Aaron closes up the arc and reveals some resolution to the big cliffhanger before the arc started. The rest of the arc, it turns out, just provided the texture for this issue… which still leaves the same major question unanswered, just with more complications now.
This issue only directly ties into the previous one, Dino’s issue, and to the previous arc’s cliffhanger. One can see what Aaron was trying, but it’s also clear where it just wasn’t going to work out. It’s too little a gesture towards a character, whereas the previous issues all expanded, this one just tells the reader something he or she might already suspect. Maybe Aaron was scared of being too revelatory since it would screw up his big cliffhanger resolution.
It’s a fine issue, well written in its scenes and full of great art from Guera, but it’s Scalped‘s first stumble.
Aaron tried too hard.
CREDITS
Casino Boogie, Part Six of Six: Reqiuem for a Dog Soldier; writer, Jason Aaron; artist, R.M. Guera; colorist, Giulia Brusco; letterer, Steve Wands; editors, Casey Seijas and Will Dennis; publisher, Vertigo.
The Stop Button 
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