Scalped, Vol. 4: The Gravel In Your Guts (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Scalped is classic noir in the best sense. To paraphrase Ed Brubaker's excellent introduction, Noir is about watching a character fall into darkness. In The Gravel in Your Guts, Dash falls from grace. Chief Red Crow fails an old friend. People on the Rez, try to do the right thing and never seem to escape their destiny and it is fascinating to watch as the bloody drama plays out across the pages. This volume starts with a guest artist, Davide Furno, illustrating a central 2-part story that finally gives some pathos to Lincoln Red Crow’s daughter Carol, whose role until now has been that of prodigal daughter to Red Crow and spiteful fuck buddy to Dash Bad Horse. Aaron plays the mother card with her similarly to the last volume; it’ll get me every time. After that story, the camera zooms back out to the crime-ridden rez and all its scumbag denizens, with gore galore, including a powerfully bloody show down between Red Crow and the ever-creepy Mr. Brass, the last scene that’s predicated on Brass’s torture of probably my favorite character of the series (I won’t say who). I think my mistake when starting this series was hoping for something like HBO’s The Wire, where all the carnage and backbiting serves a complex and intense political statement. I’ve now come to think of this series much like another HBO series, Deadwood, and I just enjoy watching the bodies stack up in Aaron’s morally black vision.
What do You think about Scalped, Vol. 4: The Gravel In Your Guts (2009)?
See my review of book one if you want the summation of my feelings.
—Hugergames123
This series is hardcore, gritty noir. Amazing, but sinister!
—superstar
The best one so far. Grim, bleak, brilliant.
—cathdon
Fright train coming your way, a knock out.
—bambitwo
