While Savage Dragon just moved home, Sharona Jackson (Rapture) made his marriage proposal, resulting in small visions Dragon Dragons and small Rapture running everywhere around him. It takes time to think before giving his answer. These visions are exacerbated by the intrusion of The Maxx (a character created by Sam Kieth). Thereafter the actions of The Fiend (malicious entity with Bonnie Harris) will screen Savage Dragon in Hell where he will cross Spawn (a character created by Todd McFarlane), the Devil and even God. Meanwhile, Peter tells the origins of Klaptin Star, and the bond that unites him with Chris Robinson.
This is already a significant recognition that Jim Steranko knights Erik Larsen through an introduction, but in addition it offers an insight of these episodes. Steranko particularly emphasizes the unpredictability of the plot, on the Larsen ability to surprise the reader. There is of course the meeting with the Devil and God that is worth its weight in peanuts. Erik Larsen does not change and does not make in lace. His drawings are larger than life, always in line with those of Jack Kirby (abstraction capacity less) for a large fight, with blows from fists heartfelt. At the time (1996), a few ambitious creators that others had staged the encounter of their characters with God, or at least the omnipotent entity of their reality (Animal Man met Grant Morrison, Cerebus had met Dave Sim). Larsen does not deflate, Savage Dragon meets God and asks the tough questions (Which religion is right? What happens to the soul when you die?). The answers do not allow the reader to reach a new level of spirituality, but they are less stupid than expected, while keeping their comic power.
Erik Larsen and grabs a scenario proven model in which the main character climbs the ladder of power to approach the ultimate power (here, a god). He can make Savage Dragon should lose nothing of his personality in this unusual adventure. It also continues to handle parody with unexpected dexterity. Obviously, the player can not take seriously this white God with a long beard, wearing a loose tunic, speaking in a booming voice (greater height of characters and Gothic font), much less what Red and aggressive devil. Larsen therefore openly mocks its own conventions to satanic characters superhero comics, all derived from a naive and stupefied imagery of the Christian tradition, taking to literally degenerate these stereotypes, reduced to their most generic. Although recourse to such stereotypes, he knows instill a devastating humor and show the very pragmatic spiritual convictions of Savage Dragon (perhaps those of Larsen).
In previous tomes Larsen seemed sometimes approaching the limits of its concept: a superhero without disguise, pragmatic, who types stronger than all his opponents to win, with respect parodying the conventions of the superhero genre. By comparison, it shows here that the personality of the protagonists has expanded enough to carry the narrative. From the first volume, Larsen had insisted that Dragon has no intention of wearing a tight dress with bright colors. This is a pragmatic individual, without intellectual or philosophical ambition, with a prosaic approach to life. His encounter with God is in the register, for a comic effect to the full faith and common sense. Larsen has no desire or pretend to compete with in terms of Grant Morrison métacommentaires (but Larsen comics are funnier than Morrison).
These episodes thus benefit from the emotional investment of the reader into the character that Larsen has built suddenly small discrete keys over the previous episodes. In particular the request by Sharona Jackson is well within a sitcom device, but it is nourished by the personality of Sharona and Savage. These two lovebirds not debit generic distributed kilometer, their situation is really special and determined by what they are and the specifics of their relationship. As a designer, Larsen put their heart and joy to combine provocation comic effect. There was this full page in which Sharona is lying on her back, legs wide apart, a string of brats darting to the player, or the image of the Dragon (for boys) or image Sharona (for girls). In another drawing full page, there is also a nice use of umbilical cord. Larsen has not lost either its ability to create horrific or disturbing visuals (Savage Dragon losing his arms, it hurts, or tricked Dragon 2 stunted arms, quite shocking).
From scene to scene, the reader may again find the perfect symbiosis between Erik Larsen writer and cartoonist Erik Larsen. The fight between the Devil and God big punches in the head is twisted by its excess, its first degree, its consistency with the mode of confrontation Savage Dragon, without an ounce of pretension of intellectualism or with a level exceptional entertainment. The visual manifestations of Dragon procrastination (accept the proposal or not Sharona) are remarkably humorous vitality, beginning with the impression that Dragon has all women want him, sensing that he will soon stowed away. Larsen also likes to establish visual reference with the first episode of the series, when Savage Dragon finds himself naked flame in the midst of rubble.
In terms of humor, it would be unforgivable not to mention the hilarious Kill-Cat (Alan Williamson), fop confident in the unshakable certainty that Jill August (Dart, a woman of strong character) is in its irresistible charm, even if she does not show it. Dart was sent to hospital for assaulting Justin Farrell, her lover who is in the hospital bed next to that of Kill-Cat. She burst into the room, Kill-Cat is convinced she has taken from her. It draws the curtain of separation between the two beds and made love with Justice, that Kill-Cat has no chance to ignore. Larsen makes a perfect cutting, with a brisk pace, for a fall without mercy against Kill-Cat's inability to assimilate the reality of Dart contempt.
Again, Larsen meets these 7 episodes to the muzzle characters, incidents, interactions, finds ... In the lot, there are only "secret origins" Star whose narrative rhythm seems a bit artificial, cut sequence into parts interspersed in the main plot. However this secret origin again plays with the expectations of the reader (an inventive variation on Peter Parker, with a lookalike Mary Jane) to result in a surprisingly black history.
With this seventh volume of Savage Dragon Adventures, Erik Larsen proves that it is capable of exceeding the basic principle of the series (and parody of superhero adventures) and live out his characters to the point they seem to have a Living without losing horror, humor, entertainment. A great success. Erik Larsen continues to give life to Savage Dragon in Terminated (episodes 34-42 + 1/2).
