Scalped Vol.1- Indian Country & Vol. 2 - Casino Boogie

Goddamn, I love this comic!

Jason Arron and R.M. Guera have created one of the most memorizing comics I've read in a very long time.

How do I best describe it? It's just dirty. Not dirty in the way of smut and nudity, but dirty in the sense that you can taste the dirt that fills the air when the wind blows across the badlands kind of way.

It's crime noir at it's best in a setting you might not expect, an Indian Reservation. It's intense, brutal, compelling and even a touch compassionate.

I'm very hesitant to mention too much about the story so I'm going to borrow a few lines from the back of volume 1.

"Fifteen years ago, Dashiell “Dash” Bad Horse ran away from a life of abject poverty and utter hopelessness on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation searching for something better. Now he’s come back home armed with nothing but a set of nunchucs, 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?"

Vol. 1 is outstanding, it's throws you into the deep of a story that has layers. Half the fun is learning what the layers are and how characters are connected to one another. The books reeks of realism that is hard to come across in even novel format.

Vol. 2 serves to provide some background on many of the characters who inhabit "The Rez" and it' set around the opening of the new casino. It's simply fascinating. And sets the stage for big things to come.

The reason I'm so hesitant to say too much about the story is that honestly it's too good for you not to have the chance to experience it all for the first time knowing as little as possible. Jason Aaron is a writer who I had been hearing good things about for a while now, but until I read this book I had no idea what I was missing out on. His talent for dialog is top notch. Nothing a character says sounds out of place or forced. His understanding of Native American culture and their history is deep and compelling he has gotten me very interested in learning more. Don't be surprised if you catch me reading a copy of "Bury my heart at wounded knee" soon.

I know I'm being sort of vague about the details of this book, but i swear to God, it's hypnotic. You will not want to put this down and I'll be more than happy to lend out my copies if you will give it an honest shot. This book deserves as much attention as it can get and I can't wait to read more. I'm thinking of making some cuts to my subscription so I can add it as a monthly. When I do that, you know I like it. I can't recommend it enough.