Black Heroes of the Wild West

by James Otis Smith

True stories from the Wild West, but not like you’ve seen in the movies.

This graphic novel by JAMES OTIS SMITH 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, cardplaying 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.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, History, Middle Grade, Biography, Comics, Historical

60 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2020

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short graphic novel perfect for kids focusing on three people proving it wasn't only white men who tamed the Wild West. First up was Stagecoach Mary, only the 2nd woman to run her own stagecoach route and deliver mail while still maintaining to help her neighbors. Then Bass Reeves, the first black U.S. Marshall West of the Mississippi uses his wiles to catch a couple of dangerous brothers. He's thought to be the inspiration for the Lone Ranger. Finally Bob Lemmons and his unique method for capturing wild mustangs is examined. These stories were interesting and fun, just perfect for a classroom setting.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

These brief little life sketches should serve to whet the appetites of young readers to find out more about the featured individuals -- I know I want to. I really appreciated all the photographs throughout, and the text pieces at the end added a lot of terrific context, though they may be a bit too dense for younger readers.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep - it's another one of those "we make learnin' fun" books, and this one works: it's a fine graphic introduction to three legendary figures from the wild west.



Watch as Bob Lemmons uses his horse sense to bring in a herd of wild mustangs. Come along with Deputy US Marshall Bass Reeves as he surprises a pair of outlaws. And, learn why no one dared mess with Stagecoach Mary.

I'm hoping Smith is planning to make this a series. I'd love to meet more of this country's neglected heroes.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting BLACK HEROES OF THE WILD WEST to be so impactful, but it left me feeling joyful and hopeful. It explores the mostly untold history of the West, and between Kadir Nelson’s introduction and James Otis Smith’s wonderful visual storytelling, I learned so much. (For example, I had no idea that during Reconstruction, up to one-third of some populations were Black.) Though geared towards young readers ages 8 and up, I think this book is a fantastic introduction for adults too. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t learn this stuff in school!

This book covers the tremendous work of three Black pioneers during the Reconstruction Era:

• Mary Fields, a hardworking woman who shook up gendered society and persisted tirelessly as a mail carrier
• Bass Reeves, the first Black U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi
• Bob Lemmons, a mustanger who leveraged humane ways to work with wild horses

All three were born into enslavement and either escaped or were freed following the Civil War, and the illustrations and storytelling are a perfect introduction to these badass historical figures.

What I find missing in a lot of Western U.S. history is the narrative around people of color. So much of history tries to downplay things like the white settlers’ exploitation of Indigenous people and theft of their land, the infrastructural work that Chinese folks paid for with their labor and lives, the role of Black folks in literally any space. And if we’re lacking it in books for grownups, I wasn’t expecting to see this in a middle grade book – but was delighted to be wrong.

This book confronts these topics head-on, and readers get a more robust and whole picture of what the West was really like. The end of the book features several pages on the history of Indigenous, Mexican, mixed-race, Black, and Chinese folks in this era and their lasting impact. There are also references and suggested resources for anyone looking to learn more.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much history that is taught to us in school, that bypasses the minorities, and the women, and focuses on the White people. You may have heard the term of Buffalo Soldier from the song but you may not know the history of how Black men and women moved to the American West before and after the Civil War to live their lives.

This book covers three Black people that if you have never heard of them, you will wonder why. One, Bass Reeves, the first Black marshal west of the Mississippi, is thought to be the inspiration for the Lone Ranger.

Bob Lemmons, was a famous horse wrangler, and Mary Fields was one of two women, and the only Black woman, to drive the mail coach to deliver mail out in the west.

Done in graphic novel style first, then followed with further background second, this is an amazing book to learn more about the Black people and their existence in the wild west.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Nostalgia Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western history has always fascinated me, but it has always struck me how difficult it is to find books (fiction or nonfiction) about minorities of any sort, especially black people, who lived in the Western frontier. This provides a great, if short, introduction to three black pioneers who went West and made a name for themselves delivering mail and building missions, hunting fugitives, and herding wild horses.

I had heard about Mary Fields briefly before from a friend, but I still learned some more facts about her from this books. Bob Lemmon and Bass Reeves I had never heard of before though, so this was a very enlightening introduction to them! There is also a brief historical section in the back with some great pictures.

This was much shorter than I expected it to be and I feel like the content of each biography could have gone deeper or wider, whether in the story telling, the historical, or both. Smith blends the historical facts with a vignette about each person’s life very smoothly and creates a very engaging setting, so I would love to have been able to read more!

Despite the short length, this is an excellent jumping off point for readers to learn that not all Wild West history is white, and that blacks played a vital role in helping to shape the new frontier.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review!

(Cross posted on my blog.)

[Lara Goldstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book! It tells the stories of three Black Americans and their real-life adventures in the Wild West. And it does it in a graphic-novel-like style that is engaging and fun.

The three heroes it features are "Stagecoach Mary" Fields, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons. Full-color, fully illustrated little biographies. AND it has real photographs here and there of actual Black cowboys and pioneers. AND it has a six pages at the end about other famous Black westerners. I really think I'm going to need a copy of my own.

[Joy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel includes photos and historical background. There are three stories: Stagecoach Mary (I've included her on my Pinterest western board); Bass Reeves, a black marshal; and Bob Lemmons, a horse wrangler. I enjoyed Bass Reeves the most, but I already knew Stagecoach Mary. Bob Lemmons was fascinating; he ran with wild mustangs. Highly recommended.

[C.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful graphic novel proving that not all the tall tails of the Wild West are, nor should, exclusively feature only white men. The three lives described here deserve their place in the pantheon of western hero’s. A great introduction to the larger history of the west.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosh, what great stories! This book describes the lives of three outstanding Black figures in the "wild west," and I found myself delighted and inspired by each turn of the page. Truly outstanding stories, and the endnotes added much nuance and context. This book would easily have garnered four stars if it weren't for the art, which didn't match the historical tone of the book to me and occasionally obfuscated what was happening in the stories.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Great comic compilation of three Black historical figures prominent in the era of the Wild West. Also pays homage to the indigenous peoples and other groups that were rarely discussed or given the focus in past historical narratives.

[Peoria Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spencer rated it 3.5 stars.

At only 60 pages, this is a really quick read. I thought it was well done, but would have liked it to be longer; either by going into more detail about the three people already in the book, or by featuring other historical figures as well.

[Angela A. Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great informative book for children & adults. The stories of a few heroes in the wild west were in graphic form telling their story as well as real pictures with informative facts about them in front and back of the book. I love that this is a work of information about former slaves and Native Americans and how they succeeded in life after being freed. There isn't any negative information in this book just the history of a handful of African American Heroes during the Wild West time period.
In front of the book: "It is time that we hear every American's story: from every background and creed, we've all worked together to weave the grand tapestry of America".

This graphic novel by JAMES OTIS SMITH 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.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Black Heroes of the Wild West' by James Otis Smith is a graphic novel featuring three folks who made their mark in the old West.

First up is Stagecoach Mary who played cards and smoked cigars and made all her deliveries as well as looking out for those people around her. Bass Reeves, goes undercover to capture some criminals before revealing he's a US Marshal. Bob Lemmons was good at catching and taming horses through patience and observation.

History is great and it's nice to see the people in this book remembered. There is more history in the back for those who want to learn a bit more. The art is great and these would be great stories for classroom learning or just for kids who like reading about larger than life people.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel has wonderful and important stories of Black Americans contribution to the US during the times we think of as the "wild west". Adding to the huge list of things I never knew about Black Americans, some new things from this book: 1) A Black US Marshal, Bass Reeves, was responsible for bringing in the notorious Clancy Brothers, as well as over 3000 fugitives! Also, the Lone Ranger, is most likely based on Marshal Reeves. 2) Many Black Americans became members of Native American Tribes after the tribes welcomed in Black American's escaping slavery. 3) I'm incredibly thankful for researchers and authors like Otis Smith & Nelson who continue to make sure these folks and those like them do not remain forgotten.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like especially that Stagecoach Mary, surely one of the hardiest ladies in history, is featured in the graphic novel. The other heroes are a marshal and a wild horse wrangler, showing the wide variety of jobs needed in pioneering days. I enjoyed the stories and I especially like the endpiece where we find original material, photos, newsprint, posters and so on, about the cowboys in general and those people featured in particular.

I downloaded an e-ARC from Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Grandkids LOVED this!
The pictures are vibrant and the text is age appropriate.

[Sukhmani's Reading Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

-I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.-

I’ll admit, this book has been on my NetGalley shelf for a few weeks now. I’ve either had a reading slump or I was simply reading other books.

This book is exactly what the title suggests, Black heroes of the Wild West. As a teacher, I know many topics, people, and events get swept under the rug for *insert reason.* So, it makes sense why authors like James Otis Smith would write a book depicting Black heroes. It’s also timely during the Black Lives Matter movement. I read this book in one sitting, less than 15 minutes, to be exact.

Oftentimes, we get stuck telling the “black people were slaves who eventually gained freedom” narrative. This book offers more. Smith offers specific people in specific times and shares their story. I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard of the people named in this story. Rest assured, I’ll be telling students about these people. In fact, I’ll be sharing this book with my students.

You’re probably wondering why I gave this book four stars rather than five? Well, I wish the book offered... more about the people depicted. Each historical person had at least 7-8 pages. It’s like... a cake is being baked in your kitchen by someone. You’re smelling it. Going dizzy with how scrumptious and inviting it looks and smells. Guess what! You found out that you can only have a teeny tiny piece. Smith kept the book simple enough and provided historical context in the book ends. However, he could have offered more details in the graphic novel portion.

[Josephine Sorrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover of James Otis Smith’s graphic novel features Mary Fields, a 19th-century Black woman variously known as Black Mary, White Crow and, more popularly, Stagecoach Mary. This is a beautiful and quick read of non fiction with historical context. The text and pictures celebrate our lesser known heroes of the past.

We first meet o“Stagecoach” Mary Fields defending her mail coach one freezing night in Montana by battling back a pack of wolves. Mary is resourceful, fearless and unapologetic, whether helping nuns build their mission, nursing the Mother Superior, opening her own restaurant, gambling, carrying a rifle, wearing pants or drinking in saloons.

Then comes Bass Reeves, born into slavery in Arkansas, in 1938. Living amount the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole nations, he learned to speak their languages. This and his reputation for fairness was the reason he was recruited as a Deputy US Marshal, the first black marshal west of the Mississippi River. Was he the Lone Ranger. He was the subject of a long running tv show and movies even though The lone Ranger was depicted as white.

Lastly, we meet Bob Lemmons who helped his neighbors through the difficult times of The Great Depression and lived to the age of 99.

Don’t miss the rich information and photographs on the end pages of this book.

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

[netgalley arc]

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.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Book Buying With Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cool book! I had never heard of any of these people and knew very little about the history of black people in the wild west. Black cowboys! Black US marshalls! Black mustang wranglers! And a FIERCE LADY STAGECOACH DRIVER! Highly recommend.

[Meepelous · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOTE: This ARC was given to me for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

As I already mentioned in my latest Black Comics TBR I could tell immediately that this was going to remind me of the Strange Fruit series by Joel Christian Gill, which also does short stories for a more all age audience about lesser known Black figures in American history. This book was definitely more focused on a singular type of story, namely the "wild west" and cowboys. There was also a lot more photographs of Black people in the west, before and after the illustrated comics, which I thought was a nice addition.
The art was good, but not super memorable. I assume the Toon series has some constraints on how they want each book to look. The one thing that felt a bit different from some other all ages books was the inclusion of quite a few silent scene setting shots. Which was nice.
As far as gender went, I really appreciated that of the three stories included we got Stagecoach Mary, as the first volume of Strange Fruit and many narratives of the west revolve around assumed Male people.
Sexuality was not a focus of the book, even heterosexuality, which was was nice.
Race was obviously a focus of the book, namely the history of Black people in the west. As a white settler person on Turtle Island I am certainly not the be all end all to be talking about this particular intersection, but I did try to note the way that Indigenous people were represented. Passively was the word that came most to mind through most of the book, although it did feel like the side characters that came up were depicted in a respectful way that didn't flirt with caricature - which certainly is not always the case. That said, the text and photographs section at the very end did dig into more detail about how the "wild west" was actively destroying Indigenous life in the west. So, as I said, I can't approve this book or not, but it seemed pretty good. Left me hungry for an adult take on the ways Blackness and Indigeneity have intersected and do intersect. Assuming books continue to be published, it'll happen eventually.
I didn't really notice any disability representation. Everyone seemed pretty able bodied.

[Natalie Tate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this intro of Black historical figures in the Wild West. Interesting and well-written. My one complaint is that I wish it were longer!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Non-Fiction
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.

[CiarraL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Black Heroes of the Wild West for my college reading course. We are learning about historical fiction, so I decided to check out a print copy of this book from my library since it won the Carter G. Woodson Award for middle-level literature in 2021. This book celebrates black Western heroes and gives us background information on their lives and their accomplishments. The three heroes celebrated in this story are: Mary Fields (one of the first black female stagecoach drivers), Bass Reeves (the first black Deputy US Marshal), and Bob Lemmons (a cowboy known for being exceptionally good with horses).

Much of this book is in graphic novel form. I think this is a creative and unique way to tell the stories of these heroes. We read about their journeys through speech bubbles and detailed illustrations. The author includes real photographs of our heroes too. The end of the book has photographs of more cowboys, along with maps that show where they traveled, and important dates and timelines that highlight their journeys and achievements.

I really enjoyed this book and I think young readers will enjoy it too, especially due to the graphic novel format. I love that this book highlights a group we don’t hear about in literature very often; black cowboys and black western heroes. The book is very text heavy, with a lot of information – so I would recommend it for middle school students or older. As a teacher this book could be used to write biographies or research papers about the historical figures and events it highlights. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys learning about history…or anyone that enjoys cowboys and Westerns.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

These brief biographies in graphic novel format tell succinctly about three impressive, heroic, amazing Black/African American individuals who lived during "Wild West" times.

They might have qualified as "heroes" just by surviving in what seems to be an inhospitable, almost-lawless time & place, but the inspiring stories show how they were fearlessly creative and self-possessed above and beyond surviving.

All three - Stagecoach Mary, Lieutenant Bass Reeves, and horse-wrangler Bob Lemmons - led exciting, dangerous, and inspiring lives.

Front- & back-matter add historical context giving enough information about racism & racial disparities to understand the relevance of the stories above & beyond their immediate dramatic force, and also provides context about the Old West - mentioning specifically Montana, Arkansas, & Texas, from 1860 to 1910.

The art is beautiful! Main characters, as well as side-characters, are clearly legible as individuals with unique identities, period dress & settings, and the animals (horses, wolves, & dogs) are drawn as clearly & beautifully as the human beings, natural scenery, & architectural structures.

This is an amazing work.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three great historical tales and background information of Black Americans in the west. I hope there will be more..