The 80s were known for some of the corniest movies ever made. The decade churned out some interesting subgenres along the way. It perfected and somehow bastardized the teen movie genre. The other genre that it was also known for was the urban horror genre.

The best known movie to come out of this genre is Candyman. The film touched upon many of the issues that still affect people who dwell there. One of my favorites, purely because of how crazy the concept is, is They Live. The one that forever stands out because I grew up on those same streets, are The Warriors, and things like what happened, is more than entirely possible.

In the debut issue of Savage Avengers, we find Conan returning to the Marvel Universe with a gang of misfits, as he is hunted much like the protagonists in the iconic film The Warriors, but by the invincible Deathlok. It feels like those classic 80s movies, a fun twist on the superhero genre.

We find Conan in New York City  the modern era, as he uncovers the lair of the snake clan he once fought  during the Hyborian Age. But, these present day disciples are no match. As Conan finishes off the last of these sycophants, an unlikely foe emerges, Deathlok, who acts as judge and jury, looking to erase the Cimmerian from the timeline. This battle gets the notice of the other heroes in the city, including Cloak & Dagger, Black Knight, Weapon H, Anti-Venom and Daredevil, while a mad bomb gets unleashed, releasing everyone’s darkest desires and deepest rage. By the issue’s end, the team is brought together and thrust into an interesting situation.

Overall, Savage Avengers #1 is a fun debut issue that perfectly blends high fantasy with urban fantasy. The story by Pepose is masterful. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, it’s a wonderful re-introduction to the original Savage Avenger.

Story: David Pepose Art: Carlos Magno
Color: Espen Grundetjern Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 9.6 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.7 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

The mixing of Conan the Barbarian with Marvel’s characters has generally been good. While there’s been some bumps here and there, it’s been entertaining in a fish out of water sort of way. Surprisingly, the character has fit in to the more modern times and hasn’t felt as out of place as one would expect. Savage Avengers #1 kicks off the Cimmerian’s latest adventure as it brings together a new team of heroes and takes them on a wild ride.

Written by David Pepose, the comic’s focus is to set things up and it does that quite well. With Conan at the center, the initial conflict has the barbarian taking on Set cult who has acquired a mad bomb. But, that’s really just a distraction as the main story involves a Deathlok who has been sent to take out Conan for violating the time stream. As it happens, various heroes are brought into the fold, though those specifics are a little shaky. Savage Avengers #1 does a great job of giving each hero their moments so readers can get a good sense of who these characters are and what they bring to the team dynamic.

But it’s a comic written by David Pepose, so things get twisted up a bit as the end of the comic sends the heroes in a new direction that should deliver an intriguing new take on the Conan + team dynamic.

There’s also an intriguing aspect to the comic with the news that Marvel won’t be continuing their line of Conan comics. So, with Deathlok’s mission involving Conan committing a crime against the time stream, one wonders if the direction of the comic was impacted by that decision. It’d be easy to write away Conan in the Marvel Universe by having Deathlok succeed eventually.

Pepose is joined by Carlos Magno on art with color by Espen Grundet and lettering by Travis Lanham. It all looks great as expected with the character fitting together nicely. There’s a wide mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and superheroes here and nothing feels out of place at all. Each character has their distinct look down but together the visuals creates a team that feels like they naturally go together. There’s also a solid handling of the action which doesn’t get lost as each member does their thing in battle.

Savage Avengers #1 is a solid start to the series which brings together a motley crew. It takes the Conan + team dynamic we’ve seen before and shakes it up just enough to stand out from the previous volume. It also plays with a plot we’ve seen many times (robot from the future sent back to erase someone) but does so in a way that’s fun. It’s the start of what should be an entertaining adventure and with recent Conan news, a possibility anything’s on the table.

Story: David Pepose Art: Carlos Magno
Color: Espen Grundetjern Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW