Graphic Novel Review: ‘Black Cohosh’ by Brosi from Drawn+Quarterly

Black Cohosh by Eagle Valiant Brosi, published by Drawn+Quarterly, presents a story that is all at once a familiar coming-of-age tale and a unique voice calling out from the edge. Brosi, whose given name “Eagle Valiant” suggests his unconventional upbringing, tells the tale of his coming of age as he navigates relationships with the kinds of people we know during our formative years, for better or worse.

Much of the experience recounted in Black Cohosh is shared by many: going to school, doing chores, and getting into trouble. Yet Brosi’s childhood stands apart. He grows up in a commune in Appalachia, where he and his mother spend much of their time tending the garden. The commune has an energetic cast, including Roger That, a circus performer; MerryDeath, whose vegetarianism extends to using bone meal for fertilizer; and Brosi’s father, a college professor.

Beyond the farm, Brosi goes to school. Because of his speech impediment, fellow students torture him and administrators and teachers either misunderstand or outright use him as a target. Young Brosi strikes back at bullies with lampooning comics, which get him in even more trouble, especially from his peace-loving family.

As Brosi continues his story in Black Cohosh, named from one of the many plants his mother introduces him to as they explore the woods and grow their garden, he comes to learn how complex people can be. Accusations flare up around the commune when someone finds a fast-food wrapper in the trash, leading to one member finally leaving despite declaring her innocence. Brosi’s father points out that everyone is welcome to share their points of view in open discussion, but it might not be best for Brosi or others to speak. Further hypocrisy comes from Roger That as he tries to balance a communistic system with his own name being on the land deed, giving him the real final word on any decisions.

Time leaps forward, and during a fight where Brosi’s father says he wishes his mother would die of cancer, the very same happens. Older Eagle Valiant has to navigate a new world as a go-between for his parents and find a way to ensure that his mother is buried properly on the land she held so dear. He struggles with self-medicating, once visiting a drug dealer who is portrayed faceless and in wispy lines, making him look like a ghost.

The art in Black Cohosh is black and white, at once simple and speaking volumes in the chosen details. The bold lines and few spots of shading show a personal hand that makes reading the book like looking at someone’s personal journal, which of course it is. The art truly gives a voice to the voiceless, with the dialogue for Brosi as a character in the form of a series of squiggles. This gives the reader the chance to pull from facial expressions and context, experiencing Brosi’s life more deeply than if we were simply told it.