If you've been reading the View from the Gutter, you've probably figured out that this isn't in the milieu of a review column, so much as a bully pulpit. I'm not out to criticize the latest releases. I think of myself more as a tour guide, exploring the far reaches of the comic universe. Of course some of you may recognize the biases inherent in this system.

You might think by this point you have a pretty good idea of what kind of comics you're going to hear about in this space. Something with a little bit of action, a little bit of adventure. Probably a fantastic element or two. Well, I want you to take all your expectations, roll 'em up really tight, and shove 'em. This week we're sailing into open waters, as we take a look at a comic about as far from the mainstream as you're ever likely to get: Stagger Lee

Now comics, as a medium, dwell in the dark, twisted nether regions where Literature and Art mingle in an unholy confluence of static motion. Yes, you heard me: Static Motion. A strange realm between drawings, books, and movies. While it contains elements of all these art forms, it is also a medium of its own, capable of conveying thought in a manner unique to itself. It can be seen in the context of each of them, but the comic is ultimately a format in and of itself, with its own strengths and limitations.

In that context alternative comics can be seen as the art-house movie, to the DC or Marvel summer-blockbuster. An area which, as part of its mandate, explores the full spectrum of what the medium is capable of. It is in that spirit that I first read Stagger Lee, and in that spirit that I will talk of it now.

I'm going to go on record here: Stagger Lee is a comic that I liked, but not one that I enjoyed. Now I know that's an odd statement to make, but bare with me here. This is, in the simplest terms, a story about a hat. It gets more complex then that when you get into it; but after the bit about the hat facts start to get a bit muddled. The thing that most folk agree on is that there was a fight over that hat, and then Lee done shot Billy.

So now that we're on board with that, let's back up a bit. This is actually a book about a song. It's a blues song that's been covered by just about everybody under the sun, and it's been sung all over the place. The words tend to differ: Lee is at times called Stacker Lee, Stack-a-Lee, and Stackolee, among others. Lee's fate varies quite a bit. Sometimes the song ends with Lee's escape. Sometimes he gets hung, or ends up in jail. In a few versions he the song ends with him in hell, kickin' the devil off his throne.

The point is that Lee is a bad ass dude. He's become the culture prototype for the black outlaw who scares the shit outta white folk. He's the first gangsta', and the original soul brotha'. Learning his song has been seen as a rite of passage for African-American men. He was also a real guy, named Lee Shelton, who really shot and killed a man named Billy Lyons in St. Louis in 1895, in an argument over a Stetson hat.

As we get into the book it goes in about 3 or 4 different directions. It's telling the story of Lee Shelton, the events that led up to the shooting, and the trial that followed; at least, as best as folklorists have been able to put together. It also tells the story of Stackolee, the song that rose out of those events as it's changed and grown through a hundred years of oral transmission. Last, it's a story about being black in the postbellum south.



The writer, Derek McCulloch, does a good job of telling the story, and weaves the three different plots together so that one flows into the other. There's also a few side tales in there that tie the three together and make them work as a cohesive whole. Likewise, Shepherd Hendrix's art is excellent. Using brown and white to create a sepia-tone universe, the duo-tone world reflects the major issue of race addressed in the work. The characters are none the less distinctive, and the multiple stories flow together seamlessly on the page.

Like I said at the beginning, I really liked this comic, even if I didn't enjoy it. It's well written, well drawn, and addresses an interesting topic in an interesting way. It's not a dramatic story particularly, and while there is some tension around the court room drama portion you know what the outcome is from the beginning. It's not really a comic to be enjoyed. It's more like the History Channel special of comics: something you watch, and you learn from. The emotional effect is cerebral, rather than visceral. If you're interested in black history, folk lore, or the Blues, you'll probably like it too. Stagger Lee was released in 2006 by Image Comics. It's available as a trade paperback for about $20.

Questions? Hate-filled Diatribes? Suggestions for Future Reviews? Send them all to tpanshin@nerdlives.com, or post to the Nerdlives forums.

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Tobiah Panshin was born in the backwoods of Pennsylvania, taught all he knows by the animal companions that raised him. As many fine naturalists will however note, Badgers and Woodchucks are notoriously bad at algebra. His math and science skills doomed from an early age, young Tobiah followed the only path available to him: the Humanities. Today, Liberal Arts degree in hand, he pursues with the dogged determination of a short-tailed shrew the pathetic, poverty bestrewn life of a writer. Armed with the strongest weapons he possesses--the umlaut, the gerund phrase, and the mighty schwa--he battles the English Language in a never-ending struggle for domination.