Bass Reeves

October 13, 2014
Gill (Strange Fruit) launches the Tales of the Talented Tenth series, about notable figures in African-American history, with an entry outlining the life of Bass Reeves, among the first black Deputy U.S. Marshals. Over seven chapters, Gill skillfully shifts (and draws parallels) between Reeves’s childhood as a slave and his adult service as a marshal; two hard-hitting motifs are a menacing, avian Jim Crow figure and a pickaninny caricature, the latter used as a rebus-style replacement for racial epithets in the dialogue. Gill’s artwork is proficient, though as a biography, the book is uneven. Reeves meets and marries his wife in the space of four panels (she’s never named), and Reeves’s “most difficult arrest”—that of his own son, wanted for murdering his wife—is resolved quickly and with little emotion. (A scene in which Reeves cuts the rope of a man being hanged by a lynch mob, only to bring the man, accused of stealing a horse, to jail, serves as more powerful evidence of Reeves’s deep-seated sense of justice.) A bibliography is included for readers seeking to learn more about Reeves. Ages 12–up. (Nov.)■

December 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Expanding upon the short entry that appeared in his Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History (Fulcrum, 2014), Gill opens his new graphic novels series on African American heroes with a volume about Bass Reeves, a former slave and the first black U.S. Marshall. With alternating full-page spreads and varied panels, the tale switches between 1902 (during his time as a lawman) and the 1840s (when Reeves first learned how to shoot as an enslaved child). The narrative details Reeves's adventures as his master's prized possession, eventual escape, experiences living with Native Americans, fighting for the North in the Civil War, and then as a rough and tough officer of the law (rumored to be the inspiration for The Lone Ranger). The folkloric, tall tale tone of the text is enhanced by the earthy illustrations and the pictographs that serve as substitutes for racial slurs-a blackface-type head for the n-word and an American Indian in headdress for "redskins." Even more striking is a man-size crow character who symbolizes Jim Crow racism and practices of the time and plagues the subject throughout his life. Time jumps are sometimes confusing, as the color schemes of the two time lines are similar, but the format, unique perspective, and back matter make this title a prime candidate for school reports, strengthening American history collections, and reluctant readers of biographies. A much-needed offering and perspective.-Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.