Scalped
Issue: #23
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: R.M. Guera
32 pp. Vertigo. $2.99
Reviewed by Paul Stotts
“I always figured I was destined for something bigger.”—Jason Aaron Scalped #23
The more issues I read of Scalped, the more I’m reminded of the terrific HBO crime series The Wire. The more one watched The Wire, the better the show got. Every episode added a new layer to the story, and by the end of the series the richness of the show was unparalleled in television history.
Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera’s Scalped is just like this. The more one reads, the richer the experience becomes. It’s a nine layer dip of comic goodness, each issue adding a new flavor to the proceedings. It’s not a comic series, it’s a graphic novelization.
Life wasn’t supposed to be like this for Dino Poor Bear. He had dreams. He wanted to be an astronaut. But life on the reservation can smash dreams. How can you go into space, if you can’t even get off the Rez. So now Dino works as a drug courier. The only question is how long Dino can keep this up before his life falls apart.
Writer Jason Aaron once again shows that he’s too good to be toiling in comics. I’m thrilled he is, but with his talent full-time novel writing appears to be in his future. Aaron understands that interesting characters make for interesting stories. He doesn’t have to manufacture drama. He just lets the characters be, because the characters are the drama. And that’s why he’s the best writer in comics today.
I’ve started to fall in love with R.M. Guera’s interiors in this series. His storytelling is cinematic. Each panel is like a well-conceived shot in a film. The dramatic tension Guera is able to convey in the phone conversation between Dino Poor Bear and Falls Down in this issue is perfect, both subtle and realistic.
Scalped is the work of two consummate professionals at their creative pinnacle. Unforgettable and rich, this is as good as things get in the comic realm.
Final Grade: 93 out of 100
Related Posts:
Comic Break: Scalped #22 (Vertigo)
Comic Break: Scalped #21 (Vertigo)
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