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Aussie Ninja enters, with drag on.
Publisher: Image Comics
Mon, 10 April 2006
by: Australian Ninja
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Erik Larsen's "Savage Dragon" continues to be one of the best traditional superhero comics around today.
Baptism of Fire is where Dragon's story began over ten years ago. Over ten years and 100-plus issues later, Savage Dragon is still going strong.
Baptism of Fire collects the original three issue mini series that first introduced the world to Erik Larsen's "Savage Dragon". It was soon followed by an ongoing title and over 120 issues later it is still going strong. "So what?" I hear you yell dramatically. Lots of comics have run for more than one hundred issues. Hell, Spidey's been around for about forty years. Batman and Superman for around sixty years. Well, tell me this - how many comics series do you know of that have been written and drawn by the same man? For over one hundred issues in a row? That remains exciting and satisfying to read. Not many I'll bet.
In today's American comics you'd be lucky if a creative team stays with a title for more than six to twelve issues. Then bang, they shuffle over here onto some other title then ka-blooey, they shuffle again and it repeats ad nauseum [with the exception of creator owned titles.] Since I've bought this trade I've re-read it more than a dozen times, usually two times or more a year.
Baptism of Fire is a fun read and a great place to start reading Savage Dragon. Inside the crafty cover lie pages of unrelenting superhero style goodness.
He was a cop, and good at his job until one day they killed his girlfriend -and now - he is a Renegade! *cue theme music* No, Dragon didn't become a renegade but he did become a cop and his girlfriend really did die.
 | | Zoidberg's cousin is a lot more fearesome |
In 'Baptism of Fire' Dragon joins the police force at the request of his friend, a cop named Frank Darling. The city of Chicago has become overrun with freaks - super powered criminals - and not the handsome kind either. Enter the Dragon, super cop and super tough professional ass kicker. The Chicago PD had been hopelessly overwhelmed by super-freaks before his arrival. Dragon has incredible super strength and regenerative abilities. In short he can dish out and take a great deal of punishment. So much so that in the early issues that follow this trade Dragon would often lose pieces of himself in battle. Only to have them grow back much to his and his fellow officers surprise.
Dragon has no memory of his life before the day he was found by Police officer Frank Darling, so he is often shocked by his own abilities as he discovers what he is truly capable of.
In Dragon's first alone week he hauls in more super-freaks than the Chicago PD has in the previous year. In the process he makes some powerful enemies and this sets up the first major story arc. However "Baptism of Fire" reads just fine as a stand-alone story, or as part of the ongoing series. So whether you're interested in the whole series or just after a good read this tidy volume will show you a good time, and then some. In addition to the reprinted mini-series Baptism of Fire features two introductions, expanded page count elaborating on some scenes and a beautiful concept art gallery.
Erik Larsen's art is so varied and strange to look at that I can't help but enjoy it. He's been compared to other artists for various reasons but the one thing that rings true for me is his ability to draw dynamic action scenes the likes of which would make Jack Kirby proud. While he's well known for his runs on Spiderman [the issues following the McFarlane Venom storyline] and some other Marvel hero comics, not until he ran with his creator owned title Savage Dragon do we get to see his real talents. Larsen's lovingly pencilled and brutal fight scenes portray Dragon as a man of action, not one to screw around when there's work to be done or asses to be kicked. Dragon's in your face and often bloody battles with super-freaks show us what a tough, determined and unrelenting S.O.B he can be.
The dialogue in Savage Dragon is simple and flows effortlessly from one scene to the next without captions.
Not one for lengthy angst-ridden speeches about his poor old sick aunt or some girl that maybe likes him, or how he is going to pay the rent or make a new costume no, Dragon does none of these things. The lack of thought balloons and internal monologues mean Dragon often remains a mystery to us. Conversations are brief and the story is refreshing to read with its realistic dialogue and scene changes that often occur at breakneck speed.
Baptism of Fire kicks off Dragons adventures with the first ever printed stories of the "Savage Dragon." While this is where the character first gained his own title, "Dragon" had been running around Erik Larsen's head [in various different forms] since he was a kid.
From Dragon's days as a cop, to his time with Special Operations Strikeforce, then the Savage World saga - and his married suburban life - Larsen's Savage Dragon remains fresh, exciting and most of all unpredictable. Truly this series has gone from strength to strength and it only gets better the more you read it.
Every issue of Savage Dragon [including the issues in this trade] reads in 'real time' meaning every year for us is a year for the dragon. Kids get older, enemies get fatter and Dragon gets meaner if not wiser. In Savage Dragon you'll see the odd curse word, not to mention bloody epic battles and when characters die they mostly stay dead. Not only do they stay dead but Larsen has almost made a hobby out of regularly killing off main characters. Seriously, a character may have appeared in the comic regularly for over five years - you're reading away turn the page - BAM some bad guy slices him/her in half and you don't see that character ever again. When they die it's not in an "our sales are in a slump quick kill Superman alert the media then bring him back" kind of way. No it’s random, unpredictable and totally unfair when some well meaning character gets offed just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 | | Huge green dudes rule. |
I'll admit that I wrote this review because I think Savage Dragon is a brilliant read and an under appreciated character. For the record, he is not a rip-off of the Hulk or a gimmicky character in any way. What he is, and what the series is - honestly is the BEST damn traditional superhero comic published today. Do yourself a favour and check out one of the greatest superhero comic-book series ever published, you'll be glad you did.
Or you could go and read Archie, I mean he's pretty exciting and gets up to all sorts of mischief. While this trade is the beginning, there are numerous others available.
Fortunately they are not the garden variety dime-a-dozen "We can't be arsed with a plot just throw in some hackneyed cliché ridden dialogue" crumb-bum comics. No, I’m talking about the other ones with substance, well written stories, great dialogue and a factor of 100% pure fun.
Savage Dragon Trades
• Savage Dragon Vol. 1: Baptism of Fire (collects #1-3 of the original Savage Dragon mini-series, plus the Savage Dragon story from Image Comics #0)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 2: A Force To Be Reckoned With (collects #1-6)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 3: The Fallen (collects #7-11)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 4: Possessed (collects #12-16 and WildC.A.T.s #14)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 5: Revenge (collects #17-21)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 6: Gang War (collects #22-26)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 7: A Talk With God (collects #27-33)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 8: Terminated (collects #34-40, #1/2)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 9: Worlds At War (collects #41-46)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 10: Endgame (collects #47-52)
• Savage Dragon Vol. 11: Resurrection (collects #53-58)
by: Australian Ninja
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11 Savage Buttons. A fun read, recommended for fans of quality superhero comics. | |
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