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Southern Bastards #4

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    Ian Jane
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  • Southern Bastards #4



    Southern Bastards #4
    Released by: Image Comics
    Released on: September 3rd, 2014.

    Jason's Aaron and Latour are back for this fourth shot of southern discomfort. Picking up where issue #3 left off, this issue actually starts off with a flashback scene that take us to the Vietnam War where we see a much younger Earl Tubb talking about his home state with his platoon leader.

    Cut to the present day, Earl's family home has been completely trashed and vandalized. He's not wanted here and the man is sitting on the porch in tears. He weeps not because of what happened to his house but because of what was done to Tad. Earl blames himself because things have gone too far and now an innocent has been hurt for it. He makes another one of his phone calls and fills the other end in on what's happened via a voice message. He hangs up and grabs that stick his daddy used to keep the law and walks head on into town and straight to the BBQ joint where the shit previously hit the fan.

    There's a crowd gathered. Not just couch's thugs, but townsfolk, old ladies and kids and even a familiar looking raggedy old dog. The sheriff tries to talk him out of this but he's not having any of it. He walks straight up to Esaw and his crew and calls them out as murderers in front of the crowd. He might as well be talking to a brick wall until that rock hits him upside the head - that's all the motivation he needs to lay into Esaw and the rest. He's outnumbered and way older than they are and as he takes his blows he sees that dog, he sees his time in 'Nam and he sees his father. He takes his blows but comes out on top and heads into the BBQ joint where Coach Boss himself is waiting for him. They talk about football and they talk about Earl's daddy and then Earl pushes a button maybe he shouldn't have pushed and as the skies open up he and coach wind up kickin' and a gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer.

    We knew this was coming. We knew that Earl, being the man he is, was going to get into it and get into it good. We knew a serious shit-kicking was the only conclusion to this and that it simply had to happen. The three issues that precede this fourth one make it clear that this is an inevitability and if you see that as a spoiler, well, you just haven't been paying very close attention or you'd have seen it yourself. BUT… how it happens, why it happens and what happens afterwards, that's where this series hooks you. The story continues to borrow from revenge thrillers and what not but still manages to remain a clever, compelling and ridiculously suspenseful story no matter how obvious the influences may be in spots.

    Aaron continues to write earthy, gritty and interesting characters who evolve over completely believable set pieces and through entertaining (and sometimes quite revealing) dialogue that never feels forced or out of line. His excellent writing continues to be perfectly complimented by Latour's wonderful line art. He makes every panel matter, every splash of red mean something and is able to convey emotion in his line art that sometimes speaks as much, if not more, than the dialogue and narration. It's cartoony enough at times to feel like a comic book (and that's awesome) but realistic enough to ensure that the violence in the storyline carries some serious impact. This issue continues the team's fantastic run on the series, and yeah, damn it, it ends on a cliffhanger again. If you haven't caught up with this one yet, now's the time. Southern Bastards is, so far at least, pretty damn flawless.











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