Writer Gerry Duggan brings his Kulan Gath story kine to an end in Savage Avengers #27. Teaming up with Patch Zircher on pencils, Java Tartaglia on colors and Travis Lanham on letters, we are treated to a well thought out climax to the years-long story.
In the two years since this story has been going on, Savage Avengers has brought in various cast members to appear on the team. From Venom to Magik, many of Marvel’s most brutal characters all took a turn. Despite the rotating cast, Conan and Doctor Strange have been at the forefront for most of this run. This was essentially Gerry Duggan welcoming Conan in and having him interact with as many Marvel characters as he can.
Writing
Savage Avengers #27 gives fans who have stuck with the book for two years an ending they will be satisfied with. Duggan has built up Conan wonderfully throughout this series. This issue we see him finally accept what it means to be a teammate. He works with Magik and the Black Knight to defeat Kulan Gath. Duggan doesn’t falter with such a large cast either. If you’re a fan of any of the characters in this book, they’re all treated with respect from Duggan. The way Duggan deals with Kulan Gath is both creative and disgusting. Our heroes have to take a chance on working with characters like Dr. Doom and Kang to make sure they can come away with a victory.
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Art
The pencils by Zircher are amazing. Zircher has smooth lines that make each panel a joy to look at. The graphic panels, like someone getting a hand cut off, are drawn with great precision. The most amazing stretch artistically in the book comes with how Kulan Gath is handled. Without going into spoilers, Zircher draws his fate in a grotesque way that would make even a veteran horror fan squirm.
Tartaglia’s colors shine in this issue with his vibrant backgrounds and dark tones. As Kulan Gath attempts to ascend, Tartaglia gives us a gorgeous yellow background. In the battle panels Tartaglia gives us dark colored blood that is a mix of black and red. Tartaglia’s colors are effective in this issue because he doesn’t overdo it with wild colors. Everything he does has a natural feel to it. While his backgrounds are crazy colors, and we occasionally get a purple sky, in a mystical book, that seems legitimate. The colors on characters fit with the shading and changing backgrounds as well.
Lanham handles the lettering for this issue. As Kulan Gath laughs, believing that he has assured a victory, Lanham emphasizes his laugh with a nice red word balloon. Lanham also makes great use of the effects from weapons this issue. Whether it’s Black Widow blasting or Conan slicing, the sound effects play in your head as you read the issue.
Conclusion
Savage Avengers #27 is a fitting end to a long story arc. We get to see a ragtag group of heroes who hardly interact come together for the greater good of the Marvel Universe. This well written ending that really shines with great pencils and colors should please any reader. This isn’t the end of Savage Avengers, but merely the beginning. Marvel’s Savage Avengers #27 is out now at a comic shop near you!
