Reviewed By Eric Switzer. “Southern Bastards” #7 brings us one step closer to connecting past to present and revealing Coach Boss’ rise to power in Crawford County. As a book that has already established that I can change directions at a moments notice, the “Scarface” plot arc has an added layer of foreboding. This issue takes Euless to his lowest point possible, perfectly setting up very desperate measures in next months finale.
WRITTEN BY: Jason Aaron
ART BY: Jason Latour
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: February 11, 2015
This second arc, “Gridiron” has humanized Coach Boss in a way I didn’t think was imaginable at the end of the first. Boss represents a familiar archetype from the perspective of Earl Tubbs: a powerful, ruthless kingpin with an army willing to act on his behalf out of fear. His troubled upbringing and sympathy-inducing backstory is not unexpected, but what is (and perhaps shouldn’t be) is the finesse and nuance Aaron brings to the villain’s origin story.
Young and old Coach Boss have the same blind tenacity and righteous indignation and his relentlessness on an off the field are clear indicators to his eventual rise to power, but Boss has a binary mind; he is steadfast and committed to the choices he makes. This, I think, is his fatal flaw and part of what makes Boss such a complex and interesting character.
Altogether, I’m glad Daddy Boss’ involvement seems to have come to an end. His part of the plot is surprisingly flat for this book’s standards, and as a spine for Euless, I found to be rather weak. The abusive drunk daddy that will never be proud can be understood and acknowledged through even the subtlest context clues, I’m not certain how much his extended stay has benefitted to story at this point and I’d just as well be rid of him as Euless would.
I called “Southern Bastards” one of the best new series of 2014 because the book simply drips with authenticity and this issue is no exception. This book is a good ol’ home cooked meal. Deep fried and full of flavor. It consistently rich with strong dialogue, perfectly executed story beats, and beautiful, blood soaked panels. Consistently one of my favorites.
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Eric Switzer is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles. His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality. He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.com.