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| Savage 1 Cover A by Marcus To |
It may only be a few years since Savage burst upon our lives, yet it feels like an eternity. Each issue of that first series exploded in our systems like a burst of adrenaline, and left us hungry for more. While Valiant has produced some great books during this difficult year, one real disappointment was that the new Savage miniseries got pushed back. Nothing is certain at the moment, given all that's going on in the world, but it looks like Savage will finally return on February 17, 2021.
Speaking for my wife and I, we couldn't be happier.
If you remember the previous series, you know that Kevin Sauvage, aka Savage, grew up on a remote island, with only dinosaurs and the occasional Human hunting party for company. He became a fierce hunter of carnivores. Yet he cared for infant dinosaurs that had lost their parents.
Eventually he made his way to civilization, which was where the previous series left us.
I've often wondered what happened to him after that. Would Ninjak take him on as an apprentice? Might X-O Manowar, drawing on his own man-out-of-time experience, help him acclimate to civilization? I even thought of submitting a story idea to Valiant.
As I'm not yet a published writer, with no credits to my name, that thought remained a whim.
Nevertheless, the folks at Valiant have found a way forward for Savage. Young Kevin seems to have made a home in England, and even acquired celebrity status. Why else would people be interviewing him in this posh, if messy, apartment?
I'm guessing he's also acquired an agent, or some kind of minder, to guide him through the complexities of modern life. If you noticed him in the background of the previous panel, you can tell he's a man of more refined sensibilities than young Kevin.
Well, who isn't?
I certainly feel for this guy. He's got quite a job ahead of him. And yet, I'm guessing Kevin has made his mark in modern society by looking and acting different from the norm. Outrageous, even.
So many stories from Britain have found a place in our hearts. Those stories brought my wife and I to England nine years ago for our first international vacation. Those stories kept bringing us back on return journeys: five in all at this point. It was so much fun to explore where our favorite authors had lived, and--all too briefly--inhabit the places in which their stories took place.
Savage may not have read those books, or seen those TV shows, but he's discovering England in his own way. When this series begins next February, we'll be journeying alongside him. It'll be interesting to see how he relates to a country that has become more special to my wife and I with each visit.
I'm also interested to see how the relationship between Kevin and his minder evolves. Does the man have his best interests at heart? Or does he have a hidden agenda that will be revealed throughout the series?
How will Kevin influence
British society? How will modern Brits relate to him? How does a young man who
grew up having to fight dinosaurs, and care for their young, make Human
friends, and navigate a society ordered by written and unwritten
rules? I can't wait to see how that goes.
Savage will be written by rock star Max Bemis, who has produced numerous albums through his group Say Anything, as well as other projects. He's also written comics for Avatar, Boom!, Dynamite, and Marvel. Irish artist Nathan Stockman started working in animation before transitioning into comics. He's racked up an impressive resume working for companies such as IDW, Image, and Marvel. The preview art certainly demonstrates Nathan's skills in depicting modern society, capturing the nuances of behavior, and of course, knife fights with dinosaurs.
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| Savage 1 Cover B by Christian Ward |
The new series is being overseen by Senior Editor Heather Antos. As you may have noticed from Valiant's new X-O Manowar series, social issues influence her stories and drive her characters. Our modern world is not merely a setting in which superheroes fight. Instead, we see the poor and needy, as well as the rich and powerful who influence us all. She's concerned with the consequences of our heroes' choices, some of which may not readily be apparent to them.
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| Savage 1 Retailer Incentive Cover by Stacey Lee |
Given that Kevin seems to have become a spokesman for products, I'm wondering how good those products will actually be. Will those products prove unique and beneficial? Or with time, might they be judged ineffective, like the supposedly beneficial products sold in H. G. Wells' novel Tono-Bungay? Might the products Savage represents even be found to be harmful to users?
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| Savage 1 Preorder Cover by Guisseppe Cammuncoli |
Regardless of how my musings turn out, I know I'll enjoy the new series. The art previews and the covers suggest that a lot has happened to young Kevin. I especially look forward to following his next adventure as it is set in Britain.
Who knows what'll happen? Maybe Bemis and Stockman will might include a few more fights with dinosaurs too. Dare I hope for a battle with an Allosaurus outside London's Natural History Museum? A brawl with a T-Rex outside the Houses of Parliament? A high-flying Pterodactyl fight around Big Ben and the London Eye?
Like I said, I can't wait!
Dragon Dave
P.S. If what you've seen interests you, ask your retailer to order the cover you want by December 18, 2020, the cutoff date in Diamond's system. If you'd like the Previews order codes, here they are:
DEC201738: Savage 1 Cover A by Marcus To.
DEC201739: Savage 1 Cover B by Christian Ward
DEC201740: Savage 1 Retailer Incentive Cover by Stacey Lee
DEC201741: Savage 1 Pre-Order Cover by Guisseppe Cammuncoli
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