Savage Avengers #1, by Gerry Duggan, Mike Deodato Jr. and Travis Lanham is a bloody, pulpy, and fun comic that takes a very wild idea (Conan in the modern 616!) and makes it work.
The most savage, most unkillable team of characters in the Marvel Universe is assembled! Wolverine! Venom! Elektra! Punisher! And in their midst – Conan the Barbarian! Conan has returned to the Marvel Universe and his new adventures begin here. What is the City of Sickles? Who is the Marrow God? How is the Hand involved? The roughest and most dangerous characters rumble starting with…Conan vs. Wolverine? ‘Nuff said.Savage Avengers #1
Written by: Gerry Duggan
Art by: Mike Deodato Jr.
Letters by: Travis Lanham
Writing
Conan in the Savage land is the kind of idea that can breed many types of stories. You can go with humor, you can punch in action, you can embrace the weird, etc. Gerry Duggan runs with all of that, which is what makes Savage Avengers #1 such a fun read. The plot builds a good mystery, the intrigue helping the narrative. The action is also fast, bloody, brutal and fun. The high light here is, of course, Conan vs. Wolverine. In Duggan’s hands, that fight is just fucking fantastic. It’s everything you want and more. It has fucking Ninjas.
Duggan also knows how to pace the story well, breaking up the action with short but great character moments and killer dialogue. And he continues to write some of the best Logan quips in the character’s history. Oh and here’s a mild SPOILER...Frank fucking Castle shows up at the end. Awesome.
Art
Taking all art duties except for the lettering, Mike Deodato Jr. creates some dynamic images and pages. His Conan does call back the classic Barry Windsor-Smith era barbarian, but it’s no clone or copy. He also creates fantastic fight choreogroahy, movement and action breakdowns with both panel placement and speed and blur lines. The coloring invokes the heavy and lush feel of a place like the Savage Land, creating a great atmosphere. Deadato Jr. is already a classic artist, but this is some of his best work yet.
Conclusion
Savage Avengers #1 is one of this week’s best books. It’s a fast, fun and bloody start to a series that looks like it will be a hell of a good time. Pick this book up and join in on the mayhem!
