SAVAGE DRAGON #145
Force of One
Written by: Erik Larson
Art by: Erik Larson
Cover by: Erik Larson
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Colorists: Nikos Koutis and Mike Toris
I've never read an issue of Savage Dragon. There, I admitted it. Feels good to get that off my chest. That said, after reading this issue I wonder why I never did.
I can truly attest that this is a great jumping on point for any new reader. It covers a lot of background without being bogged down by mind-numbing exposition. You get the gist of the past 145 issues without having felt like you just read the text-only version.
The story itself wasn‘t half bad either. Dragon is working as a bounty hunter when the detective who rescued him 17 years ago tracks him down. Evidently he used to work as a Chicago police officer and they need him to come back. Despite some bad P.R. Dragon reluctantly agrees. His first assignment is guarding none other than President Obama who makes a visit to the fair city. There's been a real proliferation of Obama appearances in comics lately and most only work as a sales stunt. This time it feels just as awkward, but at least Obama is from Illinois.
With that being said, there's no clear reason for his trip (it feels like it would have worked better as a campaign stop during the election) but he shows up anyway and asks for Dragon's protection. Needless to say, Dragon steps in and saves the president. The book ends on a real cliffhanger, one that'll definitely bring me back next month.
The art is hit and miss for me. It feels a bit too cartoony for the tone of the book, but considering its title character is a dragon and there's evil monsters on nearly every page it balances out. It almost carries a bit of an anime style at times with the large eyes and exaggerated muscles. Even with my hesitation towards the art there are not one but two great splash pages. It also comes with two covers; Obama with Dragon or Dragon straightening his tie, the choice was clear.
If you've got enough books on your pull list already I'm not sure this worth getting, but if you've got three extra bucks and like a good beat 'em up book with no pretense, angst, or moral quandaries than this is for you.
B
I can truly attest that this is a great jumping on point for any new reader. It covers a lot of background without being bogged down by mind-numbing exposition. You get the gist of the past 145 issues without having felt like you just read the text-only version.
The story itself wasn‘t half bad either. Dragon is working as a bounty hunter when the detective who rescued him 17 years ago tracks him down. Evidently he used to work as a Chicago police officer and they need him to come back. Despite some bad P.R. Dragon reluctantly agrees. His first assignment is guarding none other than President Obama who makes a visit to the fair city. There's been a real proliferation of Obama appearances in comics lately and most only work as a sales stunt. This time it feels just as awkward, but at least Obama is from Illinois.
With that being said, there's no clear reason for his trip (it feels like it would have worked better as a campaign stop during the election) but he shows up anyway and asks for Dragon's protection. Needless to say, Dragon steps in and saves the president. The book ends on a real cliffhanger, one that'll definitely bring me back next month.
The art is hit and miss for me. It feels a bit too cartoony for the tone of the book, but considering its title character is a dragon and there's evil monsters on nearly every page it balances out. It almost carries a bit of an anime style at times with the large eyes and exaggerated muscles. Even with my hesitation towards the art there are not one but two great splash pages. It also comes with two covers; Obama with Dragon or Dragon straightening his tie, the choice was clear.
If you've got enough books on your pull list already I'm not sure this worth getting, but if you've got three extra bucks and like a good beat 'em up book with no pretense, angst, or moral quandaries than this is for you.
B
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