Of Bandits and Bigots

Tales of the Talented Tenth, Volume 1: Bass Reeves. Written and Illustrated by Joel Christian Gill
Graphic Novel Review by Kerey McKenna

For Black History Month, I thought I’d post some reviews of books and graphic novels featuring and/or created by African Americans. First up is the graphic novel Tales of the Talented Tenth, Vol. 1: Bass Reeves. This biography covers the formative years and career highlights of the title character, an escaped black slave who went on to have a prolific career as a lawman in the Wild West. Reeves is often cited as having captured over 3,000 fugitives from justice, the highest rate of the era. Frequently overlooked in earlier whitewashed narratives of the Old West, Reeves’s amazing story is beginning to gain more recognition in both history and fiction.

Mr. Gill does his part in spreading the tale of this legendary lawman to a new generation by telling his story of adventure in the face of racism with art, narrative, and language that is approachable to younger audiences. In a stylistic choice also used in his earlier, non-fiction graphic novel Strange Fruit, racist antagonists are portrayed as anthropomorphic crows (i.e., Jim Crows) giving the stories the feel of fables (similar to Art Spiegelman’s famous use of animal symbolism to illustrate his father’s survival of the Holocaust). Another device that struck me was that, when a character utters a racial slur (against Native or African Americans), the slur is replaced by a caricature of that group. On my first read-through it struck me as odd, but on reflection I think it is rather effective at two things: first, it helps keep a difficult narrative appropriate for children (of a certain age), and second, it illustrates how the use of such language reduces real individuals to abstract, negative stereotypes.

I first came across the story of Bass Reeves some time ago when I was doing research into the Old West as it applied to my interest in steampunk and I am always pleased when I come across some new iteration of Reeves’s story. For a tale of adventure in the West, where bandits and bigots must be overcome, this would be my recommendation for children (and some adults) who aren’t ready for the irreverent Blazing Saddles or the brutal Django Unchained.

Kerey McKenna is a contributing reviewer to Nerds who Read and SMOF for the annual Watch City Steampunk Festival, coming to Waltham, Massachusetts on May 7, 2016. Learn more at www.watchcityfestival.com.