Review: Savage Avengers #1

With all the the multiverse shenanigans going on about now, it’s strange to think about something as antiquated as a timeline. Yet, indie creator David Pepose looks to right that particular sleight with a new Savage Avengers book.

Conan is on the hunt.; but he is not the only one who is on the prowl. The night also holds other dark deeds, be it death, a devil or a fallen knight, a gamma irradiated monster and even a love that may be so obvious that is serves to blind those that which it connects. But when a madbomb threatens to blow, it is the attempt to get rid of a killer android / cyborg that causes bigger problems.

I am a big David Pepose fan, ever since the first issue of Spence & Locke. From there we created the O.Z and Scouts Honor ; each time trying different environs and situation. This then is Pepose doing superheroes…… sort of. Very much like the first volume, the Savage Avengers are not quite a team. In fact, its their savagery, or at least the potential savagery within certain characters, including the lead character, Conan the Cimmerian / barbarian / destroyer. Throw in the Anti-Venom, , Lady Daredevil, Cloak and Dagger, Black Knight and Weapon H you get some idea of the level of darkness and violence that each member can demonstrate. Pepose takes one of the tropes from the first book and reworks it to give the readers a new idea. The dialogue between the characters work well. I have never been a big fan of any version of Anti-Venom; still Lady Daredevil was a surprise hit from the last eighteen months or so. It is the conversation between Cloak and Dagger that add heart to proceedings. It’s a bold move looking to change things up for Conan and for the king and queen of the darkness and light of the Marvel universe. It will be interesting to see how things play out, with a few teases and ideas flowing from the conclusion of this book.

The art is provided by Carlos Magno, who you may seen on Kang the Conquerer or Robocop: Dead or Alive. I haven’t seen those books so I get to see this with fresh eyes and zero expectations. To say there is a lot going on would be an understatement. The overlapping elements are necessary in order to bring the “team’ together. Magno handles the separate pairings and situations well with heavy lines ensuring that the various heroes stand out against very detailed backgrounds. The fight scenes, of which there are plenty, are well choreographed with a good amount of movement and dynamism. Things do get a touch chaotic towards the end of the book and key details could have been more show than tell, but this is a minor quibble. Colors are provided by Espen Grundetjern are bold in places, whilst also having that slightly blurred style that seems to have become the Marvel norm. Grundetjern keeps the scheme on point through the very busy final act. VC’s Travis Lanham, missing from cover credits, gets to have fun with different fonts which match Pepose’s different tones. There are a range of covers to choose from, cover a from Leinil Francis Yu and Sunny Gho is quite clear in regard to whom you will fins in the book; there is a John Romita JR. variant that also looks great.

So the “old order changeth” once more, though constants remain as always. Pepose takes the “changeth” idea an applies it to key parts of the story, not happy to mix up the team. Savage Avengers, very much like Justice League Dark is an odd book at times, with a mix of ideas and characters that shouldn’t fit; surely lady Daredevil is better suited to the mean streets of Hell’s Kitchen instead of getting mixed up in timey-whimey stuff? Still I am sure fans of the characters involved could have their curiosity piqued and in doing so, could be in for a pleasant surprise.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 4.5

Written by; David Pepose
Art by; Carlos Magno
Colors by; Espen Grundetjern
Letters by; VC’s Travis Lanham
Published by; Marvel Worldwide Inc.

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network