Bitter Root Volume 1: Family Business - Softcover

Walker, David F.; Brown, Chuck

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1534312129 ISBN 13: 9781534312128

Publisher: Image Comics, 2019

Synopsis

Once known as the greatest monster hunters of all time, the Sangerye family specialized in curing the souls of those infected by hate, but those days are fading. A terrible tragedy has claimed most of the family, leaving the surviving cousins split between curing monsters and killing them. Now, with a new breed of monster loose on the streets of Harlem, the Sangerye family must come together, or watch the human race fall to untold evil.

Collects BITTER ROOT #1-5

About this title

Review:

“A comic that's confident in itself and doesn't need to rely on overwrought high-concept themes. Bitter Root isn't afraid to tackle weighty issues while still having some fun, giving us some new heroes that are much needed in today's world.” -ComicBook.com


“Has become a conversation starter in the comic book industry, which continues to awaken to more diverse ways of creating characters both on the page and behind the scenes. The comic is by an all-black creative team and features a predominantly black cast of characters in the 1920s-embracing the black artistic creativity of the Harlem Renaissance but also recognizing the racism of the time.” -The Washington Post


“Puts a monstrous face on bigotry and a beautiful new spin on the Harlem Renaissance.” -The Onion's AV Club


"Relentless action...a kinetic style that makes good use of 1920s period details to anchor the story, which develops slowly before kicking into high gear halfway through and concluding on a legitimately exciting cliff-hanger." --Library Journal



PUBLISHERS WEEKLY -- Since the dawn of civilization, a Great Evil has plagued humanity" begins the not particularly original opening to this fast-paced horror series. Fortunately, Walker (The Life of Frederick Douglass) and Brown pump life into a familiar good vs. evil formula with a well-crafted, vividly illustrated setting. In 1920s Harlem, the Sangerye family carries on its generations-old work of fighting jinoo, evil spirits that periodically erupt into the mortal world. When humans start turning into jinoo, the Sangeryes' mission becomes more complicated, as rival demonologists and possessed humans present new obstacles. Historical fiction mixes with supernatural horror, producing a hybrid fantasy world of voodoo spells, mad science, monster Klansmen, and Jazz Age demon hunters wielding steampunk versions of Ghostbusters proton packs. The dynamic, richly colored art, with its expressive characters and imaginative monster designs, elevates the predictable plot. Above all, it's the background details that sing, from meticulously drawn Harlem streets to cluttered rooms filled with period detail. Comics fans will look forward to future volumes of this energetic dark fantasy that effectively mixes thrills and scares.


“The tragedy and family drama at the heart of IMAGE COMICS' new series BITTER ROOT may be the most traditional thing about a comic that is, at heart, anything but traditional.” -The Hollywood Reporter

About this edition

• Publisher: Image Comics
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1534312129
• ISBN 13: 9781534312128
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160