noh-varr
02-24-2008, 04:30 PM
A quick disclaimer/request, the point of this thread is to discuss the most recent trade of this series for those of us who pick up the collections instead of the single issues. So please do not spoil the story by talking about issues after the trade, it really defeats the purpose of this whole thread. If there is enough interest I hope we can continue this for other series so both single issue buyers and those who pick up the trades are happy and live in perfect harmony. End disclaimer.
This set of stories completely hooked me on the series. Before it was just a cool premise from a writer who I felt deserved at least a year's worth of stories to fully catch me thanks to his series Out There. Bad Horse is a good protagonist with the whole bad ass quality but here the rest of the cast comes into focus. The best example is humanizing Red Crow.
We are shown his motives, he really believes the casino will help give rise to his people. Showing his past getting beaten by priests who try to force their views and identity on him worked very well, and loved the aside of him being #6, the one to rebel against the system. What is a bit strange is that through his whole issue he only has one victory and that is quickly canceled out, the capture of Diesel. Everything else focuses on the weight of his life, from government officials wanting their cut, to his other "business partners" (who are bad news and quickly seen to be cold hearted bastards without ever once having to say it all in two pages) to his past catching up to him. The final page is gripping and a bit painful. This man who really has been presented as the antagonist and "big bad" up until now is just buried beneath all the crap he brought upon himself. He seems to truly want to represent his people and do good by them but thanks to those he has dealt with the only way he has found to succeed is through murder, theft, and lord knows what else. He still is trying to desperately hold onto them as he grips the spear and mopes.
Diesel's story was another example of completely changing my views on a character in 20 something pages. Really in two ways, one he's a bit sympathetic in his past, wanting to be part of something and having it taken away from him (such a sad looking panel when he hears he is not considered an Indian). And of course the big reveal at the end that he is actually the other agent working on the reservation. I'm still not a big fan of Diesel, but really it's because I just don't like the character, I hope bad things happen and Bad Horse can kick his ass again. Speaking of which, that chase scene rocked. From the fall off the building all the way to stealing Merle Haggard's bus! Fantastic storytelling, it felt like a movie sequence.
Catcher's tale I think was the other highlight of the book. Seeing things through his eyes, especially the spirit animals around our cast helped illustrate things about the characters. Red Crow's connection to his tribe is tightly held thanks to the handcuffs but also just rotting and dying. He's not the man he sought out to be and is stuck with his choices regardless. Bad Horse is in a net and completely f*cked by everyone else's plans for him while he's trying to get through. And catcher himself has the ability to be wise and rise up but it's all fractured and just not going to happen. Poor Bear is strong, wise and still holds onto tribal ideas. I hope we can see more from Catcher's point of view, at least the rest of the cast. It seems he must have some form of visionary power thanks to the two page spread which causes him to fail to warn Gina.
I'm not sure if Dino Poor Bear is set up to be a one off character or if he will hold more importance later. His choice to remain on the reservation was a fitting end to his story, but there feels he can be used for more later. Red Crow once again shined here I felt. He tries to give Dino a way out of the mess but just requests he remembers where he came from. The night's events have obviously shaken him up and have him questioning things. It can be seen as Red Crow trying to really help his people out, or he can know Dino will be back and can use him later. Guess it depends on how much of a bastard you see Red Crow as I guess.
Finally we have Gina Bad Horse's tale which shows her mistakes and tragedies (seems to be a common theme in the flashbacks in the whole volume). She was captured by police as she was finding out she was pregnant, gave birth and returned to confinement (really showing how much the FBI agent hates her) and that she was the one who killed the agents which got Lawrence in jail. Or at least heavily insinuated she killed them, she was going to see some guy to fix things. So either she was going to turn herself in or see Red Crow, not sure which it would be.
But of course she ends up dead and scalped at the end. Found by Dino Poor Bear and his buddies. So who would kill her? Red Crow wouldn't, he cares about her and wouldn't have her removed. If he was capable of doing or ordering such a thing he would have done so long ago. I really think it was either the FBI wanting Red Crow over her (she would just be added benefit) or another party yet to be revealed. We have Mr. Brass coming in to help fix things so there are obviously more hands involved then we think.
I know I didn't talk much about Bad Horse in general, but he was more of a minor character I felt, his story set the stage for the rest which worked so damn well. I can't think of much if any bad things to say about it, I'm now use to the gritty art style which works so well for the story. Even the intro from Garth Ennis was pretty interesting seems like a perfect book to me.
This set of stories completely hooked me on the series. Before it was just a cool premise from a writer who I felt deserved at least a year's worth of stories to fully catch me thanks to his series Out There. Bad Horse is a good protagonist with the whole bad ass quality but here the rest of the cast comes into focus. The best example is humanizing Red Crow.
We are shown his motives, he really believes the casino will help give rise to his people. Showing his past getting beaten by priests who try to force their views and identity on him worked very well, and loved the aside of him being #6, the one to rebel against the system. What is a bit strange is that through his whole issue he only has one victory and that is quickly canceled out, the capture of Diesel. Everything else focuses on the weight of his life, from government officials wanting their cut, to his other "business partners" (who are bad news and quickly seen to be cold hearted bastards without ever once having to say it all in two pages) to his past catching up to him. The final page is gripping and a bit painful. This man who really has been presented as the antagonist and "big bad" up until now is just buried beneath all the crap he brought upon himself. He seems to truly want to represent his people and do good by them but thanks to those he has dealt with the only way he has found to succeed is through murder, theft, and lord knows what else. He still is trying to desperately hold onto them as he grips the spear and mopes.
Diesel's story was another example of completely changing my views on a character in 20 something pages. Really in two ways, one he's a bit sympathetic in his past, wanting to be part of something and having it taken away from him (such a sad looking panel when he hears he is not considered an Indian). And of course the big reveal at the end that he is actually the other agent working on the reservation. I'm still not a big fan of Diesel, but really it's because I just don't like the character, I hope bad things happen and Bad Horse can kick his ass again. Speaking of which, that chase scene rocked. From the fall off the building all the way to stealing Merle Haggard's bus! Fantastic storytelling, it felt like a movie sequence.
Catcher's tale I think was the other highlight of the book. Seeing things through his eyes, especially the spirit animals around our cast helped illustrate things about the characters. Red Crow's connection to his tribe is tightly held thanks to the handcuffs but also just rotting and dying. He's not the man he sought out to be and is stuck with his choices regardless. Bad Horse is in a net and completely f*cked by everyone else's plans for him while he's trying to get through. And catcher himself has the ability to be wise and rise up but it's all fractured and just not going to happen. Poor Bear is strong, wise and still holds onto tribal ideas. I hope we can see more from Catcher's point of view, at least the rest of the cast. It seems he must have some form of visionary power thanks to the two page spread which causes him to fail to warn Gina.
I'm not sure if Dino Poor Bear is set up to be a one off character or if he will hold more importance later. His choice to remain on the reservation was a fitting end to his story, but there feels he can be used for more later. Red Crow once again shined here I felt. He tries to give Dino a way out of the mess but just requests he remembers where he came from. The night's events have obviously shaken him up and have him questioning things. It can be seen as Red Crow trying to really help his people out, or he can know Dino will be back and can use him later. Guess it depends on how much of a bastard you see Red Crow as I guess.
Finally we have Gina Bad Horse's tale which shows her mistakes and tragedies (seems to be a common theme in the flashbacks in the whole volume). She was captured by police as she was finding out she was pregnant, gave birth and returned to confinement (really showing how much the FBI agent hates her) and that she was the one who killed the agents which got Lawrence in jail. Or at least heavily insinuated she killed them, she was going to see some guy to fix things. So either she was going to turn herself in or see Red Crow, not sure which it would be.
But of course she ends up dead and scalped at the end. Found by Dino Poor Bear and his buddies. So who would kill her? Red Crow wouldn't, he cares about her and wouldn't have her removed. If he was capable of doing or ordering such a thing he would have done so long ago. I really think it was either the FBI wanting Red Crow over her (she would just be added benefit) or another party yet to be revealed. We have Mr. Brass coming in to help fix things so there are obviously more hands involved then we think.
I know I didn't talk much about Bad Horse in general, but he was more of a minor character I felt, his story set the stage for the rest which worked so damn well. I can't think of much if any bad things to say about it, I'm now use to the gritty art style which works so well for the story. Even the intro from Garth Ennis was pretty interesting seems like a perfect book to me.