Here Was A Man - Part One

Southern Bastards #1
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist/Colourist: Jason Latour
April 2014
Image Comics

Craw County. This is a place you never want to find yourself in. Between the uneducated filth, the ill-mannered white folk, and the "violence-solves-everything" mentality, being in Craw County in one capacity or another is the equivalent of being on death row. Not only does the story contain the essential elements of the cold, ugly, pessimistic view of the American south, filled with lower-class degenerates whose only focus is on power and money (not so much different from upper-class archetypes...) and gaining self-confidence in matters of immense risk and trouble, the art excels at capturing the bleakness and disgust that the characters exude in their day-to-day life.

Our connection to all this atrociousness is Earl Tubb. He is an older gentleman, approximately in his late 40s-50s, having returned to his hometown to take care of packing up his not-at-all-recently deceased father's house and moving on from his past in Craw County. He visits his father's property, reminisces a while, then finds himself at a restaurant eating a fatass plate of ribs. It is here that Earl meets Dusty Tutwiler, a scrawny, nervous fellow who warns Earl to "get the fuck out of Craw County and never come back." Of course, had Earl listened to Dusty's thoughtful and considerate advice, we would not have Southern Bastards...

I've somehow failed to mention what sets the tone for the book from the get-go. The opening page (a double page splash that connects with the backside of the cover) features a disheveled looking dog taking a dump (sound effects included for your convenience), while there are several signs and billboards in the background advertising for the various different churches in the area. Does it really need explaining what the creative team is getting at here?.. Aside from the obvious comment on religion/spirituality, however unconscious/conscious, the dog acts as a warning to Tubb. The dog is essentially trying to communicate to Tubb to get the fuck out of Craw County, however Earl fails to notice the dog's warning, or even its presence at all. So that makes two separate occasions in which Earl is told to leave CC. Can't say he wasn't warned.

We get a bit of backstory on Earl's father, Sheriff Bertrand Tubb. We know that he wasn't well-liked and that he did what he could to protect the people of CC. It's rather obvious that Earl has returned to CC to reenact the supposed goodness that his father once bestowed, however how he will do that is the real mystery here... besides the obvious violence that Earl utilizes to set things right (this demonstrates that he obviously grew up in Craw County, if that's how he intends to solve problems).

The introduction to Earl's father, Bertrand Tubb.

The introduction of what will likely become the story's primary antagonist is perfectly executed. Through Esaw's first appearance, we get an intimate look at everything wrong with Craw County. Esaw pisses in public, he calls out to people as he does this, and ends up pissing on a dog (which looks an awful lot like the dog we meet at the beginning) all in his first page. He is the epitome of the vile, repugnant capabilities of humanity, especially those that inhabit the world of Southern Bastards. Both Jason's (the two creators) let us know immediately that Esaw is not to be empathized with. However, if you do in fact side with his actions, then perhaps you too should reside in Craw County.

Each character has his or her own distinct look, thanks to Latour's skilled pencils and line work. Dusty in particular is my favourite: his face is weathered and worn out, and the way in which it's so squished together captures the fear and worrisome attitude that he exudes, whereas Earl is always portrayed as hulkish and stoic. His body language is always upright and he, obviously with his actions and demeanour but also in the way he has been drawn, represents the goodness and optimism that Craw County lacks. Earl's face is always serious looking, like he means business (and he most certainly does).

A close-up of Dusty's decrepit face.

There is no shortage of violence here in Southern Bastards, however the violence is used to the book's benefit, not detriment. So much violence dominates mainstream entertainment mediums, whether it be in film, video games, or comics, but the violence here is used to display character qualities and express how the people in Craw County solve their issues, rather than being a mere gimmick to try attracting a large audience for a quick cash grab. The violence in Southern Bastards is used in such a way so as to tell the reader that violence is as natural as is something like reproduction or the need for nourishment; it's always going to be there whether we like it or not. What the book doesn't answer is whether that's a good thing.