Scalped #31

Vertigo's Scalped continues its gritty reservation noir in issue #31, the second chapter of "The Gnawing" arc, written by Jason Aaron with interior art by R. M. Guéra. Jock's cover is arresting in its stark simplicity — a solitary figure arching backward through swirling crimson smoke, surrounded by floating handguns and a knife, the whole image radiating a sense of violent suspension between life and consequence. It's a moody, beautifully composed piece that captures exactly the kind of desperate tension this series does so well.