Graphic Novel Of The Month

Scalped Volume 1: Indian Country (DC/Vertigo): For me, the best two Vertigo books coming out right now are Brian Wood's DMZ and the oft overlooked Scalped. I don't even have the time to do this book justice, so let me try to summarize the strongest points. Jason Aaron's dialogue is masterful in its ability to portray the realistic cadence and fluidity of typical speech patterns - without the overly staged affect that some Bendis/Sorkin/Mamet type of dialogue sometimes has. R.M. Guera's dark, sketchy, heavy, inky lines are perfectly mated to the script; they demonstrate a world in utter decay. Lastly, this is a brave work of art that gives us a seldom seen slice of American life, about a microcosm of society that is crumbling, the result of a closed society and the warped interpersonal dynamics that occur as the implosion happens. It's full of sex, betrayal, lies, deceit, psychological underpinnings, and small little quests for redemption. This is a wonderful comic and the medium should be proud, but it's a pity that it isn't a series on something like HBO, easily as strong as The Sopranos, so that it could reach a wider audience with its commentary. Grade A+.