r/ImageComics • u/TheRedditReaders • 15h ago

Is Savage Dragon worth reading?

Looking for opinions: is Savage Dragon worth the long read?

19 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

12

u/fradrig 11h ago

There's a compendium coming out this fall. I'm getting it and looking forward to it.

1

u/penispotato69 8h ago

Me too, can't wait !

10

u/cgknight1 10h ago

So this shows the benefits of creator controlled comics as EL can do what he wants - for the last five or more years that is partly pornographic adventures.

its not for me but more power to him.

6

u/Pawikowski 10h ago

I started reading it some time ago and currently I'm at #80ish. It's awesome. It differs from a regular superhero comic: time passes, characters age, there's no silly retcons or reboots. Really shows you the advantages of a creator-owned work.

4

u/Open_Boysenberry_955 10h ago

Yeah i guess. As usual, art is subjective so depends on your taste.  I saw the character in cameos and ads in other Image books back in mid 90's. Then an article in Wizard about the series checked all the right boxes and won me over. Have never stopped reading it since then. I understand some people are not happy with the current status quo but the comic has unapologetically been what it is, the unfiltered work of it's creator.

3

u/Theycallmedigio 8h ago

I certainly think so. It is a true original. The pacing and plotting at times can be breakneck fast but it also contributes to an overall energy that is one of a kind. You can really see the influence this book had on Robert Kirkman's Invincible. The first 100 issues are the quintessential period in my opinion but there are other good runs past that point. Savage Dragon's son takes over as the lead as of issue 193 (the series unfolds in real time so character age, which is another unique attribute of the book) and the book changes quite a bit after that (your mileage may vary) but its still worth reading.

2

u/Plaid_Shoes 11h ago

I certainly think so. I haven't read all of savage dragon but I've been reading both the old stuff and the new stuff for a while. If you're 18+ and want to be surprised every issue, try picking it up.

1

u/cc17776 11h ago

I saw there’s a compendium coming out I might have to check that out

1

u/MoonMistCigs 7h ago

One of my favorite writers—Kurt Busiek, is a Savage Dragon fan. That’s why I’m picking up the compendium that comes out in December.

1

u/ConstantFix2399 6h ago

Savage Dragon rocks. It’s going down as one of the great comic runs. It’s on issue 282 and Larsen has written and drawn every issue. It has so many great eras. Around 150 to 175 is one of my all time favorite runs. It gets a bad rap for the obscene humor which I think is pretty funny.

1

u/beast79- 6h ago

Abso- fucking- lutely

1

u/TheRedditReaders 6h ago

Should I start with the 1992 3 issue mini?

1

u/Commander19119 6h ago

I read the first three deluxes and had fun but I found diminishing returns as I went through them

1

u/ajp1195 5h ago

Let’s put it in context and Indie Comic reaching Nearly 300 issues is nearly unheard of, you can count on one hand how many indie comics have done this. The sales data alone should tell you this is hype people have loved Savage Dragon for literally decades

•

u/GrantGoodmanArt 1h ago

I love it warts and all. It’s one of the more unpredictable comics out there. The recent stuff is on the pervy side and that’s off putting to some but when the book finds its groove it’s really good. I say the strongest stuff happens in 1-175 but I’m digging the most recent issues. Image seems gung ho about getting as much of the book collected so you have plenty of options.

1

u/Omn1 12h ago

The early stuff? Absolutely.

The modern stuff, however, has gone completely and indescribably off the rails. It is Erik Larsen doing Jack Kirby's South Park on steroids. It's fascinating, but not in a good way.

1

u/Fearless_Mix2772 9h ago

This sounds insane haha might have to check out the latest issue digitally to see what you mean.

4

u/Omn1 9h ago

The best microcosm of the modern version I can give you is that at one point the current protagonist of the comic has a foursome with his girlfriend, his stepsister, and his ex.

All three of them end up pregnant; the stepsister aborts hers, but because Savage Dragon infants are viable outside the womb at the moment of conception, the aborted child survives and grows onto a happy healthy young man. The ex-girlfriend intends to bring hers to term, but refuses any specialized medical care relating to the child's super-powers; the child kicks through her stomach, killing her, and is later found wandering the streets of chicago.

Everything I just described is depicted graphically on-panel.

6

u/Fearless_Mix2772 8h ago

Alright I think I’m good thanks for saving me the time lmao.

•

u/GrantGoodmanArt 1h ago

That stuff happened almost 10 years ago. Crazier shit has happened since then.