REVIEW: ‘Savage Avengers,’ Issue #2

Savage Avengers #2 is published by Marvel Comics, written by David Pepose, art by Carlos Magno, colours by Espen Grundetjern, and letters by Travis Lanham. An encounter with a Deathlok sent a new roster of Savage Avengers into the Hyborian Age, Conan’s home era. In this issue, the separated team tries and make sense of their new surroundings whilst being hunted by a cyborg.

The plot of this issue is fantastic in its structure. It split the team into different groups and in various areas of this new world. This separation allows for some great world-building and some epic interactions. As they are separated, it raises the tension of who is going to be in more danger with the Deathlok soldier hunting them down. This constant threat adds a sci-fi element to this sword and sorcery landscape as well as a Terminator vibe. The opening scene with Deathlok especially feels like a homage, alongside the glimpses of where he is in relation to the heroes. The setup for each battle is both ridiculous and epic, the remit for a book such as this. There is an explosive nature to every fight and some really awesome revelations.

Savage Avengers #2 contains what may be the heaviest metal lineup of heroes ever compiled. All of the characters involved are either fan favourites or have badass as their primary reason for inclusion. The relationships for those that don’t know each other are starting to build, featuring figures you would never assume would meet. Black Knight and Weapon H are bizarre, but Dagger and Conan may be one of the strangest duos to share a panel, especially when Anti-Venom is added into the mix. One of the most interesting characters in this book is Cloak, a personal favourite. It is funny to see Cloak regarded as an amateur or soft. But that gives him a lot of incentive to prove the others wrong. Every member of the Savage Avengers is either tough or vulnerable or a little bit of both.

The art is simply phenomenal. Magno captures this Hyborian Age world really well, constructing a medieval fantasy realm rife with identity and detail. The characters aren’t adjusted to ensure they fit in because they absolutely don’t, aside from Black Knight and Conan. Every single design is amazing and so intricate, from Dagger’s stunning hairstyle to the different elements to Weapon H’s abilities. Then the artist unleashes heer chaos in the fights, with all the abilities and weapons looking amazing alongside each other. Magno does well keeping the body language of every figure character-specific. They move and stand as they should, for example Elektra’s more athletic landing and stances. 

The colours are beautiful. The members of the Savage Avengers have either vibrant or stark colours. Many have a rich red shade, which looks amazing against the dull grey of their surroundings. Others are pure white, including Anti-Venom and especially Dagger. The red is blended more to fit the darker backgrounds around it, whilst the white is there to almost breach those shadows. The lettering is brilliant for the most part, but the white text on the light grey background that is used for the caption boxes can sometimes be difficult to read.

Savage Avengers #2 is awesome. The writers have collected a group of distinct and hardcore characters and given them an adventure of their own. In other books, these figures are often the wildcard of the show, yet here they know that title is in contention with half a dozen other heroes. Everything in this comic is about fun and ridiculous concepts, from Devil Dinosaur to cyborgs in a fantasy world. But there are parts in which the comic grounds itself as Pepose shows the depth of the stories these characters can tell.

Savage Avengers #2 is available where comics are sold.