Scalped #33 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writer), RM Guera (art), Giulia Brusco (colors), and Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Red Crow and Nitz instigate competing manhunts to find the witness as the Hmongs finally reach the Rez.

What’s Good: I’m not sure that there’s ever been a bad month of Scalped, and #33 continues that trend.  This is one of those issues that’s solid if only for its ability to successfully juggle all of its many plot threads.  Despite this, it never feels scattered or thin, and every one of these threads remain entertaining and integral.  Not a single scene feels overly divorced from the rest of the book, and all of them feel honest and engaging, easily dodging the danger of becoming mere “updates.”

Overall, this issue further validates this arc’s title, “the Gnawing.”  Heading into said arc’s final installment, the tension has never been higher, as this month ratchets it up to fever pitch.  The manhunt for the witness remains as thrilling as ever and a confrontation between Nitz and Shunka is a great read, if only because of its being the first time any member of Red Crow’s organization has ever actually gotten physical with Nitz.  The scene also recalls Nitz’s issue in the High Lonesome arc, as Aaron again insinuates the disgruntled agent’s seeming deathwish.

With R.M. Guera putting out his usual quality, scratchy, “dusty noir” look, this Aaron truly succeeds this month if only because he has written exactly what a pen-ultimate issue should be to any storyarc.  So much is left dangling, and you know that most all of it will be resolved, most likely in cataclysmic fashion, next month.  Of course, that’s not to say that this issue is purely set-up either; there’s several developments that are sure to have long-lasting ramifications well beyond this arc, chiefly some new developments in Dash and Diesel’s alliance, particularly as it relates to the death of a long-running character.

Yes, I did just say that someone dies this month, and the manner in which he/she is killed and by whom is sure to cause all sorts of havoc down the road.

What’s Not So Good: The final page is a little less than ideal, and I suspect that it largely has to do with Aaron running into page-count difficulties.  It’s meant to leave us on a cliffhanger as Red Crow walks out to meet the Hmongs, but the book ends a little abruptly if only because Aaron only has one page to work with.  It’s clear that ideally, the book should’ve ended with a splash of some sort following this.  Pacing-wise, it’s as though someone tore out the last two pages of my comic.

Also, I felt that Aaron was wasting his time a little in his attempt to make Agent Newsome a little more likable.  The guy’s been a complete jackass for the entirety of the series, that dumb jock in a position of power that you love to hate, and there’s no way Aaron’s going to make the guy particularly sympathetic in just a couple of scenes.  In fact, it feels a little strange.

Conclusion: Scalped is an awesome series, and this is another really solid outing.  I can’t wait for next month’s installment.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

Scalped #32 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Giulia Brusco (colors), and Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Dash tries to save a murder witness from Red Crow and Carol’s life continues its tailspin.

What’s Good: The high-paced chase sequence that results from the conclusion of last month’s issue was certainly a lot of fun.  Aaron has successfully made the murder witness a ridiculously irritating character.   It’s a great in a stressful sort of way, as most of Dash’s FBI-related actions are.  The whole scene also shows just how easily Aaron is able to toy with his readers.  How many times has he made us despise Nitz and like Red Crow?  Yet in this issue, it’s hard not to root for Nitz and pray that Red Crow gets caught out, if only for Dash’s sake.  The ease and speed with which Aaron is able to turn the tables is astounding.

Meanwhile, Catcher continues to be an interesting character in as much as he’s always so damned ominous.  This month definitely makes him seem even darker .  There’s a strong sense of foreboding and danger whenever he appears on the page.

The best thing about this issue by far, however, is the traditional, noir tone the book takes on in its latter half.  These are miserable conversations/monologues with miserable people.  The sadness is palpable, powerful, and brooding.  Guera’s artwork certainly helps in that regard.  While the first half of the book is that rough, dusty look we’ve gotten used to, these later scenes make expert use of darkness, shadow, and negative space.  The character positioning is also fantastic.  You really get that combined feeling of smoky mystery and tragedy that you’d normally only find in classic noir.

What’s Not So Good: The biggest problem with this issue is that it’s pretty much all set-up.  As such, there’s really only so high a grade I can give it.  Everything is a prelude, a lead-in, or a glimpse of danger on the horizon.  We are dead centre in the middle of the story-arc, and it definitely feels that way.  This is an almost purely transitional issue that often is intent merely to provide updates or consolidate.

I also didn’t like how Aaron acts as though last month’s massive cliffhanger never even happened.  At the end of that issue, it looked as though Carol may very well be dead.  This month, the very first time we see Carol, she’s up and about as though this collapse never occurred.  Sure she’s sick, and these blackouts will be regular occurrences, but Aaron could at least have provided a couple of images of her getting up off the floor from where we last saw her.  Perhaps page count was an issue here, but it was very strange and a bit irritating to see the high drama of her collapse last issue be completely written off and disregarded.

Conclusion: While it isn’t the most earth-shattering installment of the series, Scalped has never had a bad issue and this month doesn’t see a buck in that trend.

Grade: B

–Alex Evans

Scalped #15 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Giulia Brusco (colors)

With two trades of Scalped already out in stores, there’s no excuse (unless you’re broke) to not be reading this series. It’s really as good as everyone says! Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera are in full stride with issue #15. And that the cover? Brilliant use of negative space and design (the image used for this review is *not* the actual cover).

The “Dead Mothers” story continues as Bad Horse takes Shelton under his wing, teaching him how to use firearms, taking him camping, and just doing a lot of bonding that a father and son might do. Though Bad Horse isn’t exactly the best role model for this boy, it’s great to see him keeping the Shelton out of trouble. The kid’s completely like-able, and I hope Aaron doesn’t kill him off later down the line.

Meanwhile, despite the urging of the people around him, Red Crow is vigilant and determined to find the killer behind Bad Horse’s mother. As awful as Red Crow is as a man, his sense of honor to his former friend is honorable, even admirable. It’s also sad, because Red Crow seems to care more about Bad Horse’s mother than Bad Horse, himself! However, the people Red Crow can’t seem to stop are the Mongols. Mr. Brass, interrogates one of the accessories in the death of Shelton’s mother and while he does get results on Diesel’s whereabouts, the horror that’s inflicted on the man literally made me squirm.

Much like Officer Bad Horse, the ending of this issue left me completely speechless. Aaron’s pacing is spot-on perfect and R.M. Guera again proves that he’s one of the best artists in the industry. Scalped #15 is a hell of a good read. Easily one of the best issues of the series so far. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Scalped #14 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Jason Aaron wastes no time getting to the nitty gritty of this issue. We learn right from the beginning how Bad Horse’s mother died. He plays it cool, but there’s one panel where we actually see him show a hint of sadness. I like how R.M. Guera sneaks that panel in, barely giving us a glimpse of how he feels deep down inside.

Bad Horse meets with the kid whose mother was killed last issue. The kid possesses all the qualities and traits Bad Horse had at his age. Determined not to let the kid go down the wrong path, he does his best to console him. Bad Horse also confronts FBI Agent Nitz who finally confesses that Diesel’s an undercover agent. The fact remains that Diesel is a murderer, but Nitz says to let it go and to only deal with Red Crow.

There’s a lot of frustration in the air, and it’s not just affecting Bad Horse. Each character portrayed in this issue is doing some kind of grieving and it all ends with (at last) the appearance of a character we’ve been waiting a long time for. This book is back to full steam and I’m loving every minute of it. (Grade: A-)

– J.Montes

Scalped #13 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Scalped #13 begins a new story arc, “Dead Mothers”. After four issues of side stories and stuff I consider “filler” material, the main story gets back on track!

This issue starts off in all the right ways. We get three beautiful pages (by R.M. Guera) of Red Crow agonizing over Gina’s corpse. It’s poignant scene that resonates. Bad Horse and the cops bust a meth house and find a strangled mother while they’re cleaning up. This kind of bust is so routine to the officers that they’ve developed a lot of apathy for victims – the children. When it’s revealed who the murderer may be, it seems all too convenient and predictable (at least to the reader), but Bad Horse doesn’t know what we know and rushes off to take the person down.

Jason Aaron weaves two tales here that parallel. When they both finally intersect it becomes tragic and extremely powerful. I thought the first three pages were gut wrenching, but the last three are by far, more moving. R.M. Guera is a masterful storyteller and Jason Aaron is incredibly lucky to have his talent along side. This is easily the most emotional issue of Scalped yet – and the best. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Scalped #12 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), John Paul Leon (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Issue #12 brings Bad Horse back into the story line. He’s plagued with reoccurring dreams of his death. Each time, he dies by Red Crow’s hand and it’s beginning to overcome him. We also learn why he’s working for the FBI – he’s trying to earn back his freedom. But at what will be the ultimate cost of his freedom? His mother tries to give him the answers in a series of prophesying dreams, but it just doesn’t make sense to him.

John Paul Leon does the art chores for this issue, and while his artwork is no where as striking as that of R.M. Guera, he keeps the tone consistent. It’s great to see Bad Horse back after such a long hiatus, but the story continues to chug along.

We get a lot of foreshadowing, yes, but it’s also safe to assume that everything his mom says is easily going to happen anyway. I guess the Bad Horse is too dumb not to figure out the obvious and needs it spelled out to him. Great dialogue as usual by Jason Aaron, but this issue felt like unneeded filler. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

Scalped #6-11 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Giulia Brusco (colors)

Issues #6-11 deliver the grand opening of the Lakota casino. Things aren’t going very smoothly for the opening and Red Crow’s forced to deal with some Asian gangsters who send one of their own to deal with his protester problems. However, he never shows up, leaving me to believe he’ll be around for the next story arc. Meanwhile, the mysterious Catcher enters Bad Horse and Red Crow’s lives and turns things upside down for each one of them.

Catcher’s an interesting character. You’d think a book like this would have a crazy medicine man in it, and he sort of fits the type, but there’s a lot more modern mysticism about him. He’s rugged, weathered, and defeated by alcohol. But he’s still very much a man of the old ways. He sees the strangest things and it’s intriguing when we finally get to see out of his eyes. It’s not a big reveal when we find out who he is. In fact, I had my suspicions since issue #5. It’s also revealed to Bad Horse that there’s another FBI agent on the reservation. It’s quite obvious who it is, but it’s never told to Bad Horse who the person is.

After issue #9 things slow down. We get to learn more of Lakota culture and how awful life can be on a reservation. It’s depressing, to say the least. Issue #11, the final part of the Casino Boogie story line goes out with a whimper, bringing us back full circle to Gina’s demise. We get some answers, but there’s still a lot of outstanding questions looming. I wanted more from this story and felt kind of let down with the lack of resolution with Diesel. It’s also been rough having Bad Horse absent for three consecutive issues. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes

Scalped #4-5 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Lee Loughridge (colors)

Scalped continues strong with its second story arc, “Hoka Hey”. It’s a two issue story that carries a lot of flashbacks. These flashbacks, however, give excellent perspective on the supporting cast. These character moments that show just how complicated things are in Red Crow’s shoes. While he is, for all intents, still villainous, we get to see a few skeletons that shaped him into what he is now. He’s an opportunist, sure, but he also thinks he’s doing the right thing in his own mind.

Then there’s Bad Horse’s mother. She was never a perfect mother and she’s seen as a thorn in the side of progress on the reservation. There’s a scene in issue #4 illustrated by R.M. Guera where there’s few words used. It’s a beautiful montage of flashbacks and emotions, and you just can’t help but feel empathy for her. We also get to see some of Bad Horse’s past. His life outside the reservation made him a better man – a man driven to succeed at any cost. Meanwhile, Carol’s true colors come out and Bad Horse takes things into his own hands. The ending of issue #5 is ominous. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Scalped #1-3 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Lee Loughridge (colors)

Scalped #1-3 contains the first story arc of the series. The arc follows an undercover FBI agent named Bad Horse as he returns to his Indian Reservation in Nebraska. Like many reservations, this one is overrun with poverty, lawlessness, and full of drugs and alcohol. Bad Horse is considered an outcast with a less than reputable family name. He starts trouble with the locals and nearly gets himself killed before being spared by the “tribal leader”, Red Crow – a man full of corruption. Red Crow takes a liking to Bad Horse’s attitude. He makes Bad Horse a cop and uses him to to do his bidding. But some higher-ups in town don’t like Bad Horse’s attitude or reputation. That’s when things get crazy.

R.M. Guera’s art reminds me of Frank Miller in a way. It’s messy, very dark, and distinct all at the same time. The colors by Lee Loughridge are very bland and washed out. I’m not sure if he’s trying to capture the spirit of desolation in the midwest, but it sure instills that essence.

This book is hardcore, probably the most hardcover Vertigo book I’ve read since Garth Ennis’ Preacher. It’s full of testosterone, politics, sex, and things you probably see on an episode of Cops. There’s a lot of tension in this book and there’s usually something that hits the fan in each issue. If you can find these back issues at your local comic store, do not hesitate to pick them up. You can also pick up the first trade paperback, “Indian Country” which collects issues #1-5 for $9.99. Consider me on for the ride. If you’re interested giving this book a read, issue #1 is available as a free download from DC Comics. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes