Savage #1 Review: Nathan Stockman's Penciling & Inking

Retailer Incentive Cover by Stacey Lee

 

PENCILING & INKING

Traditionally, publishers employed separate people for penciling and inking. Both are distinctly different art forms. Today, the two tend to get lumped together, and the penciler does both on a computer program. Thus they get credited with the title Artist. It's a move I'm not particularly pleased with, as I also regard Letterers, Colorists, and Writers as artists. But, well, accept what you cannot change, and all that.

This may be my favorite panel in Savage #1. It shows, in one picture, what young Kevin's life was often like in the Faraway. You've got all the movement up front, with Kevin wrestling the dinosaur in the water. The dinosaur is clearly putting up a struggle. Beyond you've got the island he lives on, and the pterodactyls flying in the sky as the sun beats down on Kevin's tropical home. You really couldn't ask for a better opening scene than this.

 

This triad of closeups, while Kevin is being interviewed, show that he's lost none of his single-minded focus or ferocity. There's no subtlety about Kevin. He's very authentic. In the background, you can see his manager's reaction. In those three shots, which form just a small part of the page, Nathan shows us how Kevin gets along with the world, and how much he values his manager's coaching.

 

This street scene shows how nuanced a London street can be, with modern plate glass windows versus older shop facades across the street. You see different architectural styles. The only thing we're missing is cobbles in the street.

It shows different styles of dress, and people's movement, emotions, and attitudes. The people are nicely placed, with Kevin and his manager central. Nathan's style may be a little more cartoon-y than in the previous series, but it meshes with the teen/YA orientation of this new series.

I will also add that his style changes a bit as the story changes direction, and verges into a huge battle with creatures both expected (from a title like Savage) and unexpected. I don't like those scenes as much as I had hoped. My favorite scenes come in the middle of the issue. One is when Kevin is surveying London from the rooftops. Another is an old-style six panel layout comparing his childhood in the Faraway with his experiences in London. I think that may be my favorite page in the entire issue,

Dragon Dave