Absolutely LOVED this comic and really hope there are more in the future! This would be a great introduction for younger kids but is also a very beautiful short retelling for anyone older or anyone who isn't aware of these amazing historical figures. The art is beautiful and the added information at the end about native American, Mexican, and black Indian figures is wonderful. Definitely worth a purchase for your library or personal collections as well!

I had a great time reading this graphic novel. Each story was a blast to read, and gave me a glimpse into the lives of these historical figures. A part of me wishes the stories had been longer, but other than that I had a lot of fun reading them. This may not be a graphic novel for everyone, but some readers are sure to enjoy it.

Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons by James Otis Smith is a nonfiction graphic novel currently scheduled for release on September 15 2020. This book celebrates the extraordinary true tales of three black heroes who took control of their destinies and stood up for their communities in the Old West. Born into slavery in Tennessee, Mary Fields became famous as “Stagecoach Mary,” a cigar-chomping, card playing coach driver who never missed a delivery. Bass Reeves, the first black Deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi, was one of the wiliest lawmen in the territories, bringing thousands of outlaws to justice with his smarts. Bob Lemmons lived to be 99 years old and was so good with horses that the wild mustangs on the plains of Texas took him for one of their own.

Black Heroes of the Wild West is a great start, or continuation, of learning the diverse history of he United States. Much of the history that includes people of color has been ignored or twisted, leaving us with an incomplete and sometimes very incorrect vision of what our past really looked like. I had read bits and pieces of the history included in this book before, but I found the information and artwork to be very well done and engaging for readers of all ages. It was inspiring to read about the odds these three people faced, and how they persevered and exceeded the expectations of those around them, particularly those that judged them based on race, gender, or both. I also liked the time line and further information about the history of cowboys and how people from a variety of heritages and cultures made a huge difference, and have been left out of much of the history we get taught in school and the most readily available texts.

Black Heroes of the Wild West is a graphic novel that I highly recommend for public, school, and classroom libraries. It is very well done, and offers a look at real history that often gets ignored. I will be looking for more books like this for myself and my children.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone. Like many people, I was bored in history classes because of the endless memorization of details that did not reflect me and did not interest me. I’m sure I would’ve taken a keener interest in the past if I would’ve had something like this graphic novel back in the day. Although graphic stories are fun to read, I also appreciate that this medium can educate too.

As expected, I learned a lot about the Wild West that I didn’t know. I loved the photographs from the frontier era. Even though the book clearly states that photography was not widely available at the time, seeing pictures is really compelling.

While I enjoyed the book, I do have a few granular suggestions:
The transition from the bottom of page 20 to the top of page 21 is rough. To be fair, I think it’s exacerbated by the page turn. The last panel on page 20 shows Mary at a poker game, so it’s a little jarring when the first panel on page 21 shows her mid-conversation with a nun.

Mary Fields is always shown carrying a rifle, but the Gary Cooper quote on page 23 specifically mentions a .38. Maybe show her holding a .38 on that page? A quick illustration change would be to add a pistol tucked into her belt in addition to the rifle across her shoulders.

Using the entire page (33) to convey the passage of time seems like a waste of valuable real estate. You could’ve just as easily spread that over three panels at the top

On page 41, the description/explanation of the first two panels isn’t given until the 4th panel. I think it would work better to move “Bob learned to recognize individual hoof prints and scat,” up to a centered text block across the top two panels. I say this because I breezed right past the 1st panel thinking it was just a wide shot of grass leading up to the closeup on the scat in the next panel. I did not see the hoof prints until I went back to the 1st panel after reading the 4th panel.

On page 56, we read, “Many African Americans, like Bass Reeves and Bob Lemmons, took refuge there [in Native American communities] and became fluent in the languages of local communities.” This book is about those two characters, so why is that not part of their stories?

Rather than having pages 52-59 looking like a textbook--even an interesting textbook--I think you should divide those pages between the stories of Mary Fields, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons. A couple of pages of text between the stories would be more palatable than a larger chunk at the end which could intimidate or put off some readers.

However, I still think it’s an informative, fun read!

I am FURIOUS at how short this is.

There's only 3 stories, plus loads of awesome historical bits and bobs, and wonderful black and white photos from the days of the wild west.

The three stories are AMAZING. The author knew what he was doing when he made the first one about a woman. Stagecoach Mary is a QUEEN among women, and exactly who I would want to be if I lived during that time.

Then the second, which I can't talk about without absolutely spoiling it, and the third story, about someone who learned the real trick to catching wild horses.

Seriously, I loved these dang stories so much AND IT'S NOT FAIR THAT THIS IS SO SHORT.

Mad forever.

This book was a great mix of story, graphic novel, and pure fact. I had heard a little about Bass Reeves and Stagecoach Mary, but I loved reading even more about them. Besides I have seen next to no writing made for children on the lives of these people (and I had never heard of Bob Lemmons). This is a great piece of text that I can't wait to share with my students.

Well done graphic novel treatment of the story of three forgotten Black heroes of the Old West. James Otis Smith has done a service and I hope there will be more similar offerings to come. Should be in every school.

I grew up on Westerns (books, film, and TV) and only as an adult did I consider how white-washed most were. Native Americans fell neatly into a handful of stereotypes and Black characters rarely seemed to feature at all. It was deeply refreshing to read this graphic novel and to get a better picture of such a fascinating era. My main complaint is that the stories are so short, but this will be perfect for middle grade readers, especially since the age appropriate sources listed at the end of the book will provide more options for avid readers.

This is a nicely-drawn and -colored graphic novel which I read in ebook format. It tells briefly the stories of "Stagecoach" Mary Fields, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons. Prior to this book I'd heard of only one of these three.

The first story is of Mary Fields, a slave who gains her freedom after the civil war, and works hard to make her own way in life - and it is very much her own way. When she was in her early fifties, she traveled from Toledo, Ohio to Montana Territory where she helped found a convent school for Native American girls, but she was ordered to leave the convent after getting into a gunfight - or a near gunfight at least.

She didn't go postal then. That happened in her sixties, when she was hired as the first African American woman to work for the US Postal Service as a mail carrier because she was faster at hitching a team of horses than any other applicant. Her story makes for an inspiring read - she makes John Henry look like an under-achiever.

Bass Reeves was equally trailblazing. He was the first African-American deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi. He was recruited because he knew Indian Territory and spoke more than one Indian language. He worked three decades as a peace officer in Indian territory. Just like Fields, he was still working well into his sixties. There's no rest for the wicked good!

Last but not least was Bob Lemmons, who was apparently the first horse whisperer, so good was he at bringing wild horses into the ranch for domestication. He would effectively become part of the wild herd, showing almost infinite patience and taking his sweet time, he would bring himself and his own horse closer and closer to the herd until he became a part of it, and then he would start slowly maneuvering into a leadership position, until he could lead it right into a corral!

This made for a fascinating and entertaining set of stories - all too brief, but enough to satisfy - and I commend it as a worthy read.

this was a great, short visual introduction to a few notable black figures in the american frontier in the postwar era. i enjoyed getting to see their lives imagined and illustrated in full color, and it’s also cool that we have enough documentation of at least three of what was many, many black workers and cowboys in the american west during this era to be able to represent them in such detail. i also appreciated all the research and primary source images that went into the historical endnote, but i can’t help but think that that would also be more effectively communicated with the paragraphs broken up and illustrated in comics form. there’s such an abundance of visual material on black, native, and chicano cowboys that i imagine an expansion of this project would also be very cool to read.

This graphic novel had a good choice of fascinating characters. Unfortunately, some of the text was good while much of it was lackluster. The art was so-so, with little expression on the characters' faces, some unnecessary busyness, and not very well laid out.

I received an electronic ARC from Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC through NetGalley.
Readers meet three legends from the frontier - Mary Fields, Bass Reeves, Bob Lemmons. Each faced trials based on their environment and their skin color. Their stories are told in graphic style with realistic and detailed illustrations. Smith provides informative text before and after that offers readers the chance to learn more about history. Middle grade readers will appreciate the easy to follow biographies and can explore further with the information and references included.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy.

I read this as a Egalley because I couldn't wait any longer to check it out (pub date is 9/15/2020). Our family has loved various Toon Comics books over the years, and I'm always on the lookout for graphic novels that bring history to life. This book features three short biographies of blacks in the wild west time period. Both the introduction and the afterward contain photographs, additional information, a timeline, and further reading. The comics themselves were easy to read and enjoyable, but I do wish this book could have been longer! I think its a perfect introduction, especially for kids who struggle to engage with history, but I also think many books sell kids short and the engaging nature of this book lends itself to the ability to be longer. I hope we will see more books like this one from Toon comics in the future! And I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy for my own kids.

I received an advanced copy of Black Heroes of the Wild West from NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

Black Heroes of the Wild West captures three extraordinary Western tales that never made it into the movies. Bass Reeves, the first black Deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi, brought countless outlaws to justice over the years. Mary Fields, a woman born into slavery who became famous as “Stagecoach Mary,” both for her outstanding delivery record and her tough-as-nails personality. Bob Lemmons, one of the most skilled horsemen to ever ride. Each of the heroes in this book carries themselves with strength and excellence, demonstrating the very best of the West!

You can get your copy of Black Heroes of the Wild West on September 15th from TOON Graphics!

In this book, James Otis Smith shares the important history of several individuals who have been systematically erased from the story of the Wild West. The graphic novel format allows for their stories to be shared in an accessible and easy-to-read way, making this book perfect for readers and history buffs of all ages! My favorite story was definitely that of Stagecoach Mary, because of her grit and power!

My Recommendation-
This graphic novel would be a great read for anyone who loves Westerns but hates how exclusionary they have become over time. If you have ever wished to know some true stories about Black heroes living in the Wild West, you need to pick up this book!

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with this book and this publisher. I love both the information included and the wonderful comic that accompanies it.

A really cool graphic novel that taught me about some unknown icons within in Black History! I really hope the do more in this series because it was such a quick and easy way to learn about some very important people.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

In this nonfiction graphic book, there are three unknown Black heroes of the west are discussed. Mary Fields was better known as Stagecoach Mary. She held many different jobs. She knew how to survive in the Wild West. She was a “cigar-chomping” driver who always delivered. Bass Reeves was the first Black deputy US marshal. He was smart and clever catching several outlaws. The third person discusses was Bob Lemmons. He was successful as a wrangler of wild mustangs. He had a special way catching mustangs.

There is an introduction to Black people that were in the Wild West. One-third of the cowboys were black driving cattle trails and riding in rodeos. Cowboys were usually poor and only owned their horse. The author has included photographs, There is a timeline given from 1609 to 1950. There is at the end of this book information given on Black Buffalo soldiers, Black Native Americans and Black American alliances. There is information on Black vaqueros and Black homesteaders. Ther is a list. Of resources for further reading. I enjoyed reading the three people that were Black heroes of the Wild West. It’s a part of history that I didn’t know and found it to be quite interesting.

I love learning stories that should be more well known. I hope young people today have access to stories like this so they can both see representation and diversity. I wish I had learned about these people earlier in my life.

This graphic novel features Mary Fields, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons. Their stories are told with the context of the time given. There's also an excellent introduction and additional information at the end about more of the history of the Wild West.

I give this book a 5/5. Everyone needs to learn these Black people's stories.

Interesting and fun for kids. Learned a lot! Stagecoach Mary was very interesting to read about. I loved that it incorporated real pictures as well as context to the time.

As a member of the Notable Books for a Global Society Selection Committee, I am not able to give feedback at this time as the book is under consideration for the list.