Scalped (2007), Volume 1

Starred review from August 27, 2007
Aaron's reservation setting, described by a character in the first chapter as a “third world nation in the heart of America,” is perfect for a story of crime and family. Dash Bad Horse has come back to the reservation he ran away from at age 13. Now he enforces the law in a land where many have given up hope. Bad Horse is also an undercover FBI agent, put back in his home so federal authorities can take down crime boss and casino owner Lincoln Red Crow. Aaron masterfully depicts Bad Horse's tortured split psychology. The character is tough as nails and switches quickly between displaying likable and unlikable behavior. The family dynamics, which includes Bad Horse's activist mother and Red Crow's wild daughter, could come off as soap opera, but Aaron knows how to use personal relationships to explain character and setting. The world of the Prairie Rose Reservation is full of life thanks to the art of Guera, somewhat in the vein of Eduardo Risso's on 100 Bullets
. His characters contain a certain amount of grace no matter how ugly the situations get. The second story collected in the book is the flashback-heavy “Hoka Hey,” which shows that Aaron has a complex history planned for these characters.

November 1, 2007
Gr 10 Up-After running away from his home on the Prairie Rose reservation at age 13, Dash Bad Horse returns 15 years later, making trouble everywhere he goes. He comes to the attention of the local crime lord, Lincoln Red Crow, a ruthless and conniving man who immediately puts him to work as a tribal cop. On the surface, Bad Horse is Red Crows muscle, stamping out competitors who threaten his bosss hold on the tribe and silencing a contingent of protesters who oppose the developing casino that will increase Red Crows wealth tenfold. However, readers learn early on that Bad Horse is a federal agent working undercover to bring down Red Crow and his criminal empire. Tensions increase when both a former girlfriend and Bad Horses mother question his return to Prairie Rose. The basic plot owes a lot to typical mob stories, complete with an unflinching portrayal of violence, prostitution, and drug abuse. The reservation setting, though, allows Aaron to explore these ideas in a fresh manner. Guéra uses bold lines and frenetic panels to highlight the blood-and-bullets style of action, but he also lends these characters a sense of personality unique to a book of this type; the art and Aarons dialogue combine to make each character feel larger than life and leap off the page. Part two, a chapter dubbed Hoka Hey, works in layers of flashbacks, hinting at stronger development of both character and theme as the series continues."Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA"

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