And so comes the final chapter of the second arc of Southern Bastards. We’ve been following what is essentially the origin story of Coach Euless Boss and how he became the person he is today. Let’s see how the final issue plays out and what blood gets shed now. Is it good?
Southern Bastards #8 (Image Comics)
This was a fine issue to end this story arc. Maybe not as good as how the first arc ended, given the fact that that had one hell of a shocking conclusion that left most people stunned. However, this is still a fine way to end things off for now and it does make me look forward to see what happens when we return to the present full time in the next arc (hopefully).
As a conclusion, it wraps up everything well. We finally see exactly what Boss did to get where he is, and everything that built up to this moment feels natural. It makes sense as to why he did what he did, given everything we’ve seen in his backstory, and it helps explain why people fear him and what he exactly meant by Earl not being the first person he killed. It’s a perfect way to end his origin story and shows why Boss is such a fascinating character. The only negative part of this finale is the ending scene when Boss finds “something.” While I see why it happened, it honestly would have made more sense for it to have happened in the past instead of the present.
The writing here is still strong from beginning to end. The story structure and pacing are perfect, really knowing how to draw you in and keep you engaged with every passing panel. The dialogue is still full of strong southern personality and character. The conversations between characters feel natural, and the emotion and drama is strong—I really like the last brief scene of the book, harking back the ending of issue four and promising for an exciting time when the series returns. All in all, strong writing from start to finish.
The artwork continues to look great as well. The characters are very well-drawn (maybe some emotions and expressions feel limited in areas at worst) and the gritty style of the art still fits the tone of the series perfectly. The layouts are put together well and the scenes flow perfectly from panel to panel. Ultimately, there’s just not a lot to say here other than it’s a damn gritty and grimy looking book and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Is It Good?
Southern Bastards #8 is a great finish to this small story arc, wrapping up everything in a satisfying way and leaving off a nice scene to get you intrigued about where the book is heading from here. At best, there are only minor problems here and quite frankly, with a conclusion as good as this one, you probably won’t notice a single thing. Check it out and get ready for some very bloody football.
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