This book reprints The Savage Dragon Nos 1-6, but with some pages in a rearranged order. New pages are included, featuring scenes where The Dragon first meets Rapture, where he battles WildStar, and where Debbie Harris' mother is brought to the Police Department for questioning. It also includes numerous pages and notes from Erik Larsen's personal sketchbook. The TPB also comes packaged with a comic book (pictured below left) called Back-Up Stories, which reprints the backup stories that were featured in various issues of No. 1-No. 6, and features an all-new cover by Jeff Matsuda. Stories include Star by Rob Haynes & Tony Harris, two Mighty Man stories, one by Victor Bridges & Terry Austin and one by David Williams & Karl Kesel, and Rapture & Ricochet by Adam Hughes & Karl Kesel.
As a child growing up in Bellingham, Washington and Albion, California, Erik Larsen created seveal comic books featuring versions of a character named 'Dragon.' He eventually published a fanzine, which led to his doing professional work on a comic book called Megaton for creator Gary Carlson. It was here that he introduced the Dragon, a super powered superhero, to the comic-reading masses. After a multitude of mailings, showing his work, Erik became aquainted with Jim Shooter, who was, at that point, Marvel's Editor-in-Chief. Erik eventually met Jim at a convention in Chicago and Jim was impressed enough with Erik's work that he consented to co-plot a story with him on the spot. That story was a battle between Marvel Comics characters Hulk & Thor. Although it wasn't actually published until years later, it did impress a variety of Editors enough to get Larsen some more high-profile work in the funnybook field.
Erik jumped around various books in this part of his career. He did an Amazing Spider-Man fill-in story at Marvel, a few issues of DNAgents for Eclipse, and he eventually took over the art chores on DC's Doom Patrol. Soon afterwards, he left DC and moved on to the Punisher for Marvel. Five issues of that book was about as much pain as that poor Minnesota boy could stand. Erik wanted to write and when a Nova serial was given the thumbs up to run in Marvel Comics Presents with Erik as the writer/artist, he gladly left the Punisher. But it was not to be! The powers that be had other plans for Nova and Erik's yarn didn't fit in with the impending New Warriors series. Editor Terry Kavanaugh gave Larsen an Excalibur serial to draw for Marvel Comics Presents while the poor bastard waited for his big break.
When ever-popular artist Todd McFarlane left his artistic duties on Amazing Spider-Man, Larsen was chosen to be his successor. That run was astoundingly well-recieved, and included popular stories like 'The Return of the Sinister Six', 'The Cosmic Spider-Man', and 'The Powerless Spider-Man'. Although he was comfortable with his position as Amazing Spider-Man penciller, he was frustrated drawing other people's stories. Larsen found that his ravenous desire to write had only gotten stronger. He left Amazing Spider-Man, quite pooped.
By this time, the New Warriors was going full tilt and Erik tossed together a proposal for a Nova ongoing series. While he waited for it to get the nod, Todd McFarlane left the new Spider-Man title that he had launched. Erik was called upon once again picked up the torch - and he ran with it. Larsen created a memorable albeit brief run on that title, despite a traumatic event in his personal life - his house burned to the ground, destroying all of his childhood drawings and comic books.
After this period, creator Rob Liefeld invited Larsen to help found a new comic book imprint called 'Image' at Malibu comics, alongside notorious creators Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino. Erik's flagship comic book at Image (which soon left Malibu and became the third lagest comic book publisher in the United States) was an updated version of his childhood creation -- 'The Savage Dragon.' Larsen has been succeeding with his ideas ever since, through his creations Freak Force, Star, SuperPatriot and the Deadly Duo as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which he helped revitalize and bring to Image.
As of 2004, Erik Larsen became the Publisher of Image Comics and shows no sign of slowing down.
Ok, il voto affettivo sarebbe 5/5 ma voglio cercare di essere oggettivo: meglio del primo volume ma è davvero ancora molto acerba come serie. Si va avanti perché so che migliora tantissimo, perché è Dragon e perché è Larsen. E non c’è altro da aggiungere.
Mostly fights. Some amusing 90s action movie dialogue. Seems very self aware and made me laugh a few times. No complaints. It’s a cool series and that’s why it’s lasted 250+ issues.
Savage Dragon is a great little bit of 90s superhero history. It's kind of incredible to read with the context of Image comics just coming into its own, in mind. This volume is even further bolstered with nostalgia by an appearance by the TMNT. The quality of the stories themselves is shaky, with spotty pacing and some confusing action, but there's some great wit in here and its fun to boot. I almost wish the book was a little more satirical, but it walks the line well enough. There are some neat seeds here, and I'll be happy to read more.
An excellent continuation of superfreak / supercop Savage Dragon, and his battles against Chicago's criminal underworld. This volume introduces lots of interesting villains and some wonderful allies, who would later become the fantastic Freak Force.
Excellent art and story throughout. Highly recommended!
Great introduction to Erik Larsen's long-running creation. Great cast and even though the art is a bit uneven in parts it definitely sets things up well for the future. One funnybook you can get into on a lot of levels, full of humour, violence, sex and great character moments.
I love all the character introductions and crossovers in these first 6 issues. Like you can see Image building a foundation brick by brick.
Of course some of the characters and the story is a little over the top. But this was the early 90's and that's how things were going down then, right?
Man; I just remember these books being awesome when I first read them in 1993. I was about to start high school, I was getting into punk rock, hockey and girls. The only comics I ever really liked came from Image and this is when it started.
I enjoyed the original mini-series (and the Superman crossovers), but this was a bit of a let-down. It was dark, messy, violent and slutty. The whole super-team was lame. I'm glad they wrapped that up. Hopefully it rebounds and finds it's footing.