Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: When Falls The Hero
Written by: Erik Larsen
Art by: Erik Larsen
Colored by: Bill Crabtree
Lettered by: John Workman
Editor: N/A
Publisher: Image Comics
Some may say it is camp. I say no sir! Others may call it crap. I say hell no, sir! It’s imitation, the highest form of flattery that can be brought to a bygone age of storytelling. Since I wasn’t born until the 70’s, I missed out on flower power, hippies, love-ins, and all the other trappings of a very interesting period in American history. Still, the comics of the 60’s have always held a special place in my heart. The great Marvel books of the decade produced by Stan The Man and King Jack and many others, as well as the uncountable wonderful stories at DC, are some of the best comic stories ever told. Each month Erik Larsen is channeling these fondly remembered times with his current take on SAVAGE DRAGON.
There’s been a little unrest among some SAVAGE DRAGON enthusiasts concerning the direction the book’s taken since its “senses shattering†100th issue spectacular. Each issue has had a strong character centered storyline, but they all have been standalone tales. While I’ve found these books fantastic, some have thought a book steeped so much in continuity and long plotlines, should have more continuing threads. The last couple of months Mr. Larsen’s told stories that can be enjoyed cover-to-cover, but he’s also getting back to a larger narrative as well.
The current issue sees a protracted battle between Dragon and The Mighty…I mean the god, Thor. No Merry Marvelites, this isn’t your favorite brute with blonde tresses, this is Erik’s own incarnation of the Thunder God. This isn’t a modern day comic book battle though. Instead we get a classic nine-page slugfest, which includes dozens of bad sound effects like: “Koomâ€, “Shrakka Ba-Thrak Koomâ€, and “Wrammâ€, all followed by a potent exclamation point. Then with his usual flare Mr. Larsen switches gears leading us into the next mess for Dragon and his family. The next couple of issues look to be a lot of fun as the whole gang is trapped in Dimension-X.
The other thing that harkens back to an earlier era with SAVAGE DRAGON, is that like the 60’s, your money goes a lot further with this book than most others out there. You get the twenty-two page lead story, as well as an eight page backup tale about Mighty Man (a homage to Fawcett’s Captain Marvel), and two pages of hilarious comic strips. Not to mention what so many are missing from DC, and most Marvel books, Larsen also includes a letter page on the inside back cover. $2.95 (minus any applicable discount of course) goes a lot further with Mr. Larsen’s work. You get 32 pages of content baby, and no lousy ads.
This comic book is downright fun, and exciting spectacle that brings back everything that’s missing from comics today. Of course if you offended by comics that include plenty of thought balloons or dialogue on the cover, you may want to spend your money elsewhere. Should all the titles on the shelf be like SAVAGE DRAGON? Well of course not, you’re on a bummed out trip if you think that’s what I want to see. It’s just refreshing to read a book each month that’s so different from every other title on my pull list.
