Southern Bastards Volume 1: Here Was a Man – Book Review

I heard about Southern Bastards for a while now but didn’t check it out until it went on sale on ComiXology.

Jason Aaron is one of my favorite comic book writers. Scalped is a classic within the medium.

Southern Bastards Volume 1: Here Was A Man is pure Southern grit. The story isn’t that South we know and love. It isn’t about sipping whiskey all summer long ala Kid Rock. Southern Bastards is the scary true grime of the South.

Aarons take on the South in this book is great because of the intensity and craziness that ensues. Southern Bastards scares you because of the raw realness and that it could happen to anyone.

The majority of horror I consume scares you with the paranormal or the occult. Southern Bastards scares you with real life.

The first volume tells the story of Earl Tubb. He returns to his birthplace of Craw County – home of The Running Rebs. Earl comes back to clean out his Uncles home. Little does he know the horrors of his past and present that he will have to confront.

Southern Bastards scares me in a way that I would never want to visit Craw County.

The story told in Volume 1: Heres A Man is nothing short of excellent. Earl Tubb is a great character. Between his background and his family story, it all adds up to one hell of a first volume.

Southern Bastards also includes some mystery within its pages. The book unravels the history of Craw County and how it got to become the place it is today. Jason Aaron makes sure to string you along, keeping you entertained the entire time. You will be burning through pages waiting to reveal the next piece of the puzzle.

I also relate this movie a lot to the movie Walking Tall. The movie with The Rock that came out a few years ago. Earl Tubb reminds me of The Rocks character. They both have the same motivations behind both their actions. They both come back to their hometowns to right the wrongs the town has been facing while they were away.

Earl Tubb carries a stick to whoop the asses of the villains of Craw County, as his father did.

I cant write a review of Southern Bastards without giving huge praise to Jason Latour. The art in this book is incredible. Southern Bastards reads like a Tarantino film. The artwork provided by Latour is a big piece of this book feeling that way. Latour’s artwork is grimy and gritty like a Tarantino film. Southern Bastards was my introduction to Jason LaTours work. I look forward to seeing his work throughout the entire series.

If you are looking to pick up a book that reads like you are watching a Tarantino film, I recommend Southern Bastards. It is the South turned up to 1000. I look forward to reading Volume 2.