Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Scalped #56
Vertigo Comics (DC Comics)
Aaron & Guera

This issue of Scalped jumps forward, from the unbelievable events of the previous issue, by eight months. It's an odd move and it basically screeches all the momentum to a halt from the previous arc. The book feels very foreign as the characters have changed and their situations are very different. It's hard to believe there are still four more issues left as I am left thinking that Jason Aaron left everything out on the table with the previous arc. This is a good book, but it is far from a great one, especially for this series.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Scalped #55
Vertigo (DC Comics)
Aaron & Guera

Though there are still five issues left in this series, this is the issue I think most people have been waiting for all along. The bulk of this issue is the fight between the jaw-wired-shut Dash Bad Horse and Shunka, Red Crow’s ex-right hand man. The issue is brutal as the fight sprawls across some ten pages and involves stabbing, biting and near-scalping. The issue doesn’t stop there as the ending is the reveal most people have been waiting for and one I won’t spoil here. It’s a fantastic issue.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Scalped #54
Vertigo Comics (DC)
Aaron & Guera

"Knuckle Up" reaches the penultimate chapter with this issue as it pits two of the main characters against each other for the next issue. This book manages to up the body count in a couple of unforeseen areas as it seems like Aaron is trying to ease the reader into the idea that a lot, if not most, of the familiar and favorite characters are going to end up dead before this is all over with. This is as strong an issue as this series has had and is just another example of how great a series this comic book has been.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Scalped #51
Vertigo Comics (DC Comics)
Aaron & Guera

Scalped begins the final ten issues with one that allows the characters to take a deep breath and ready themselves for a war. The issue is a good one (there is never a bad issue of Scalped), but the issue really doesn't present much substance to it that can be realized here. So, in a way, if this were the only issue you read of the series you probably wouldn't be impressed. There is a one puzzle here that makes me wonder how Aaron plans to pull off, that I will try to get into without spoiling too much. Guera actually outshines Aaron in this issue with two particularly powerful sequences. Another solid read.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Scalped #49
Vertigo Comics (DC)
Aaron & Guera

If there is one thing this series has managed to do arc after arc is to end the storyline with a bang. This issue brings the conclusion to "Ain't No God" as Aaron delivers one of the more violent and stunning issues to date. As usual, the issue presents a lot of build up to the drama and things don't ever quite "end" in as much as they are left dangling. By the end of the issue you probably can see the series heading in a number of different directions as Aaron manages to keep the reader guessing yet again.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Scalped #46
Vertigo Comics (DC Comics)
Aaron & Guera

This issue epitomizes everything that's great about this title. Aaron tells two parallel tales about two ancillary characters that is surprising, moving and incredibly well crafted. This issue proves that the world of Scalped goes much deeper than Bad Horse, Red Crow and the other players that the main story revolves around. This is a fantastic read.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Scalped #42
DC Comics
Aaron & Guera

Scalped deals out a shocking issue to its conclusion of the Unwanted arc. This series usually excels at taking its characters to new depths and this issue may top them all. The irony is that it does so without violence, drug use or questionable alliances. Instead the heart of the issue deals with the unsaid – the things we wish we could say to someone that could change everything. Or in some cases, the things we wish we didn't say that could have pushed our lives into a completely different direction. This issue is just gut wrenching.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Scalped #40
Vertigo Comics (DC Comics)
Aaron & Guera

The second part of the "Unwanted" arc hammers home two points very poignantly. First, unwanted pregnancies are a way of life for the characters on the reservation. Secondly, the lead characters have grown from unwanted children to directionless, addicted adults. The issue had the potential to be much sadder than it seems if not for the fact that the standard for the series is hovering slightly above constant depression. It's another good issue but there are some quirks about it that were tough sells.

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