A beaten and bloody Dash Bad Horse is pointing a gun at Lincoln Red Crow in a police station. Do you have any idea what the f**k youre doing? spits Red Crow, enraged. Locking you up. In your own goddamn cell says Dash matter-of-factly through a mouth where a bullet has recently gone through both cheeks. And then walks away. So begins the final book in what is unquestionably one of the finest comics series of modern times. Scalped is the story of these two men, Bad Horse and Red Crow, both Lakota Indians on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation, the poorest county in 21st century America. Red Crow is the Tribal Chief and crime boss of the Rez (as the Reservation is called) who exploited his people, keeping their debilitating addictions going by controlling the drugs and alcohol on the Rez while Bad Horse is the young undercover FBI Agent returned after years of wandering to bring down Red Crow and find his mothers killer. Thats the basic premise but theres so much that happens over the 9 books leading up to this that its nigh on impossible to summarise satisfactorily. Suffice it to say, it is one hell of a rollercoaster ride. After the opening 2 pages, the story jumps forward 8 months. Red Crow is in prison for life contemplating his remaining years, Dash seems to have found a measure of peace with a new woman, Maggie Rock Medicine except, this being the Rez, the fury and chaos soon return. The insane Catcher is still on the loose, this time wreaking bloody vengeance against the surviving corrupt tribal leaders who supported Red Crow but escaped punishment. If you thought the last volume couldnt possibly get more exciting, writer Jason Aaron and artist R. M. Guera have brought the lightning one final time to end the series in the hail of blood and bullets it always promised to go out on. The final showdown between Red Crow, Catcher, and Bad Horse, guns blazing, in the ruins of the Crazy Horse Casino at night is pure exhilarating action and a fantastic sequence. The reader is kept guessing as to Red Crows fate is he doomed to die in this scene or that scene? But the resolution to his story is perfect: he finds the peace he was looking for. As for Catcher well, he was always too far gone. In this final book, he has become a complete monster, executing innocents of all ages left and right, his hollow-eyed wild dogs following him everywhere, haunting the Rez. Carol Red Crows story finishes in a beautiful place showing her character has come an enormous distance from her slutty appearance and reckless behaviour in the first few books to the person she has become now. Dino Poor Bear has probably the most startling character arc. Appearing in the first book as a downtrodden teen, cleaning toilets in Red Crows casino, he has gone through a lot over the series and its changed him utterly, physically and mentally. From dreaming of escaping the Rez, he is now determined to rule it. It seems life in Prairie Rose is fated to remain a wasteland of violence and brutality. And what of Dash Bad Horse? Hounded by the authorities for the crimes he committed in the Rez, he sets out on the trail once again, the perpetual nomad. Hes given the final soliloquy and the last pages of the book. His speech is wonderful, written by both creators Aaron and Guera (over steaks and beer as Aaron writes in his afterword) and, coupled with the final panel, is a perfect finish to a flawless series. I dont know what it is but Vertigo series always seem to end in the right way. Transmetropolitan, Y: The Last Man, and now Scalped are all perfect stories with the best endings. Like the characters in Scalped, Jason Aaron has gone through many changes since the series began. With his excellent debut comic The Other Side, a haunting look at the Vietnam War told from both sides viewpoints, he began writing Scalped before being signed to Marvel. Since then he has become one of the Marvel Architects, a group of writers creating the new Marvel Universe, writing on such titles as Captain America, Ghost Rider, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, numerous Wolverine titles including the best Marvel series of the moment Wolverine & the X-Men, and, definitely my favourite, The Punisher MAX (if you enjoyed the violence and intelligence on show in Scalped, definitely check out his run with artist Steve Dillon on The Punisher MAX which accomplishes the gargantuan task of matching Garth Ennis character-defining run on The Punisher). From being an indie writer to helping to orchestrate the Marvel Event of 2012, Avengers Vs. X-Men, he has risen to become one of the premier comics writers in the world. And still he manages to bring his A-game to this title despite his numerous obligations to a far wider readership. Aaron is definitely one of the most exciting and consistent writers in comics today. While RM Guera remains known mostly for Scalped, Aaron hints in his afterword that theyll all have to do this again sometime, so it looks like well see more from this extraordinary artist in the future. Scalped would be an incredible HBO series if it were ever adapted but its unlikely to be as the cast would have to be entirely Native American and how many famous Native American actors are there? Johnny Depp is part Cherokee and is playing Tonto in this years Lone Ranger. I think he would make an excellent Red Crow but that still leaves a massive cast to fill. So while its unlikely to appear on screens anytime soon, the comics are all in print and are the best way to experience this amazing story. Imagine a cross between The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire, and Breaking Bad with an all Native American cast, and youve got Scalped. Without question, it is one of the finest books you will ever have the pleasure to read in your life. Toksa Ake, Scalped! Scalped Volume 10: Trails End collects Scalped #56-60 and is out now in trade paperback.