There are a lot of comics out there, but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we’re getting savage with the bloodiest Avengers team yet: the “Savage Avengers.”
Who is this by?
“Savage Avengers” is written by Gerry Duggan, whose work in Marvel over nearly the past decade has been consistently engaging. He wrote “Deadpool” for many years, several volumes of “Nova” from 2013-2015, and “Uncanny Avengers” from 2015-2017. Fans of the mutant side of Marvel will also recognize him from “Marauders” and “Cable,” both of which exceeded expectations. His sense of story and character development, alongside great timing for comedic relief and snappy repartee, have remained strong throughout his career leading into “Savage Avengers.”
While “Savage Avengers” was originally illustrated by Mike Deodato Jr., Patch Zircher has been the artist since chapter 7, with the occasional break for guest artists to take over. Patrick is also known for his work on “action Comics,” “Cable & Deadpool,” and several other recurring series, where he brings pages packed full of action and detail.
Java Tartaglia provides the colors from issue 7 and on, bringing the pages to life with a nice selection of colors that emphasize the characters’ themes without being too gaudy in the more naturally shaded world. You may recognize his work from comics like “Way of X,” “Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar,” and several “Star Wars” comics.
Meanwhile, VC’s Travis Lanham provides the lettering, giving voice to each character. When you have a mix of regular, fantasy, and magical characters talking in the same space, it really helps one appreciate just how much difference the lettering makes, and Travis makes it all work nicely.
What’s it all about?
“Conan the Barbarian” is not only back in Marvel Comics, he’s in the main Marvel timeline thanks to a little time travel. But he’s not the only one – Kulan Gath is there too, and he’s pulling his own play for ultimate arcane power.
Thus, the deadliest heroes in Marvel come together. Then split apart. Then team up again. Okay, so “Savage Avengers” isn’t so much a proper “Avengers” team as it is “Conan Meets the Marvel Universe,” but there are enough recurring characters that they work together as a team with rotating guest members.
But all this carries through an ongoing storyline, usually focused on Conan and the magic users or Marvel, where the stakes keep rising and plots are unveiled. It’s taken the cast around the world, into battle against ninjas and wizards, and generally given us a lot of bloody action and entertainment.
Oh, and Shuma-Gorath finds himself trapped in food jars and refrigerators with alarming frequency, which actually turns out to be a bit of foreshadowing…
What makes it so great?
For starters, the team behind the comic is top notch. Gerry Duggan is clearly having a good time writing all these characters and this story, where he can explore the more merciless side of the Marvel universe. In many ways this is a classic “Conan the Barbarian” story, just set in the Marvel universe, but Gerry uses it to bring in as many characters as he can and gives them a chance to shine.
Have you ever wanted to see Juggernaut fall through Magik’s portals to deliver a falling attack from miles above? Wondered what it would be like if Deadpool and Conan crossed paths? Can’t get enough of Doctors Doom and Strange teaming up? Like the idea of a sword made of a symbiote? This comic has all that and more.
In short: it’s just plain fun.
Yet the stakes are high as well, as recent issues have shown, with the world at risk and a legitimate threat from Kulan Gath (as well as no shortage of eldritch entities).
And of course, it looks good too. Patch Zircher does an amazing job on every page – the characters have strong, consistent designs, each scene is filled with detail and depth, the impacts have weight behind them, and the magic really is larger than life.
Patch also does an amazing job at the action, of which there is plenty. Whether it’s battles of swords or magic, the action flows nicely from panel to panel, complete with plenty of exciting clashes and no small amount of bloodshed (and a bit of body horror – this is not a comic for the queasy).
Continued belowAll the while, Java Tartaglia’s color work keeps makes each image pop without feeling jarringly so. There’s enough darkness and shading to the colors that it matches the tone, while still remaining very visually engaging.
Basically, everyone on the team works well together to create a comic that’s a thrill to read from start to finish.
How can you read it?
Issue 25 of “Savage Avengers” is out today and can be found at your local comic book shop, or digitally on Comixology or Marvel.com.
You can find issues 1-22 in graphic novel form, with four volumes out now, available at your local comic shop, book store, or Amazon, as well as digitally on Comixology.
