SAVAGE #1, available from Valiant Entertainment on February 17, 2021, introduces readers to Kevin Sauvage, a typical teenager who grew up surviving on a dinosaur-infested island in an alternate dimension. Back on the streets of London, his rugged looks and exceptional bare-handed fighting schools make him the toast of the town… until a pack of dinosaurs follows him through the portal to London.
The Details
- Written By: Max Bemis
- Art By: Nathan Stockman
- Colors By: Triona Farrell
- Letters By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover Art By: Marcus To, Rico Renzi
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: February 17, 2021
Was It Good?
Yes, it’s a good start with a lot of potential. Since this is a new Valiant title, it’s understandable if readers draw parallels to Valiant’s other dinosaur-hunting title, Turok, but there’s little in common between the two.
Kevin Sauvage aka Savage is well-versed in modern culture and customs, but he has been out of the loop during his formative years on the island. You get a distinct fish-out-of-water feel, and you can empathize with Kevin’s homesickness for a simpler, albeit more dangerous, life. Tonally, the book is very tongue-in-cheek. It’s not quite a comedy, but there are satirical moments in how Kevin reacts to social media, influencers, marketing, and modern life.
There’s good art, plenty of action, but this isn’t grim and gritty. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously in all the right spots.
Take a gander at our exclusive SAVAGE #1 preview to see how it looks.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
We begin with a battle between Kevin Sauvage aka Savage battling a dinosaur about the size of an extra-large raptor. No fancy tricks or ingenious weaponry here. Kevin wins with pure reflexes, agility, and brute strength. Fear does not exist in this kid.
What’s interesting in this short scene is the alignment between Kevin’s actions while fighting and the obligatory caption boxes where Kevin is narrating his thoughts. In thought and in deed, Kevin declares that constant movement and action are what drives us forward. Stopping to smell the roses is not on his bucket list.
We shift back to modern London where Kevin is being interviewed by a teen magazine about his new teen heartthrob status. It’s never really explained how Kevin and his family accidentally got marooned on dinosaur island or how Kevin made it back, so the shift is a bit jarring.
Kevin is more savage than his older brother, who has been in our dimension during Kevin’s absence, would like. Henry has taken on the role of Kevin’s manager and press agent, and while Kevin’s persona as the savage dinosaur killer has built a career for them both, Henry would like Kevin to at least up his hygiene game.
Their talks as they walk the streets of London are amusing in a brotherly sort of way. Through Henry’s lecturing, we get a montage of snippets about how much Kevin has been enjoying (or not) the celebrity life. Everything from press tours to celebrity dating is trotted out and summarily skewered by Bemis.
As much as this is sort of an action-adventure book, Bemis wastes no opportunity to poke fun at eFame, Influencers, and celebrity culture.
One evening, Kevin is out on the rooftops lamenting how much he misses the simple life back on dinosaur island. He leaps and scales building with as much confidence and accuracy as Spider-Man, which is a nice view into just how skilled Kevin really is in a fight.
As dawn approaches, he sees a familiar shape in the distance. A large pack of dinosaurs is rampaging through London, and Kevin quickly springs into action.
The action scenes are not so much tense as they are fun. And that’s the net positive of this book — despite the grim setup where Bemis could have gone serious and angsty with Kevin, the main character finds a teenager’s joy in the battle.
Nearly half the issue is devoted to Kevin’s battle, and what’s surprising is how efficiently Kevin is able to kill dinosaurs of any size. Some larger than Big Ben.
Without spoiling the ending, Kevin impressively holds his own against the pack of dinos but is taken out by an unexpected source. The conclusion implies Kevin’s return home may have been part of a larger plan.
Final Thoughts
SAVAGE #1, available from Valiant Entertainment on February 17th, 2021, takes the familiar story of a marooned child raised to become the ultimate warrior of a savage land and gives it a satirical twist. With tongue firmly in cheek, the story deftly uses old school pulp to poke fun at modern Internet culture. The art has impressive man-against-dinosaur battles and combined with the interesting writing, you have the makings of a great series.
Score: 8/10
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