Savage #1
Publisher: Valiant
Writers: Max Bemis
Artists: Nathan Stockman
Colors: Triona Farrell
Letters: Hassan Ostmane-Elhaou
Cover: Marcus To & Rico Renzi
We first met Kevin Sauvage back in 2016 when his parents’ private jet crashed on an island filled with prehistoric monsters where he grew up fighting for his life every day. A life he sunk tooth and claw into even if he had to rip them off the monsters threating to eat him first! Now he’s back with an all new creative team and a new direction as he’s back in the civilized world of London.
Bemis makes this reintroduction to Kevin a smooth one that isn’t dependent on you having read the previous series. Sure it would provide some context (and it’s totally worth it) but Bemis organically brings you up to speed on who Kevin is and how life was back on that island. Now that he’s back in the world he’s a bit of a social media celebrity and everyone wants a piece of him. However, the struggle for him to acclimate to society and feel comfortable is prevalent throughout. It’s when Bemis introduces the kaiju sized action sequences and invaders that we see Kevin truly in his element and blood-soaked happiness.
The visual storytelling from Stockman and Farrell is pretty immersive and moves the narrative quite well. From the opening page where we see Kevin’s social media feed we get a sense of the reach this kid has. You’ll even has some great Valiant easter eggs if you look close enough. As far as the main story goes it’s panel after panel of art that syncs with the tone of the story and colors that bring everything to the forefront. My favorite sequence involves Henry speaking about his younger brother’s life on the island and London which is juxtaposed against one another in the panels. Stockman and Farrell make a subtle change in the designs between the two giving each it’s own feel but it’s a great visual moment. When the big action sequence finally hits it’s a visceral feast for the eyes as Stockman and Farrell give us the joy of seeing Kevin take down a giant beast.
Overall, Savage #1 is a solid jumping on point and a great issue to get into if you’re a little weary of the capes and tights books on the shelves. The creative team also leaves us with a cliffhanger worth coming back for to see the outcome of Kevin’s fate.
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
