“The Saviors” is a high-quality, slyly modern take on some sci-fi B-movie concepts. Come for the fun of the chase – stay for the superlative J. Bone cartooning, which is classically good in every way.
Written by James Robinson
Illustrated by J. BoneTomas’s safe, uneventful life is no more. He knows aliens walk among us. As a result, Tomas is now on the run for his life, desperate for answers and his own survival in a world where suddenly nothing makes sense and nowhere is safe. And…where the aliens are unbeatable.
On its surface, “The Saviors” is a very straightforward and fun take on alien invasion, conspiracy, and survival. An easy-breezy, carefree stoner named Tomas fumbles through life working a simple service job isn’t looking for anything more than that, when of course he ends up getting roped into an alien plot that’s more than he ever bargained for. Though it’s relative quality is much higher, you can imagine this sort of story being watched and joked about on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 – with the zippers visible on the backs of the Lizard Mens’ costumes and everything.
But as I said, the quality of this comic is much higher than the imaginary movie I just described. And Robinson does a few very subtle, very clever things to make “The Saviors” stand out. By all means, just have fun with this book – it’s not as if there’s anything deep about it at this point. However, there are things to appreciate that you don’t find in other series of its ilk. For one, Tomas believes his rescuer when he explains what they’re up against. We don’t have to deal with a sequence of Tomas’ disbelief when he knows very well what he saw with his own eyes. A welcome reprieve from tired skepticism that ultimately diverts from what the story should be driving toward. (As an aside, how can the Agents of SHIELD ever be skeptical about anything when they live and operate in the Marvel Universe?)
But I digress. Robinson’s attention to the pacing of his book and the decision-making of his main characters is a welcome bit of internal logic. Tomas and Nate work through their predicament and ultimately come up with a plan that not only makes sense, but takes the book in a new direction. Robinson shakes everything up not but two issues into the story. Robinson and J. Bone allow the tenser moments of Tomas & Nate’s exploits to play out visually – not populating the page with unnatural dialogue or narration. Comics are a visual medium that can accomplish a lot of things without words and the main set piece benefits from this restraint.
It doesn’t hurt that J. Bone’s cartooning is as tight and assured as ever. Bone comes from the school of minimalism when it comes to his visual style and design-sense. He never leaves you wanting more from his art though, because everything goes into telling the story. Bone carries the lengthy, mostly silent opening set piece with a clear sense of motion and a nose for action. The characters’ placements and movements are never unclear, and we see only what is necessary, which seemingly effortlessly equates to a terrific degree of tension.
Bone’s figures sport uncomplicated designs, but those designs tell us so much about the character. Tomas’ shaggy hair and light facial hair indicate his slacker nature. His wide, doe-eyes reveal his desperation and fear for the situation that he’s in. At the same time, the square-jawed Nate evokes the classic heroes in comic book history. Visually, he’s Superman. He’s supposed to evoke that type of “classic hero” – though that’s where the comparison can probably end. Bone tells us a lot, with relatively little.
Bone is a friend and collaborator of Darwyn Cooke, and the comparison to Cooke’s work is an apt one to make. They clearly share a sense of pacing and visual dynamism. The action in this title is just as tightly realized as Cooke’s “Parker” books tend to be. If you like Cooke’s work, you should be familiar with Bone’s. If not, remedy that with “The Saviors.”
“The Saviors” couldn’t really come recommended more highly for a title that is doing exactly what it means to do. There’s enough that sets it apart from other genre stories, but ultimately it just wants to be a paranormal conspiracy chase book with a memorable character dynamic at its center. It’s a very good one, at that. J. Bone’s visual approach is so simply stunning and playful that readers will want to stick around to see what James Robinson gives him to do next.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy. A tight, fun conspiracy comic book.
