Customer Reviews

Scalped, Vol. 3: Dead Mothers

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can't praise Scalped enough. It pleases on every level and its details are rewarding if you slow down just a little and pay attention. The passionate and vibrant artwork of R. M. Guera and Giulia Brusco brings to life Jason Aaron's transgenerational modern American Indian noir. It has all the key elements that make noir an enduring genre, but it adds enough of its own flair to allow it to stand out from the rest. It just might function as a window into the destitution wrought upon Native American Indians to this day, a legacy that is dipped in blood and laid out on the pages of noir to dry in the merciless sun.

It's hard to put into words how I feel after reading this book trade after trade. I want to wash my hands and tell everyone (adults anyway) to read this. Its so real and raw that it doesn't even seem possible. The art, even with three different artists, fits so well to the theme of the book. Dash Bad Horse is such an intriguing character that he could be a movie heavyweight. Jason Aaron is scary good!

I've been working my way through this series in trades, and it's been nothing but the highest quality the whole way through. This collection is no exception. I really liked the last arc's approach of telling different sides of the same event, but it was nice to get back to a more linear form of storytelling and to see this compelling story progress. There are some real heroes and villains here, but all the while there is a certain blurred-lines morality throughout the whole book. I've heard this title compared to the Sopranos. When I think of the complexity of characters and their relationships, the emotional connections with the reader/viewer, and the compelling visuals, that comparison starts to feel pretty relevant.
And the art is fabulously gritty, just like the dusty reservation where the story is set. Hop on board for one of the best ongoing stories in comics.

If you have money for only one trade paperback, this is it. Following the excellent second collection of Scalped, this volume had a lot to live up to. It doesn't disappoint.

The art works beautifully with Jason Aaron's writing which manages to thrust you into the life of a modern day Indian reservation where murder, corruption and sex have become the norm.

If you're like me and seek something more than flying superheroes this is the book to invest in.

DISCLAIMER: You must read Volumes 1 and 2 to appreciate this. All three books are worth the price of admission.

Phew, made it through another dark, misery drenched volume of Jason Aaron and RM Guera's "Scalped", the story of undercover cop Dash Bad Horse trying to bring down Red Crow, head of the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and owner of the newly opened Casino. The complex story gets more complicated as more bodies pile up and the character of Diesel remains a mystery. Throw in an intriguing new character in the form of Franklin Falls Down and some decent back story and this series is finally getting as good as I hoped it would be.

Don't get me wrong, this is still a tough read, not least because every way you turn you see people hooked on drugs or alcohol, kids being killed or beaten or worse, people being tortured, people being beaten up, emotional and physical turmoil litter the pages - there's no humour so there's no let up and Aaron and Guera don't give a damn. It's a real barrage of human misery you've got to endure if you want to read this series.

That said, the story that's been set up over the first two books becomes more intriguing as the characters become more fleshed out and the world of the modern day Indian is explained further. Bad Horse goes from being a one note Wolverine archetype to a more human character, while Red Crow also remains a questionable person.

Probably Vertigo's most dark series they've put out yet, it's no "Y The Last Man" but it has plenty going for it if you're willing to stick with it - which I think is definitely worth it. "Dead Mothers" is the best book so far, let's hope Aaron and Guera can sustain the momentum and maybe throw some light into the darkness - please, guys?

While I can't pick a favorite between volumes 2 & 3, the quality of each is outstanding. This series doesn't get worse at all, it just maintains its brilliant pace. It almost became difficult to keep track of characters, but to say that I became lost would be a lie. Jason Aaron gives us enough in each installment to follow along and enjoy. He has a great cast, that thankfully hasn't grown to large yet. The pages get filthier, the stories darker, and the tension extended. I haven't seen anybody call this series overrated, because it simply is not. All the hype is true.

A family member of mine browsed through the pages of Scalped and said, "You're into some sick sh**." Yes, parts of this series are graphic, but I'm also into some dense sh**. I'm into some sh** that's historically eye-opening as well as fun and engaging. I read this sh** because it's smart as well as dirty. It has meaning through all of its absurdity. So what are you waiting for? Read this sh**!

An enthralling crime drama. The art is a bit darker than I like, but the story is fantastic.

I wouldn't say this is the best Vertigo book out there, but it is worth reading. The plot is either good or great and most of the characters interesting. Really, the best thing about Scalped is its ability to take the reader to a place relatively unexplored -- the Native American reservation. After having visited there (a relative worked in a reservation hospital for a few years), I can say that the poverty depicted in this book is pretty accurate with what exists in the real world.