Bitter Root Confronts Racism through a Monster-Hunting Tale

In November of 2018, Bitter Root’s first issue was released and featured an alternate cover with artwork by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. It was this cover that caught my attention: the Hellboy-like art, featuring an elderly woman with a cane and a giant man drinking tea behind her, created this sense of wonder and mystery. Unfortunately, it would take over a year before I’d read the first volume, but I will admit it was well worth the wait. Creators David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene have crafted a tale of monster hunting set in the 1920s that attacks issues still present in current society.

Image Comics

The beautiful cover by Mignola is a footnote compared to the story that Walker and Brown have written. Bitter Root’s main focus is on the Sangerye family, which is famous for hunting monsters but has been “torn apart by tragedies and conflicting moral codes,” as the solicitation reads. To save New York, the family members must put aside their differences and come together to defeat the creatures known as Jinoo, described as each being “a man with a corrupted soul, a human turned devil that is infected by hate or greed.” The story is run through with a statement on racism and executes a smooth relationship between a black family fighting racism and the act of monster hunting.

With the help of Sanford Greene’s design, Bitter Root is filled with unforgettable characters. The most interesting may be Berg, a giant of a man, as his appearance is a contradiction to his personality. He looks like the muscle of the Sangeryes, but Walker and Brown write him as the smartest member of the family. While reading, you may find yourself searching for a dictionary; Berg’s vocabulary is immense, something played for laughs throughout the story as well. Ma Etta is the eldest of the family, and her character provides everyone with guidance and acts as a caretaker. Blink and Ford are the badasses, Blink providing an outlet to show how women can do whatever the men do, as she is constantly told she cannot fight due to her being female yet is much more skilled than her cousins at fighting Jinoo. Ford is the hero, with a design looking like it was inspired by the blaxploitation era of films. He is a mysterious character, as his introduction is away from the family, and his personality is close to that of a gunslinger from Westerns.

Just like he did with Brian Michael Bendis on Naomi for DC Comics, David F. Walker proves his excellence in creating new worlds for comic fans to explore while not being afraid to take chances with a familiar idea. It is evident that both Walker and Chuck Brown did their homework, as they use historical events to explore trauma for the Sangerye family and even the villains of the story, exploring historic racial tensions during the Harlem Renaissance and making reference to the Tulsa race riot of 1921. Going into this book, I had expected a fun, action-filled story, and I got that. What I hadn’t expected were such strong themes of facing racism in society. The artwork adds a sense of adventurous fun, as Greene is able to capture each character differently with their style and actions. Also, the introduction of Uncle Enoch and his dog-like creatures, which go from incredibly grotesque to adorable in just one panel, shows the incredible detail in his artwork.

It is odd to say this, but Bitter Root is a lot of fun despite its heavy themes. It feels like a mixture of Hellboy and the 1989 Prohibition-era comedy drama Harlem Nights with Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. This book will have you laughing and cheering while at the same time addressing the social climate. I highly recommend purchasing volume 1 with the extras that come at the end, including scholarly articles and concept art. It will leave you wanting more.