Southern Bastards #15

Southern Bastards, Issue #15 is a dual story, starting the new arc, "Gut Check."  The Running Rebs lost their homecoming game 45-6 mostly because their defensive line hasn't recovered from the death of their defensive coordinator, Ole' Big.  At the same time, Roberta Tubbs, the half-black daughter of the man Coach Boss killed with his bare hands, has come home from Afghanistan to her father's old hometown, and she's seeking revenge.  And aside from that, there's the story of Sheriff Hardy and his high-school girlfriend, Judy.  And the half-dead mayor and his wife.

I read a lot of Jason Aaron's and Jason Latour's other work, in particular Star Wars and Spider-Gwen, but this is by far my favorite.  It doesn't come out as often as I'd like, but whenever it does, I read it as soon as it comes in the mail.  This particular issue just gives off an aura of heat and humidity.  It's the beginning of the school year, September, and it can be a hot one down in the South.  These are people who cheat to survive, sell drugs, and do anything they can, but life is still hard, and their respective positions are in as precarious a state as ever.