I haven’t had time lately for reviews, but after reading such a great issue of Savage Dragon, I thought that I should briefly give some shot outs.

Lately, I have not been a fan of the coloring on this book (as anyone who has talked to me in a comic shop knows). Ruben Rude did such an amazing, consistent job for such a long time on this title, that I felt the quality took a dive during the period after. There is something about color that can give a book a polished feel, even if the color is very basic and flat. Issue #175 took a huge step in the right direction, as this book felt solidly grounded once again. Even though Erik has maintained the same level of quality ever since the Dragon returned monthly, there was always something lacking in the art that didn’t quite touch the output from the days of old. Maybe it’s the maturation of Erik’s style, as he moves in the simplistic, raw direction that so many other seasoned legends such a David Mazzucchelli and Frank Miller have headed in.
I won’t post much about the story, because it’s some exciting stuff that is best left to speak for itself. None-the-less, it’s flat out fun to see something fresh and new in these pages. And after all that’s happened in this book, it’s increasingly difficult to do “fresh and new” with the Dragon.
No review of this book would be complete without mentioning the three awesome back-up tales. One of the best parts about purchasing a Dragon comic is the back-up material that comes with it. Dragon has always had the feeling of a “comic magazine” more than a typical “comic book” does because of all the bonus features. You get a letter page, pin-ups, comic strips and back-up stories. Issue #175 delivers a healthy dose of these (being an milestone issue), and in my option they are just as much fun as the lead story is.
If that isn’t enough to convince anyone reading this to buy this issue (it works well as a jump-in point, or even a give-it-a-try point), then there is always the fact that it’s 48 pages long for only $4. That’s over twice the length of a $4 Marvel book. Go for it, you’ll thank me when you do.