Scalped Vol. 2

First off, I would like to express my confusion over why anyone thinks this was an improvement over the first one? Maybe marginally, but unless your mind is blown by unnecessary time jumps that don't develop anything then I don't really see where any of these not particularly specific praises are coming from.

Once again, I was rather turned off by the over hyping introduction. Was this a seriously low point in comics? Do these super hero writers not read anything outside their genre?! I mean, I'm the first one to admit that I can see why this series appeals to people that are not me, but I'm not sure anyone could ever convince me that it's not anywhere above average in the technical department - at least so far, I am trying to keep an open mind.

Digging into the rather jumpy narrative style a little more - the book literally ends at exactly the same point as volume 1. While I have read an enjoyed a couple of other series that jump around to a similar degree, that's usually done to build tension or something. In this case, I almost always felt as if I knew everything that was going to happen already. Maybe there was some tension for the characters, which isn't always bad either - but I certainly didn't have any of the gut wrenching "watching a train wreck in process" feeling I get for Game of Thrones for example. It probably didn't help that I mostly didn't connect with the characters, but that would still not render this genius pros. There's no subtlety or nuance or foreshadowing, there's still just assholes in an asshole world and barely anyone cares about anything but themselves.

Moving on to the characters, I can't help but feel like all the male characters are just way too similar. They all grew up impoverished and abused, trying to escape and make a future for themselves. Sure, they are all in different places now (barely) but there is extremely little character development. Even in Game of Thrones and the little I've read of Preacher so far (and which I enjoy 100% better then this series although that still might not amount to much haha) there assholes in a mostly asshole world, but people change every once in a while at least. Not to mention that they generally have something they really care about, and are actually shown caring about! Because even assholes generally care about something, even if it's just themselves.

The brief moment in the comic that I did enjoy the most was probably Red Crow's back story. It felt like the only time in the entire series thus far that the main male characters aren't just shitting on the Rez. While I can understand why these characters would want to escape abject poverty, the portrayal of everyone as dying alcoholic and drug users (even while pregnant) feed the racist ideas of the settler establishment. I'm not even sure if this really counts as counter cultural or even anti-PC! Believing that all Native Americans are like the ones between these pages, or mystical, or dead, is probably perfectly reasonable to most outsiders even today. Even while America works through its raciest attitudes towards other minorities, I still feel like Native Americans are completely ignored.

The depiction of women in the series continues to mostly be an afterthought. Decorating the pages with their naked boobs as if to make sure that the reader knows they are reading knows that the series is adult and dark and oh so gritty. Poor Bear's Grandmother is a nagging bitch, Poor Bear's ex girlfriend is that crack smoking pregnant woman I mentioned earlier - they both ask him to get something for them from the grocery store - and the only positively portrayed girl in his life is his infant daughter. Because that's how it is in misogynistic comics. Gina shows a few more ounces of agency only to have herself killed (for the second time) and the casino is filled with gold digging whores.

Overall, I think this series could have been vastly improved by at least one person having to struggle with their actions. Either because they are good in a bad world or facing the consequences of evil. Maybe this happens later on, a girl can only hope. For all that the characters seem to struggle to do what they want to do (mostly to escape) the rather static lack of development so far leaves a lot to be desired. As did the fact that, despite the fact that this tribe does not yet fall into the "dead Indian" category yet, Aaron is slowly but surely killing them off. Insinuating that they should assimilate themselves to survive. Poking fun at their religious beliefs.