Savage #1
- WRITER
- Max Bemis
- Artist
- Nathan Stockman
- Letterer
- Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover Artist
- Marcus To, Christian Ward, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stacey Lee
- Publisher
- Valiant Entertainment
- Price
- 3.99
- Release Date
- 2021-02-17
- Colorist
- Triona Farrell
One of Valiant Entertainment's more recent comic book properties is Savage, created by B. Clay Moore, Clayton Henry and Lewis LaRosa in 2016. It follows the adventures of Kevin Sauvage, a boy who grew up in a land that time forgot after his socialite family's private plane crashed on a remote island populated with prehistoric beasts. And now, the character takes center stage once again in Max Bemis and Nathan Stockman's relaunch, which brings Kevin back home to London in a brutally entertaining debut issue perfectly accessible to familiar fans and new readers alike.
Savage picks up with Kevin comfortably back in modern London as a teenager after being rescued from his tropically perilous island. Now something of a social media celebrity -- given his parents' fame and his experiences abroad going public upon his return -- Kevin is contending with many different pressures as he attempts to reacclimate to the world he was born into. However, Kevin's return to civilized society comes to a screeching halt when the ravenous behemoths from the prehistoric world where he grew up on rampage through the British capital. And as both of his homes collide, Kevin may be more than a little thrilled at the prospect of a return to his own sense of normalcy as he goes right back to what he does best against the dinosaur invaders.
After launching his comic book career with the acclaimed miniseries Polarity at BOOM! Studios, Bemis has steadily been taking on more ambitious projects for a variety of publishers. Savage may be his biggest, most bombastic project yet as the Say Anything frontman brings punk rock sensibilities to the series' barbaric protagonist, with the swagger to match. This take on Kevin Sauvage is one that covers his own misgivings and insecurities at being back in civilization by putting on airs while not so secretly longing for the simplicity and familiarity of slaying towering prehistoric beasts with enough ferocity that would make Conan the Barbarian blush. Once the prologue puts forth all of the introductory exposition, the stage is set for the creative team to really cut loose, and the story really takes off with aplomb.
Stockman and colorist Triona Farrell deliver a bright, shiny picture of London before completely plunging it into prehistoric chaos once the true stakes of the story rear their voracious heads. The art team really excels when they get to craft some truly epic action sequences with unflinching fury as Kevin moves for the quickest, bloodiest kill against his opponents. And as the action continues to pick up and escalate as this opening issue progresses, the art delivers more imaginative, pulse-pounding set pieces, with Farrell's choice in color palette really playing up and emphasizing the punk rock take on the character to great effect.
Savage is one of the more off-beat characters in Valiant Entertainment's extensive line-up of titles; a sword-wielding barbarian with a wickedly irreverent sense of humor amongst a catalog largely dominated by superheroes. And the creative team puts their own self-aware spin on Kevin Sauvage as he reintegrates with the modern world while bringing back more than a little piece of the prehistory and primordial fantasy he grew up in. Once introductions have been made, this issue really soars and embraces the fun possibilities that come with its premise. And while this is perhaps a lighter take on Kevin's voice, the creative team doesn't compromise on the vicious action as the hero really gets to work and shows why he's such a fan-favorite in the first place.