Written by: Jason Aaron
Art by: Jason Latour
Publisher: Image
Southern Bastards has been a wild ride of comic. By choosing to focus on various characters and their individual arcs, we get a look at not just the small town politics of Craw County but how those very politics have shaped both the town itself and the people within it.
When the “Gridiron” arc started I’ll admit that I was one of the people who wondered how in the world Jason Aaron could write an arc about Coach Boss after the stunning conclusion to the first arc of the comic. However, this conclusion cements just how good of a writer Aaron is as well as just how dirty and complex Craw County is.
The first few issues in the “Gridiron” arc gave us a somewhat innocent, and determined, Euless Boss. Euless was nothing more than a kid with a terrible father and a dream to play football. And through this arc we saw him become a powerhouse of a player, with much thanks being sent to an old black man named Big. While we saw his love of football come out it was somewhat hard to see just how he would end up turning into the cold and ruthless Coach Boss we were introduced to. After all, this was just a kid with some family issues and a love for football. How did he turn into a killer?
Issue #8 of Southern Bastards finally shows us the steps that turned Euless into Coach and the losses he experienced along the way. The issue starts out calm but once it hits you with its first shocking set of panels it doesn’t let up the momentum. It’s an issue full of power moves, violence, and the very soul of a man who has nothing to lose to achieve the things he wants. And it’s absolutely terrific.
Aaron’s writing comes across the strongest here simply because we see just how well he can write characters and validate them as people. Coach Boss was easy to hate as nothing more than a villain. But with this issue we begin to see that Coach Boss might not simply be a heartless heathen. He might just actually be a man who grew up in a place where violence was normalized and there was no such thing as working hard to get what you want unless you were willing to crack a few skulls in the process. It’s a testament to the writer when we can see a writer turn a villain into an actual person and I couldn’t be more excited to see where this series ends up.
Jason Latour’s art continues to shine in this issue and there’s some particularly well done panels that really show off just how good he is in focusing in on certain details to really hammer in the point of the story. Latour’s art has been one of the most talked about and well received aspects of Southern Bastards and it continues to be a delight. It’s certainly one of the most unique comics when it comes to art and it definitely deserves all the praise it’s gotten. I especially love that Latour decided to use mostly shades of red. The entirety of Craw County seems to be hidden behind a red hue that tends to get more extreme in times of violence. In this issue we’re also treated to a few panels reminding us that Earl’s daughter is on her way home and it’s interesting to see that her few panels are essentially devoid of any red. It’s almost as if Craw County is it’s own place that’s bathed in the blood and violence that shaped it and I absolutely love it.
Southern Bastards has ended both of its first arcs with a bang and I couldn’t be more eager to see how everything ends up. The first arc had me desperately rooting for revenge while this second arc leaves me with an uneasy feeling. Regardless of what happens, Southern Bastards and Craw County have left a huge impression on the world of comics. There’s a very good reason why this comic has been a fan favorite and issue #8 is an issue that encompasses any and all praise this entire series has received. Don’t miss it.
