonists that use a million lines to capture a gesture. These artists make up the glut of comic shelves these days, particularly super-hero books. Latour is a beautiful exception. With a few meaningful lines he deftly communicates character, expression, gesture and motion. He does with one or two strokes what most super-hero cartoonists don’t accomplish in an entire book. His line work is visceral, stylized and confident. And his "painting" of the work blows my mind: subtle, ragged and brutal, always married to the art and text in a seamless and unique way. Clearly, Latour is having a ball illustrating this book. His work in Southern Bastards is better than 95% of the work being done in mainstream comics, and I can't wait to see what he (and Aaron) comes up with next.

This one shaped up pretty well overall. The story was made believable enough that a small southern town like this could possibly exist, or rather might have back when Wallace was governor of Alabama. I guess that was the early 70's timeframe, which is also around the time of the Walking Tall movie that was loosely based on the true story of Sheriff Buford Pusser. Good idea reviving that into this kind of medium.

Southern Bastards, Volume 1: Here Was a Man eats, breathes, and sleeps the dirty grit of the South. It's frightening in a way I really haven't seen in any other comic. Some comics frighten you with fantasy; some frighten you with the truth. Southern Bastards frightens you with the truth. Here Was a Man tells the story of Earl Tubb, an ageing former defensive end returning to his birthplace of Craw County, home of the five-time State 4A Football Champions, the Runnin' Rebs. He confronts his past and the present, both of which are just terrible.Southern Bastards makes me want to take a drive through the South, with its ribs and its sweet tea. It's awful. Earl Tubb is a great character, a former Marine, the son of the violent sheriff of Craw County who everybody hated. The comic is a great mystery, with only part of the story being revealed at a time. Earl's father carried a stick, and now Earl carries a stick of his own. Sure, a Southern man with a stick has been done before, but never this well. I can't wait to read Volume 2 when it comes out. *****

I love this book. Southern Bastards is fantastic. This volume provides great art, a compelling story, and a fantastic twist. If you are familiar with Jason Aaron's "Scalped" series, this is somewhat like that (at least at first), but set in the deep south. Organized crime, very little in terms of law enforcement, returning local mixes it up in his old stomping grounds. It is violent and exciting and somewhat heart-wrenching. Aaron's strength in both books is his ability to capture the ethos of a culture through over exaggerated stereotypes that are tempered with a lot of human elements. Southern Bastards most certainly sets itself apart and moves in a different direction though, so it brings a lot of new elements to the table. I would HIGHLY recommend this book and can't wait for more Southern Bastards.

Walking Tall... Reading this felt like I was watching a movie... maybe a Tarantino. I don't feel it is overly original and, yet, the internal dialogue, artwork, and grit just caught me and I've already ordered the second and third book.Here was a man who came to town. Here was a righteous man beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. And, yes, he does strike down upon them with great vengeance and furious anger.

Fun read. A man coming home and the demons he left behind. Well written with fun, highly energetic artwork. Look forward to volume 2.

Southern Bastards Vol. 1 is ok but not awesome or amazing. The book is full of violence, which doesn't bother me, but the motivation behind the antagonist beatings is unknown and on the surface appears to just be random ass-whoopings. What are they hiding? What's really going on in that small town? Why are they doing what they're doing? These are questions that have me interested in reading Southern Bastards Vol. 1 and I'm hoping the character development gets a little deeper in the next volume. But at this point, Southern Bastards Vol 1 isn't like Scalped, which had me instantly hooked and craving more. The end of the SB Vol. 1 didn't leave me wanting for more but interested enough to read the next volume. It's worth a read...

Maybe I don’t know the South well enough to appreciate it, but the story here seemed dull to me. Grizzled old vet revisits the small town where he grew up, gets caught up in sordid local intrigue and dies at the hands of the town kingpin. It’s been done often enough that it feels commonplace and contrived. The art’s cool, though.

Didn't think I would enjoy this book but I'm glad I listened to the reviews as its amazing.Love the characters even though a lot of them are evil and the setting is very well written.I thought I wouldnt like the artwork but it complements the story perfectly. Jason Aaron is fast becoming a favourite writer of mine.

Excellent start to the series. A very good story by Jason Aaron and nice artwork by Jason Latour. Both the authors seem to have a love/hate relationship with the south of the USA (in fact they explain why in the preface) and that shows well in the comic. The book has good print and binding quality also. I will definitely be reading the next volume.

This is as raw and brutal as the cover suggests but the story telling is excellent and the artwork is superb. I am totally gripped by volumes 1 & 2 and cannot wait for volume 3. Please ensure you read the intro to both volumes as each intro sets the scene perfectly for what follows.

Great artwork and easy to read. The story is good and I'm looking forward to ready volume 2, but after reading this I felt as if I had only read an introduction (i.e. not a lot happens). It's gripping nonetheless.

Read this originally in digital form after a recommendation from a friend.Once I read it, I had to purchase a physical copy. A good hard boiled tail of southern grit. Great art, great story telling