World Famous Comics: Scalped Vol. 1: Indian Country
Scalped Vol. 1: Indian Country
By: Jason Aaron Publisher: Vertigo Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Vertigo Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 126 Publication Date: August 01, 2007 Release Date: August 01, 2007
Product Description: Jason Aaron, the up-and-coming writer of the critically acclaimed series THE OTHER SIDE teams with gritty artist R.M. Guéra for an intense crime drama that mixes organized crime with current Native American culture.
Fifteen years ago, Dashiell "Dash" Bad Horse ran away from a life of abject poverty and utter hopelessness on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation in hopes of finding something better. Now he's come back home armed with nothing but a set of nunchucks, a hell-bent-for-leather attitude and one dark secret, to find nothing much has changed on "The Rez" -- short of a glimmering new casino, and a once-proud people overcome by drugs and organized crime. Is he here to set things right or just get a piece of the action?
Vertigo's best new title in recent memory Jason Aaron is quickly becoming one of my favorite new writers and Scalped is why. Scalped tells the story of angry, violent Dashiell Bad Horse, who returns to the Reservation of his childhood as an undercover federal agent. Dashiell is hard to love, but you just know that Aaron is leading up to something big for the character, so you can forgive him for all the repressed rage and self-destructive behavior. Scalped is dark, violent, filled with sex, booze, and hard drugs... but none of that covers up the narrative's strong human element. Scalped is the story of one man's long, hard road to redemption and this volume presents an excellent start to the series. Big things are happening for Aaron now--he's writing for big name Marvel titles like Wolverine and Ghost Rider--and it all started here. So check it out, you won't be disappointed.
One of the Best Scalped is by far one of the best stories in comics today. Jason Arron brings a realism that just can't be seen in many other comic currently being written.
Scalped however is not for the faint of hart or younger readers. It is very much so a book for mature reader but if that doesn't bother you then this is a book you should check out.
It makes you feel like you're there. I purchased Scalped Vol. 1: Indian Country when I saw the iFanboy guys talking about it. It sounded different, and interesting, and most of all it wasn't a traditional capes and cowls comic. This trade features the first 5 issues of the monthly comic. It took me until chapter 2 or 3 to really get into it and understand what was going on, once you do, it's a hell of a ride. The combination of writing, script, and art makes you feel like you're there on "The Rez" with everyone else, like you're right in the thick of it. I remember cursing aloud when Dash did something stupid when it was obvious he shouldn't have. The characters are written extremely well, by the end of Indian Country you pretty much know the main players and the histories between them. I had a feeling of knowing them intimately when I finished this book. Another great thing about this book is that the characters actually speak Lakotan to one another. Not being of American Indian descent, I don't know what the hell they are saying, but you can pretty much piece it together from the surrounding dialogue. The twists in this story are great too, 2 big ones in Indian Country. I'm just waiting to get through a few more books and I'll be checking out the 2nd trade, "Casino Boogie".
"Welcome to the world of the disenchanted..." I've just finished a fresh re-read of the five issues collected in this trade specifically for prep in writing this review. Jason Aaron, previous to giving us Scalped, penned a mini-series called The Other Side, also published through Vertigo. Prior to that, Aaron was basically unheard of. The fact that he's hit a bullseye with his very first monthly series is incredible but I assure you, dear pondering reader, that it is a fact. Indian Country introduces us to Dashiell Bad Horse, a native to The Prairie Rose Reservation, South Dakota. The first thing Dash does is get into a fight with fifteen guys in a bar. With nunchaku, no less! He is, to put it mildly, looking for trouble. He's been off the Rez for fifteen years and has just come back for reasons made clear at the end of the first issue (or part I of the Indian Country arc). Right away Jason Aaron assaults the reader with abrasive language and since we're reading a Vertigo book, there are no asterisks, ampersands, question or exclamation marks to cover up the naughty words. It's hardcore, is what I'm saying, and it reads like real talk for real thugs and hoodlums. It isn't long before the main "villain" is introduced, Lincoln Red Crow. Red Crow is the Council Tribal President and essentially runs the reservation. His introduction leaves no question as to how ruthless a character he is but I don't like to use the label of villain to sum him up, hence the quotation marks above. Again, putting it mildly, he's complicated. In describing these two characters, I do hope I'm implying the excellence in Aaron's writing and characterization. All the characters in this book are, at best, morally grey. They're whole humans, not caricatures. Without spoiling too much, we learn very quickly that Dash is back on the Rez for a reason, even if he knows he's in over his head. He's an undercover FBI agent who's been sicced on Red Crow by probably the most miserable and hateful FBI minder ever to "grace" South Dakota with his presence: Special Agent Nitz. Nitz has an axe to grind with Red Crow that goes back twenty some years to the murder of two FBI agents on the Prairie Rose Reservation. All of this is deftly explained over the course of this five part collection. Meanwhile we get to see Dash kick some teeth and break some heads as he's quickly hired on as Tribal Police under Red Crow. Through this, the character becomes re-initiated into life on the Rez and the reader gets a glimpse of what life might be like there. This is a crime story but it's told in a way that's as unique as it's setting; an American Indian reservation. Aaron uses some slick time displacement gimmicks to trade back and forth between past, immediate past and present as he brings us along on a ride through this poverty stricken wasteland. When we meet Dash's mother, Gina Bad Horse, all question about the tone of the book should be laid to rest. Gina's first reaction to Dash is to slap him and call him a fascist. Later on, Red Crow uses eloquent phrasing toward his own daughter, Carol. These are HARD people with no illusions and to go back to the title (a quote from Red Crow in part I) of this review, supremely disenchanted. Jason Aaron masterfully captures this cast off world and sucks the reader in and after reading the first five issues again, I'm craving more even though I've read up through issue sixteen already! Another thing I like is Aaron's use of Lakota dialogue (sans subtitles). It's little touches like that, especially without translating it for us, that lend to the authenticity of the book. But is it good? Yes! There's shootings, there's meth lab busts, there's rampant sex(!), there's organized crime intrigue, there's betrayal, there's scalping(!!), and there's plenty of meat on each perspective of each of the characters to satisfy all your crime/noir needs. R.M. Guéra (Heavy Metal) handles the art and his style totally fits the book. The facial expressions are perfect and the action scenes flow cinematically. Plus, he has a way of depicting the residents of Prairie Rose Reservation that clearly divides them as two tribes: young and old. It's interesting to note all the little touches he puts in and oh! His women look ridiculously sexy too. It's hard to compare him stylistically to other artists but if I had to do it, to save my life, I'd say he's very reminiscent of Eduardo Risso from 100 Bullets except less polished (not a knock). If you're looking for a new venue in crime fiction, this book is it. Buy it!
Engrossing read Easily one of the best new books out there. Jason Aaron weaves an amazing story that draws the reader instantly and rewards them with every page. The story is split between past and present and builds a rich pantheon of deap characters. I'll be honest the story didn't appeal to me while reading reviews of it but once I started reading I was hooked. R.M. Guera's artwork is masterful, he captures the somber mood of the reservation in every page. I find it easy to get detached from the story when the artwork doesn't work well with the writing but in Scalped the two elements merge perfectly. I strongly suggest giving Scalped a try, I for one can't wait for more.
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