Scalped v3: #18

Falls Down
by Jason Aaron (writer) and Davide Furnò (artist)

Officer Franklin Falls Down, the one honest cop on the Prairie Rose Police, re-enters the picture. Red Crow wants him to find the person responsible for the death of Gina Bad Horse. Before he can take on that task he's got some problems, past and present, to deal with.

As with many of these 1-shot spotlights this one contains a tragic element. Even before he was shot up during a drug bust he had experienced personal tragedy. Add to that how hard it is to be the one honest officer in a crooked department and it starts to become clear that the path Falls Down has chosen is not an easy one.

Furnò's art compliments and emphasizes the tone of the writing. The wispy lines and textured faces he draws make the characters come to life.

Scalped v3: #17

Dead Mothers - Chapter 5
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Dash goes back to White Haven to look for Shelton. Red Crow continues to deal with people who question his role in the murder of Gina Bad Horse. The arc ends. It is time for the story to move on.

Scalped v3: #16

Dead Mothers - Chapter 4
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Bad Horse searches in White Haven, outside of his area of jurisdiction, for Diesel, whom he suspects of committing murder on the Rez. Red Crow gets a visit from Nitz, in his casino. Nothing gets resolved but a new character is introduced and some blood gets spilled in the process.

Does anything end well in this series? So far the answer is no and with just one chapter left it doesn't look like this story arc is going to diverge from that pattern.

The wordless panels are brilliant composed and placed. They are a vital part of how the story is told. So much information and feeling is conveyed in what they depict. The silent exchange of glances between Red Crow and Dino Poor Bear is probably the best example of this.

Scalped v3: #15

Dead Mothers - Chapter 3
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Bad Horse gets some help, which he didn't request, in solving a very personal case. Leading up to and following that he tries to mentor Shelton and deal with memories of his mother.

It feels as though pieces are starting to fall into place. It seems unlikely but not impossible, given his passionate response to Dash's statement early on in this chapter, that Red Crow is directly responsible for the murder of Gina Bad Horse. Outwardly, at the very least, he is more disturbed by her murder than is her son. Ruling out the possibility that some bit player may be the murderer, the tone and track of the story seems to point the finger of blame at another passionate and central player in this story.

The interrogation scene deserves to be singled out. It only lasts four pages and cuts away before it gets graphically gruesome. Still, the final panel on the next to last page of the scene leaves little to the imagination as to what is obscured from view on the next page. Without showing the worst part Guéra leaves the end of the scene up to the reader's imagination to fill in this making it possibly more horrific than if he depicted the gruesome details.

Scalped v3: #14

Dead Mothers - Chapter 2
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Dash has to deal with Shelton, the dead prostitute's eldest child, and Nitz, his boss. One wants him to find the man who killed Pamela Bittan, the prostitute, the other wants him to find the man who killed Gina Bad Horse, his mother. Nitz could care less about Pamela Bittan. In the end Nitz has to tip his own hand in an attempt to keep Bad Horse in line.

The visual storytelling is beautifully handled. Once again there are lots of wordless panels. There are also some very wordy panels. Both work in the context of the story although the wordier ones do seem a bit crowded.

Scalped v3: #13

Dead Mothers - Chapter 1
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

It hasn't hit Dash yet. He doesn't find out until 3/4 of the way into the chapter. In the end Red Crow is the one to break the news to him. Dash doesn't have the time to deal with it then because he's getting ready to deliver a similar message to a group of kids, the oldest of whom is just 12. Someone else should have broken the news to them, but the others were a little too chicken-hearted to do so. On his own initiative Dash delivers the bad news to them, in the immediate wake of Red Crow's visit.

There's more to the chapter than these two exchanges of information. The chapter opens with a drug bust and a very unorthodox interrogation. Those are intense moments in their own right but the most memorable ones are those that end the chapter.

Sometimes it feels as if there ought to be more sound effects. In this chapter the lack of them has a powerful effect. The pictures tell it all in the wordless places. To include sound effects would be redundant and steal the thunder that the pictures provide.

Scalped v3: #12

Dreaming Himself into the Real World
by Jason Aaron (writer) and John Paul Leon (artist)

Bad Horse sleeps and dreams and wakes up. He wakes in his dreams and he wakes in the real world. He dreams of all the people in his life: Red Crow, Special Agent Nitz, Carol, and finally he dreams of Gina, his mother.

Dreams can take many forms and Bad Horse's dreams are not all of the same nature. The pacing of the narration, internal monologue, dialogue, and visual storytelling shift as the tone of the story does and seem appropriate in each instance. When his dreams are darker, more disturbing, and induced by his fears everything seems rushed and out of control. When he dreams of his mother the pace slows, seems more measured, less hectic.

This is the right place to have a guest artist step in. The transition from Guéra's style to Leon's isn't seamless but that's okay. This is a different sort of story within the larger story. What really matters here is the high quality of the visual storytelling and that the images work well with words on the pages.

House of Mystery v6: #30

Safe as Houses

Chapter 5: monsters / the goblin king / baby universes / problem solved / the fix / what you need vs what you want / three guys walk into a bar by Matthew Sturges (writer), Werther Dell'edera (pencils), and José Marzán, Jr. (inks)

Fig and Tursig, individually, get themselves out of the pickles they have found themselves in. This arc is resolved in a quick and tidy manner, although there is some bloodshed involved. The reader is left to fill in much detail. This isn't a satisfactory approach to storytelling. It feels cheap and unfair. Readers deserve more.

Backup story: Lotus Blossom's Theory of Names by Matthew Sturges (writer) and Carine Brancowitz (art)

Mack, the wizard, figures but does not star in this story. It is primarily a text piece hut there are a few illustrations. It is a body-switching, revenge-type story but aside from the inclusion of Mack it is unclear how this story relates to the main story.

House of Mystery v6: #29

Safe as Houses

Chapter 4: mindworms / rejection, rejected / it's all done with rabbits now / bodies are easy / the eternal flame thingy by Matthew Sturges (writer), Werther Dell'edera (pencils), and José Marzán, Jr. (inks)

As if this story wasn't confusing enough as is there is a drastic change in the look of the main storyline. Luca Rossi steps aside and Werther Dell'Edera takes over the penciling duties. Ideally such a change should have happened with the beginning of a new arc rather than in the midst of one. The coloring seems considerably less subtle than in previous chapters, although there is no indication that someone took over for Lee Loughridge.

Backup Story: the story about the goblin who loved babies and also there is a hunter in it by Matthew Sturges (writer) and Esao Andrews (artist)

It is pretty to look at and simple to understand but it is unclear what purpose it serves other than to fill pages. It isn't particularly compelling and doesn't provide any vital information.

House of Mystery v6: #28

Safe as Houses

Chapter 3: announcement 1: public / announcement 2: private / some goblin concerns / little known pitfalls of time-travel / it's "oedipus" / summerlands by Matthew Sturges (writer), Luca Rossi (pencils), and José Marzán, Jr. (inks)

Backup Story: Peace by Matthew Sturges (writer) and Phil Noto (artist)

This chapter is seductively great. It could lead one to believe that there is more to the story than there actually is. There are some great character moments. Fig makes a decision which will separate her from the other denizens of the house. She feels it is something she has to do. They don't agree. The art tells the story as much as the words they exchange do.

Possibly the key to enjoying HoM is learning not to expect too much from it. It is doubtful that it will go everywhere and explore everything that it hints at in this chapter and has hinted at in previous chapters. The images are pretty and the story inspires the imagination, which is not true of plenty of other comic books.

The backup story doesn't slouch. It merges seamlessly with the main storyline. Noto's art is a vital part of the narrative.

House of Mystery v6: #27

Safe as Houses

Chapter 2: flying killer robots / mother issues / time travel is exactly what it used to be / a pyrrhic victory / i'll let you drive by Matthew Sturges (writer), Luca Rossi (pencils), and José Marzán, Jr. (inks)

Backup Story: Long Strange Trip by Matthew Sturges (writer) and Brendan McCarthy (artist)

Stuff happens. The art is the real draw in this series. The story wanders this way and that with very little in the way of closure or a sense of progress. It was fun for a while but after more than 2 years one has to wonder if the writer has an end point in mind. If the backup stories were consistently better than they are then reading this series might be more satisfying than it currently is.

The main storyline does not work as the feature of House of Mystery. It feels more like a backup story. It doesn't feel right to judge it as a backup, because it takes up most of the book. It would work much better If it was just a bookend-type story that only ran for 5-8 pages each issue.

House of Mystery v6: #26

Safe as Houses

Chapter 1: walden away / true love sucks / the universe doesn't care about time travel / goblin democracy by Matthew Sturges (writer), Luca Rossi (pencils), and José Marzán, Jr. (inks) - the main story continues to wander as this chapter (presumably) lays the groundwork for future chapters. New characters and conflicts are introduced.

Backup Story: Ziggy by Matthew Sturges (writer) and Cristiano Cucina (art) - Lily tells Daphne the story of how she helped her father escape after he robbed a bank by animating the corpse of a woman he had killed during the robbery.

Scalped v2: #11

Casino Boogie
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Chapter 6: Requiem for a Dog Soldier

On the day that Red Crow's casino opens Gina Bad Horse reflects on her past with the Dog Soldiers. She visits a friend in prison and tries to make sense of what happened on that fateful night three decades ago.

There is very little in the way of closure in this, the final chapter in this volume. Information is dispensed through various mediums: flashbacks, conversations, and dreams; but nothing is resolved. The story is still in the opening stages. Presumably this chapter is setting things up that will be resolved in future issues, possibly in the next volume but probably not that soon.

Scalped v2: #10

Casino Boogie
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Chapter 5: My Ambitionz Az a Ridah

It is still opening night for the Crazy Horse Casino. Dino Poor Bear, another character who hasn't been seen much up until now, is the spotlight character. He provides a running commentary of his day, of how shitty his life is, of how much he wants to leave the "rez" and everything he knows behind.

Truly depressing is the best way to sum up this chapter. Dino doesn't seem like a bad person but the fact that he is the focus of this chapter implies that he is going to play an important role down the line. It is impossible to predict what he will do do. His encounter with Red Crow may be a red herring or it may be foreshadowing. Either way it unlikely that discerning readers from priviledged backgrounds will feel upbeat after reading this chapter.

Scalped v2: #9

Casino Boogie
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Chapter 4: A Thunder Being Nation I Am

The focus shifts to Catcher. The motivation for his actions in the previous few chapters is explained. Up to now he has been the most ethereal and mysterious member of the cast of Scalped. Some of his background gets fleshed out but mystery still surrounds him.

Scalped v2: #8

Casino Boogie
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Chapter 3: The Way of the Intercepting Fist

The spotlight is on Diesel as he first plans to rob Red Crow's casino and then fights with Bad Horse. There are some flashbacks to Diesel's past which help to flesh him out a little bit. So far all the chapters in this collection take place on the same night. Each one focuses on a different character. It seems logical to assume that the pattern will continue for the remaining chapters.

Scalped v2: #7

Casino Boogie
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Chapter 2: Down on the Killin' Floor

Lots of flashbacks interspersed with stuff taking place in the present. Dashiell only makes a token appearance as this chapter focuses on Red Crow. As his casino opens for business Red Crow reflects on the past and receives an unwanted visitor. What should be a triumphant night for him, when viewed through his eyes, appears to be, at best, a pyrrhic victory.

Scalped v2: #6

Casino Boogie
by Jason Aaron (writer) and R.M. Guéra (artist)

Chapter 1: The Man Who Fights the Bull

Nothing much changes. Dashiell continues on his quest to who knows where. New characters and nuggets of information are introduced. Only a few panels are devoted to flashbacks. There is a lot of set up, most of which takes place in the present.

House of Mystery v5: #25

Exquisite Corpse

Part 1: Comes the Hunter, written by Bill Willingham
Part 2: The Heart's Filthy Lesson, written by Dave Justus
Part 3: The Pen Is Mightier..., written by Paul Levitz
Part 4: Heart and Soul, written by Alisa Kwitney
Part 5: A Pure and Noble Heart, written by Matthew Sturges

Art by Lucca Rossi (pencils), José Marzán, Jr (inker), and Lee Loughridge (colors)

Summary: All but one of the denizens of the House are killed, murdered by a newcomer to the House. Why did he do it? What is he after?

What a weird and welcome departure from the usual meandering storyline. At first glance this looked like it might be a collection of 4-6 page stories but it isn't. It's a done-in-one that takes place entirely within the House, notwithstanding a few a brief flashback or two.

House of Mystery is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics

House of Mystery v5: #24

Under New Management
Part 4 of 4

by Matthew Sturges (writer), Luca Rossi (penciler), José Marzán, Jr (inker), and Lee Loughridge (colors)

The pace of the story seems glacially slow. This does not feel like a complete installment. It is all aftermath. Strawberry is dead and someone has to pay for it. The images are beautiful. It is a shame that the story doesn't rise to the same level.


Romantic Comedy (with Corpses)
by Matthew Sturges (writer) and John Bolton (artist)

The middle of this story was the best part. That's where it jumped the rails and seemed to be headed somewhere different. Unfortunately, in the end, it was very standard: girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets boy back.

House of Mystery is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics