Rating: 5/5
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Savage is an exceptional addition to the Valiant universe. It's about a young man whose family was marooned on an island, similar to Lost. He grew up there hearing stories about where his family came from, and now he is looking to return there. He just needs to go through dinosaurs and a tribe of men to do it.
This is a very art forward series, which is fantastic. It is light on exposition as a result. However, what might have been presented through dialogue or caption boxes is picked up by the artists. There is a lot more subtlety to the story this way. The creators don't tell the reader much about Savage, but there is tons that is shown. Sometimes it is obvious, like the scars on his body, but not always.
The place where he lives is brutal and he responded in kind. At times this makes the art fairly graphic. I don't see it as being gratuitous though. There are times where the creators could have gone in different directions and the choices they made show a bit of restraint. The violence is not over the top and serves a purpose.
The art is beautiful in this book. I love that Clayton Henry and Lewis Larosa split the work. One drew the current period on the island, while the other drew flashbacks that lead up to current events. This gives a clear distinction between events without having to use captions to inform the reader. The styles are different, with the present being grittier and the past shown crisp and clean. The color work is wonderful. The extra pages showing process from layout to inking to coloring are amazing. These have shown up in some other Valiant books and I love them because you can see how the art changes through the process.
You should read this because who doesn't love dinosaurs? But seriously, it shows a lot of what Valiant has to offer without being wrapped up in their main set of series. For a silent and aloof character, Savage grabbed my attention and I want to read more.
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