Still on the Shelf #8 - Savage Dragon

Originally published May 13th, 2003 on www.ComiXtreme.com. This work is, of course, © Craig Reade.

Overview-

Have you ever picked up a new comic book, and felt completely fulfilled after reading a single issue?

This is my eighth installment of Still on the Shelf, and it occurred to me that I have never examined a title that, when it was all said and done, I could not recommend. This disturbed me greatly- after all, not every comic can be good. Somewhere, out there, is a title that is begging me to rip it to pieces, to recommend that you go to your local comic shop, find it gathering dust on the shelf, and mock it mercilessly. A title that I would only recommend if you were interested in shredding some high-quality paper to line your bird-cage with. This week, I made it my mission to go out there, pick up a title I knew nothing about, and destroy it for your amusement.

And this week, I have failed miserably.

Savage Dragon serves to remind me, yet again, that comic fans of today tend to take comics in general far too seriously. I have heard people refer to Savage Dragon as terrible. "The art sucks!" they say, or "the story is stupid!" I think that fans of this opinion are afraid to really enjoy a book that does not focus on characters that exist in an all-to realistic world (If you can consider comics to be realistic). They want heroes who loose their wife/father/sister/uncle/pet, worry about their lover cheating on them, or have to confront the stinging social issues and moral complexities of the real world, not one who has to fill in for Santa Claus in order to save the day, or something equally as ridiculous.

The fact is that Savage Dragon is a fun read, and an easy one at that. Often times, you get the feeling that you are reading a collection of newspaper comic strips, in the sense that every few panels has its own focus, and could easily be broken up and read separately. This is not to say that the entire book is written in this fashion- major plot points are put together in a more traditional comic-book style.

It is true that Savage Dragon has had its ups and downs, but that is to be expected from any title- especially one which is 10 years old. Savage Dragon has been around since the beginning of Image, and each and every issue has been written and drawn by its creator, Erik Larsen. Savage Dragon also boasts an extraordinarily complex cast of characters, and setting for that matter. Larsen has proved more than willing, on several occasions, to completely retool the entire title, changing Dragon's profession, love life, or even his entire universe on a whim, if the story needs it.

The Story So Far

Way back in 1992, Dragon was found naked in a burning lot in Chicago. He had no memory of his life prior to this point. A nurse dubbed him "Dragon," because of his green skin, fangs, and the large fin protruding form his head. He soon decides to join the ranks of the police force, in an effort to combat the threat of super-powered villains. Dragon has undergone many paradigm shifts- he has been a police officer, a government agent, and an inter-dimensional traveler. Currently he has left the "Image" universe, and his consciousness was transported to the body of his counterpart in the alternate "Savage Universe," where he has been since issue #76.

This image of Dragon's origin has repeated itself several times- it seems that whenever Dragon is down and out, almost killed, or about to undergo a major life change, he is found naked in a burning lot. This humorous gag seems to serve as warning that new stuff is about to happen, so pay attention.

Thoughts-

Savage Dragon brings back the "old-school" feel to comics. When reading this comic, I grew to enjoy what I was reading at that moment, not what may happen in the next issue. When reading this title, you are not analyzing the art, or nitpicking the story for its literary integrity, you are simply having a good time with it. Fights are not always epic battles- in fact; the heroes win handily more often than not. This serves to provide a real sense of danger when the hero actually IS in peril. And yes, heroes die all the time in this book, but in an almost comical fashion, they always end up coming back, in one way or another. And most importantly, each issue is a story unto itself- unlike many titles today which seem to have no difficulty putting out a filler issue, one which pretty much nothing happens. Basically, what amounts to a $3 ad for a future issue. I did not get that feeling from Savage Dragon at all.

Larsen also pretty openly spoofs other comic heroes and concepts from all labels- be it directly by name, or by an oddly similar hero or villain with a strangely familiar name and look (Liberty League? Octopus?), it is apparent who Larsen is spoofing. Even though the characters are meant to be taken seriously, you can't help but glean some humor from the joke. You also get some seriously ridiculous villains, such as The Candy-Man in issue 105, who can turn anything he touches into delicious milk chocolate. As utterly ridiculous as that may seem, such villains in Savage Dragon are treated with the same sense of caution and care that a menace like Magneto or Two-face might be. To quote Dragon- "Candy-man is a deadly menace, no matter how ludicrous his crimes may seem!"

Bottom Line

While I feel you could pretty much jump into this title at any point, I recommend going back to issue #104, and beginning there. In this issue, Dragon returns to the Savage Universe for good, and gets married. If you start there, you are given a decent introduction to the current major characters, and won't feel lost at all in the story. If you are really interested in boning up on Savage Dragon's long and complex history, you can pick up a copy of The Savage Dragon Companion, which usually prices out at around $3.00.

Long story short- Savage Dragon is a seriously fun read. In fact, I would go so far as to say that most serious comic readers really should take the opportunity to give this book a try. Relax a bit, let go of the notion that a comic needs to have breathtaking art and a Shakespearean storyline, and have fun with this one. You won't regret it.

Savage Dragon #107, though considerably delayed, is slated to be released tomorrow, May 14th. Issues 104-106 are also readily available: As I said before, Issue 104 is a great place to start. And, in addition to The Savage Dragon Companion, The Brotherhood of the Fin is a fan site with extensive issue recap and character overview sections, and worth checking out.