Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer #1-2
Publisher: David Crownson
Writer: David Crownson
Artist(s): Courtland Ellis, Joey Vazquez
Colorist(s): Courtland Ellis, Josh Burcham
Cover: Courtland Ellis, Joey Vazquez
I’ve been hearing about this series ever since the Kickstarter launched a while back and the premise made me want to check it out. Of course we’re already aware that Harriet Tubman was a no-nonsense badass but David Crownson decided to mesh her real world hero exploits with the supernatural. So with that we get a Harriet Tubman that not only freed slaves from their masters but does it while also fighting against the creatures of the night.
The first issue opens up with a family attempting to escape but instead of just framing them as potential fodder, Crownson delivers some depth and a reason to root for the Edgefields outside of being runaway slaves. Their familial bond is immediate and the humor regarding the father’s fear of horses helps to break up some of the tension. It was surprising to get supporting characters this fleshed out and enjoyable so fast which makes for a better entrance for the title’s hero after a slave patrol finds the family. This is when the Edgefields find out there’s more to these men and we see their true power. However, with this reveal, Crownson doesn’t have to take anything away from the family to make Tubman’s entrance any less great. She’s a force and underestimating her is a mistake that will not end well for this group of vampires.
The story is heavy on the action and moves at a fast pace but doesn’t skimp on the character development. Crownson makes sure the artists have some very cool panels to draw that show off Tubman’s skillset with various vampire killing weapons while fleshing out a likeable hero as well. Not only that but if you pay close attention, Crownson is leaving breadcrumbs about Tubman that hint at something more. We also don’t lose sight that her first priority is saving the Edgefields when the stakes are raised in the second issue as the creative team gives a nice balance of stylized action and heart during the rescue. It might also be noteworthy that when it comes to the dialogue Crownson put my fears to rest. Many writers who deal with this time period have a tendency to just double down on the southern accents and in their attempt to capture that “authenticity” it makes reading the comic a chore. This is not the case here and thanks to Crownson it made for a more enjoyable issue.
The artwork in the first issue is from Courtland Ellis and does well to hit all the necessary beats to move the story along. It also looks great as we get expressive characters that have enough detail to pull off the emotional changes and action scenes that belong in your favorite animated martial arts series. The second issue gives us art by Joey Vazquez with colors by Josh Burcham. Now there is a noticeable change in the style and look from the first issue but Vazquez and Burcham knock it out the park just the same. The chase sequence is a huge part of the issue and it’s just a fun series of events to look at as Tubman and the Edgfields attempt to escape the creatures who seem to have multiplied like gremlins in a pool. Vazquez also gives us what looks like a fully transformed version for the vampires that we didn’t see in the first issue.
Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer turned out to be better than expected and lived up to the hype. Though there were some times I felt the humor was a bit much and distracted from the seriousness of what was taking place the story itself certainly shines. There was some nervousness on my part to read this due to the heavy subject matter the real life Harriet Tubman lived through. However, there are plenty of comics out there that give us an alternate version of real life historical figures doing extraordinary things and if I can give those a shot then why not this one? I might have been late to the party but I’m glad I came.
Infinite Speech
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