SAVAGE TALES: WINTER 2025 SPECIAL #1, by Dynamite Comics on 2/5/25, presents four savage tales to make your pulp-loving heart happy. Gullivar runs into trouble on Mars, John Carter encounters Mutineers, Vampirella rescues a skeptic, and Red Sonja battles a mighty beast.
Credits:
- Writer: David Avallone, Kurt Busiek
- Artist: Hamish Cook, Eman Casallos, Mariano Benitez Chapo, Benjamin Dewey
- Colorist: Jorge Sutil, Benjamin Dewey
- Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry, Simon Bowland
- Cover Artist: Arthur Suydam (cover A)
- Publisher: Dynamite Comics
- Release Date: February 5, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $5.99
- Page Count: 38
- Format: Anthology
Covers:
Analysis of SAVAGE TALES: WINTER 2025 SPECIAL #1:
Plot Analysis:
Gullivar of Mars: His War: Chapter Three
After the events of His War: Chapter 2 in Savage Tales: Winter 2023 Special #1, Gullivar makes his way through deserts and ruins in search of his beloved Heru of the Hither. He uses stealth to avoid Thither encampments but can’t avoid a giant lizard with three snake heads when he stops at a local watering hole.
Gullivar survives the ordeal, thanks to his expert swordsmanship, but the battle leaves him spent. His unconscious body is found by a troupe of soldiers who take him to their leader, and Gullivar awakes to an unsettling suprise.
David Avallone kicks off the anthology with a classic pulp character who doesn’t get enough appreciation for his potential. Sure, Gullivar could be considered by some to be a less-good John Carter, but his tales are no less fantastical, and the absence of super-strength gives Gullivar an ordeal with more risk and elements of danger.
Likewise, Hamish Cook’s artwork is a spot-on representation of early Martian concepts from the early days of science fiction storytelling. Cook’s character designs are a vivid merger of old and new, and the action sequence is thrilling.
John Carter and Dejah Thoris of Mars: A Mutiny On Mars
John Carter and Dejah Thoris enjoy time aboard the royal yacht on their way to a scientific expedition. Padwar approaches the couple and explains John Carter is needed in the engineering room to deal with a technical problem. When John Carter arrives at the trouble spot, he’s ambushed by a group of mutineers and traitors hired to capture John Carter on behalf of a secret benefactor who wants the throne of Mars reserved for pure blood.
What follows is a rousing battle by John Carter to defeat his would-be captors. The short concludes with an interesting proposal for interrogation.
David Avallone repeats the success of his Gullivar story by nailing the pulp adventure aspects of the tale that blend swashbuckling action with science fiction. To be fair, some of the swashbuckling-themed dialog is a bit much, but it’s a fun one-and-done tale.
Eman Casallos picks up the art duties for Barsoom with imaginative costumes, well-done action, and dramatic visual perspectives. Jorge Sutil’s digital coloring gets a little too close to tacky, but the overall visual presentation is solid.
Vampirella: The Real Thing
Draculette, host of The Real Thing reality horror show, takes a break from haunted houses and spooky swamps to bring her streaming viewers into a supposed nest of vampires. Draculette’s show is all smoke and mirrors, but she gets the surprise of her life when the crypt she opens holds a trio of real vampires.
Fortunately for Draculette, her new personal assistant is really Vampirella in disguise. The issue concludes with Vampirella showing Draculette what the real thing really looks like.
David Avallone turns in a brief but amusing tale of Vampirella going undercover to save idiot humans from their own hubris. Avallone nails the voice of Vampirella, and the tale’s mix of horror and measured humor is a lot of fun.
Plus, Mariano Benitez Chapo’s artwork makes the grade with creepy vampires, solid action, and excellent figure work. If Dynamite would see fit to assign Avallone and Chapo to the main Vampirella series, that comic would be in a much better place than it is now.
Red Sonja: Seeing Red
[“Seeing Red” is re-printed from Red Sonja: Black, White, Red #1. The original review is presented here without revision]
Red Sonja is hired to retrieve a large ruby that is described as a family heirloom. When she enters the treasure-filled tomb containing the precious jewel, she’s forced to survive against an invisible monster who hungrily guards its treasure.
As she fights for her life, Red Sonja discovers her mission is actually a trap meant to sacrifice her to the monster for her employer’s own devilish desires.
This story is the best of the bunch by a country mile. Busiek knows how to tell classic sword and sorcery stories, and this story fits the mold perfectly. Quests for treasure, deadly monsters, and a twist that forces Red Sonja to fight and turn the tables on her back-stabbing employer.
Likewise, Dewey’s art is a classic comic style that feels reminiscent of the golden age of Marvel’s Conan B&W magazines. So, this story fits the genre perfectly and it adds a little nostalgia for good measure. Even Bowland’s font choice for the narration boxes gives off a classic vibe that should make fans happy.
Yep, best of the bunch.
First Impressions:
SAVAGE TALES: WINTER 2025 SPECIAL #1 is precisely the kind of genre that Dynamite is known for, has gotten away from, and should lean back into. David Avallone gets the spirit of pulp adventure as well as, if not better, than anyone, and the collective group of artists carried their respective stories admirably.
Art Samples:
Final Thoughts:
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SAVAGE TALES: WINTER 2025 SPECIAL #1 is another winning entry in the anthology series when David Avallone takes center stage to craft short stories for Dynamite’s most recognizable characters. Each short gives pulp fans entertaining stories to fuel their passion, and Dynamite would be smart to deliver more stories like the ones included here.
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