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GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Southern Bastards, Vol. 2: Gridiron TP

 
SouthernBastards_tp_02
SouthernBastards_tp_02
SouthernBastards_tp_02

 
Overview
 

Story by: Jason Aaron
 
Art by: Jason Latour
 
Publisher:
 
FG RATING
 
 
 
 
 
4.5/ 5


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To sum it all up..

YOU MADE ME! How to make a villainous character both human and a bit sympathetic? Present the readers an origin story. This is what Jason Aaron and Jason Latour do in the second arc of the gripping and bloody Southern tale in the SOUTHERN BASTARDS entitled THE GRIDIRON. It collects issues five to eight, having […]

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Posted May 27, 2015 by

 
FULL REVIEW
 
 

SouthernBastards_tp_02

YOU MADE ME!

How to make a villainous character both human and a bit sympathetic? Present the readers an origin story. This is what Jason Aaron and Jason Latour do in the second arc of the gripping and bloody Southern tale in the SOUTHERN BASTARDS entitled THE GRIDIRON. It collects issues five to eight, having almost one-hundred thirty pages of pure Southern tale of anything you expect and love from Jason Aaron.

Just picking up the brutal confrontation and bloody end of the supposed hero named Earl Tubb in the first arc HERE WAS A MAN, this chapter deals with the most powerful figure in Craw County, Alabama, Coach Euless Boss. If what he did to the protagonist in the premier volume is the valid indicator on how powerful he is, the chapter started off how really POWERFUL he is, even he is the coach of the Runnin’ Rebs, the football team of Craw County High where both of them originated. How could he hold such tremendous influence, power and fear to the hearts and souls of a small Alabama county? Again, show the readers the origin story.

As the story rolled in, we glimpsed Coach Boss’s rather brutal, depressing, dehumanizing and bloody past. He is literally mold by the harsh excesses of his society he belonged, solidifying the “nurture over nature” discourse or the Jean Jacques Rousseau’s finger pointing on society’s faults to the individual’s overall characterization. The only redeeming qualities the young Boss possessed are the absolute love of football and to his gratitude to his erstwhile mentor and right hand, “coach” Big. If you want to witness how the society treated the future tyrant, this is the best book right now! Ostracized due to his family’s notorieties; mocked by the dominant members of the team, including the head coach; even the family itself treated the determined and dedicated footballer with neither respect nor showing a tinge of compassion at all. I say, this book can be an excellent treatise, if not a visual textbook, of the makings of great leaders in the most twisted, brutal, dehumanizing and unapologetic ways possible. Therefore, read this fine Southern visual literature at your own risk!

Yet ironically, due to this depressing tale of struggle and power, we ended up rooting for “Boss” to get even with his tormentors, became a true football sensation, and eventually, see him in the professional football league via a college or university athletic scholarship. But NO! This is a true Jason Aaron-Southern tale. Twisting the expectation(s) of his readers is his finest writing and storytelling skill yet. Happy endings are for fairy tales and young adult stories, not in gritty and dark (but realistic) tales, like Southern Bastards. “Boss” really climbed the ladder through sheer determination and ultimately, by “blood”. Seriously, “blood” is one of the main ingredients why this “The Gridiron” tale is so good; it is almost “real”.

Latour’s illustrations and colors added more to the already great Aaron’s barbecue treat with the former’s virtual three to four color schema (but, predominantly red, the main sauce of the entire arc, especially the cover art that almost encapsulated the bloody history of the most powerful man in Craw County, Alabama). Isn’t surprising at all why this series deservingly nominated in this year’s Eisner’s?

As mentioned, The Gridiron is not for the faint of hearts. If ever Southern Bastards is being adapted to either movie or television, it should be immediately rated M, nothing more or less. As expected, this collection has neither the fans’ letter columns nor the interesting Southern recipes they shared. Well again, Image collected editions focus more on substance over style (and monetary issues, obviously). But screw those nitpickings, the second arc delivers and readers are now gearing to the present—PLAYTIME season!

 

 


Paul Ramos

 


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