Southern Bastards #5 Review

Earl Tubbs is dead! But what will happen in the aftermath of this? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

The hit southern crime series returns, as JASON AARON (Scalped, Thor: God of Thunder) and JASON LATOUR (Wolverine & The X-Men, Loose Ends) pull back the curtain on the history of Craw County and its most famous and feared resident. In a place where only bastards flourish, what does it take to be the biggest, meanest, most powerful bastard of them all? Only Coach Boss knows. And if I was you, I wouldn’t ask him.

You always know a writer means business when he kills off one of the main characters in the first arc, but to kill off the main character… now that’s something completely different. Following the horrific death of Earl Tubbs at the end of the last issue, we see how his killer, Coach Boss is handling the blood that is on his hands. In an utterly gripping stand alone issue, we see how his past has shaped his vengeful attitude, all whilst Earl himself is getting put in the ground.

Jason Aaron has been spinning an amazing yarn since the first issue, but by golly he didn’t half up his game in the shocking last issue. Continuing from such a feat isn’t easy, but somehow Aaron manages to do it in a very sombre, and poetic way, whilst still giving us some of that gritty action that we all love. No, it’s not as good as the last issue, but that was never going to be the case. It does however give us a great look into Coach Boss’ background, as well as give us a look at just how wide this small world is.

Jason Latour gave us some of his best art ever in the last issue, and he continues to do so here. Though not quite as striking as the last, Latour still manages to give some eye catching panels, with his rough, gritty style being wonderful suited to the series. His colours also resonate very well, giving a distinct difference between the now and the past, with the deep shades of orange allowing for a very hazy finish to the graphic backstory. He also gives amazing layouts, with the character positioning allowing for some very dramatic sequences.

Southern Bastards #5 is a brilliant bridge between the first arc and the next, acting as a nice eulogy to Earl Tubbs. It also gives a great look into why Coach Boss is such a hard ass, as well as showing the scope of this small county. Highly recommended.