SAVAGE TALES (ONE-SHOT), from Dynamite Comics on July 6th, 2022, regales readers with four short stories of adventure, mystery, and horror featuring four classic heroes, including Vampirella, Red Sonja, Allan Quartermain, and Gullivar Jones.
The Details
- Written by: Scott Bryan Wilson, David Avallone
- Art by: Mariano Benitez Chapo, Will Rios, Al Barrionuevo, Hamish Munro-Cook
- Colors by: Adrian Woolnough, Dinei Ribeiro, Jordi Escuin Llorach
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Arthur Suydam (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: July 6, 2022
Was It Good?
SAVAGE TALES (ONE-SHOT) takes readers back to the good old days of Dynamite’s first foray into the Savage Tales publication when it reinvigorated the title in 2007. Does the modern take on the Savage anthology live up to the originals? Mostly, yes.
Anthologies are a good thing. It’s a cost-saving opportunity to introduce new characters and re-introduce dormant characters with new talent to see what sticks with relatively low risk. Sometimes you find a diamond in the rough. Other times you get a lump of coal in your stocking. Consistent with most anthologies, this issue has a little bit of both.
The most intriguing short in the bunch is Avallone’s mashup of Allan Quatermain and Lovecraftian lore. The weakest short in the bunch is Wilson’s roughly-executed take on Vampirella. Regardless, of which short you like the best, we sincerely hope Dynamite takes more creative chances like this one in the near future.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
For anthology reviews, we cover each short separately and discuss what did or did not work.
Horrible People Doing Horrible Things To Horrible People
Vampirella encounters a braggadocious author whose fictional exploits of human horrors may not be so fictional. Before the night (and several millennia) are over, Vampirella will show this fellow what true horror looks like.
Horrible People has decent art and brings Vampirella back to her monstrous roots, but the story trips over itself in the flow of events. When Vampirella and the author suddenly wind up on the moon, it’s not clear how they got there or how they can survive in the vacuum of space. It’s a tale of karmic justice, but the execution is clunky.
Missionaries of Madness
Allan Quartermain sets out on the trail of murderous missionaries eager to convert the local tribes to their new order. When Quartermain finds their camp, he happens upon a ritual that sends the Call of Cthulu out into ocean air.
Missionaries of Madness is the most surprising mashup of classic properties you would expect to find. Quatermain is known for treasure hunting and ancient civilizations, but nothing this ancient or monstrous. Filled with solid art and a welcome appearance from THE Old One himself, this is not only an intriguing short but one that gets the creative juices flowing for more.
The Executioner’s Sword
Red Sonja enters a town where the local executioner seems to be unusually busy with beheadings. She soon discovers the executioner’s sword is hungry for blood, and the executioner is all too happy to oblige.
Barrionuevo’s ar t in his short is fantastic, reminiscent of Jonathan Lau. The linework and hatching are outstanding, and Llorach’s colors are top-notch. The story, however, has inconsistent pacing, and the ironic ending requires too much explanation to provide a dramatic punch.
His War
Captain Gullivar Jones fights his way through France during WWI as a respite from his grief after losing his wife to the Spanish Flu. When an inquisitive sergeant asks Jones how a former Navy soldier came to be so proficient with a sword and re-enlist into the Infantry, Jones explains his need to make right the regrets of his past.
This is the most soulful and strongest character-driven short in this issue. The ending implies the start of more adventures for Captain Jones as he embarks on further adventures as the Warlord of Mars. Fans of the character may find this short is slow and lacking in energy, mainly due to the art, but the value of this short lies in its future potential.
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Final Thoughts
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SAVAGE TALES (ONE-SHOT) reinvigorates the Savage Tales line with a welcome anthology of shorts featuring recent and long-absent characters for thrilling, horrifying, and thought-provoking adventures around the world. As per most anthologies, the quality of the shorts ranges from clunky to expert in both writing and art, but there should be a little something for everyone, so this is a solidly recommended pick.
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