Savage #1 Featured Reviews 

“Savage” #1

By | February 18th, 2021
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Valiant’s “Savage” property is finally returning to the publisher’s roster of titles after a multi-year absence. There are quite a few changes with the new “Savage” title including a new setting and creative team. Curiously enough, previous “Savage” creators B. Clay Moore, Clayton Henry, and Lewis LaRosa are not attached to this title. Instead “Say Anything” frontman Max Bemis is taking over writing duties alongside artist Nathan Stockman. Judging from Stockman’s art alone it is clear this new title is going to take on a completely different vibe from what came before. Are Bemis and Stockman able to honor the past series while bringing “Savage” forward with new ideas? Is Savage able to adapt to living in a modern setting while still being a good title? There’s a lot to prove with this issue so let’s dig right in!

Written by Max Bemis
Illustrated by Nathan Stockman
Colored by Triona Farrell
Lettered by Hassan Ostmane-Elhaou

● From the mad minds of international superstar Max Bemis and powerhouse artist Nathan Stockman comes the craziest action book of 2021.

● Teenage heartthrob. Feral social icon. Dinosaur hunter?

● Raised on an uncharted island full of prehistoric dangers, Kevin Sauvage has a taste of home when a mutant dino threat invades England!● From the mad minds of international superstar Max Bemis and powerhouse artist Nathan Stockman comes the craziest action book of 2021.

● Teenage heartthrob. Feral social icon. Dinosaur hunter?

● Raised on an uncharted island full of prehistoric dangers, Kevin Sauvage has a taste of home when a mutant dino threat invades England!

It is always admirable to take a stand and do something different. Instead of showing Sauvage’s fight to survive on an island, this issue shows his challenges adapting to modern-day England for the bulk of the script. Writer Max Bemis is clearly struggling to find the right tone with these sequences. One of the problems with the previous “Savage” series was how writer B. Clay Moore failed to flesh out the nuances of Kevin Sauvage’s personality. Bemis continues to portray him as a hothead without finding those small details to relate with others. Bemis fleshes out Kevin as arrogant and unwilling to adapt to change. During an interview with the press, Kevin awkwardly chows down on a giant leg of meat in the middle of answering a question. These moments are likely supposed to make readers cringe alongside the people observing Kevin’s behavior. The problem is that this script assumes readers will already like Kevin before opening the first page of the new “Savage” title.

Judging from the final page of the issue I can see Bemis has more in store for Sauvage. After considering the plot developments of the final page, sequences earlier on in the series take on a slightly new light. While future issues are teasing something more ambitious for Kevin Sauvage, that is a big ask to readers who could potentially be newer to the property. I believe a core issue with Sauvage’s personality lies in his limited interactions with others. There is a montage sequence showing Sauvage having really shallow conversations with others that could have humanized him if they had more nuance. The nagging exchange between Kevin and Henry helps readers sympathize with Kevin Sauvage and spotlights some of his flaws. I hope that Bemis has a greater point that he is trying to make with this character. If this run is able to give Sauvage a stronger personality and conflict it could really serve to enrich this character. If Valiant continues to use “Savage” the publisher needs to define his personality stronger.

This new “Savage” has a different tone and I’m glad to see Valiant switching up the artistic roster with Nathan Stockman contributing to interiors. Stockman’s art packs a ton of emotion which serves this really grounded script well. The first sequence featuring Kevin taking on monsters is one of the most visceral sets of panels in the issue. Even a normal talking head sequence carries tons of emotion. In the first panel, readers see how Henry’s head is comedically large and distorted. The effect is exaggerated but it works really well to get the proper emotional reaction from the reader. The vibrant art makes this title incredibly easy to read even in moments where the script is slow.

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While I can identify a number of issues in the script, it is certainly admirable for Valiant to try something this different with Kevin Sauvage. The last time we saw him he was struggling to fight for survival on an island while we see this book taking on a more comedic tone. There are times when Sauvage pines for the old ways of his life instead of the unpredictable nature of his everyday life in England. Unfortunately, it is hard to give Bemis and this team too much credit for the story idea as the fish-out-of-water premise is a staple for the Captain America character. Writer Ed Brubaker and artists Steve Epting and ‎Michael Lark explored melding Captain America’s past and present together in their landmark run on the character. If the remainder of this mini-series explores that direction deeper Bemis could be onto something.

Kevin Sauvage is an interesting character but comic book writers struggle to tell readers why. Sauvage’s meathead personality and insignificant relationships leave this new “Savage” #1 feeling shallow. Thankfully artist Nathan Stockman is able to render a lot of detail and emotion on nearly every page to keep readers interested. The title’s cliffhanger is able to justify a portion of the plot and tease a new direction for the rest of the book. It is too difficult to recommend going any further with the new “Savage” title unless future issues offer a change of pace.

Final Verdict: 5.5 – “Savage” #1 is a disappointing new outlet for a newer Valiant hero with solid artwork.


Alexander Jones

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