eBook Savage Dragon Archives Volume 1 (v. 1) download

I ordered this book 4 years ago and lost it and am going to reorder it and volume 2 also because they were both great reads. The regular Savage Dragon series was always sold out at the comic shop I frequented back in the mid and late 90's but my Goddess Amazon.com hooked me up. Erik Larsen and I are now Facebook friends and I just recently stopped bugging him about the release of Volume 3.

It's all in here. His first meeting with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the death of his first girlfriend which would become a major part of the storyline for months to come and just about all the major buttkicking and trash talking you would expect from this series. It's great that it's presented in black and white because I've found it helps me break down the art stages from penciling to inking.

If you are a Savage Dragon fan, you will like this series.

Savage Dragon Archives is one of the best ways to enjoy an awesome comic series with twists, turns and history. These archive books remind me of the Cerebus phonebooks as they are in black and white but contain HUGE amounts of wonderful art by Mr. Erik Larsen. Volume one contains the mini series and the first issues of this epic series. I have just finished rereading them and have fallen in love with the series all over again. Definitely a steal at this price and currently the 9 volumes lead you only months off of the latest issues (available in comic shops). This series has some serious action, blood and sexual situations so not for the young audience.

I root for Erik Larsen, so I'm damned glad that SAVAGE DRAGON has lasted this long. I didn't think it would, not because it isn't a good comic book, but because I assumed it would've fallen prey by now to Image's long-publicized inconsistencies. But it seems that Image has, over recent years, recouped some of its fallen rep and glory. I've only again started checking out Image's newer stuff, having heard some good things on the grapevine. Currently I'm digging Invincible: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1,The Walking Dead Book 1 (Walking Dead),Noble Causes Volume 1: In Sickness And In Health (Noble Causes),Dynamo 5 Volume 1: Post-Nuclear Family (Dynamo 5), and Brit Volume 1: Old Soldier. So the future looks very promising. And some of the old school is still representing. SPAWN keeps on keeping on, although McFarlane has relinquished storytelling and artistic duties. In fact, of the seven artist/creators who founded Image Comics, only Erik Larsen has steadfastly stuck with simultaneously writing and drawing his comic book SAVAGE DRAGON. Since 1993, in fact. And, if one counts the mini-series preceding the monthly series, then it's since 1992. That's an impressive run.

I root for Erik Larsen not only because he does have ability but because, back then, he wasn't considered one of the "superstar" Image founders. That label fell on McFarlane, Liefeld, and Jim Lee, with Larsen, Valentino, Portacio, and Silvestri considered to be the backup talent. To me, though, Larsen, like his creation Dragon, is a down-to-earth, blue-collared guy who worked really hard and made good. He more or less kept SAVAGE DRAGON going on schedule (although, yes, there were occasional lapses). So I give him props. Larsen deserves to make duckets off this archives series. And, at their reasonable prices, I was definitely gonna get in on this. SAVAGE DRAGON ARCHIVES VOLUME 1 takes you back to the beginning and showcases the energy and enthusiasm which are the hallmark of his titles. In black and white, this tome of intimidating bulk (which seems thick enough to stop a bullet) collects the 3-issue mini-series and issues #1-21 of the regular monthly title.

As the story opens, Chicago is simply being overrun by superpowered menaces, dubbed "super freaks," against whom the all too human Chicago police force is powerless. The most powerful criminal entity is the Vicious Circle, led by the enigmatic, ruthless Overlord and their influence and power are rapidly spreading. Into this scene enters Dragon, an amnesiac freak found naked in a burning field. Dragon is of normal height but is massively constructed. He's green, and two-toed. And he's got a fin which elevates his height to 6'6" (if I remember my stats correctly). Time will show that Dragon is incredibly strong and resilient, gifted with amazing regenerative powers. Circumstances lead to Dragon joining Chicago P.D. and becoming the leading stopgap against the law-breaking "freaks." This archive covers the entire OverLord saga as Dragon grimly attempts to take down the Vicious Circle ringleader. It won't be easy.

Plenty of surprises here as Larsen brings to these pages a cavalcade of characters he had imagined long ago from a fertile childhood. Some of these would be popular enough to merit their own titles (SUPERPATRIOT, FREAK FORCE). I also liked Mighty Man, whose alter ego startled me. Naturally, there are villains other than the Vicious Circle. We get to see Dragon face off against lobster mutants and disgusting sewer monstrosities. But the most insiduous nasty might be the demonic Fiend, who's fueled by hatred and can possess his victims. Guest stars occasionally pop in. In one out-of-town mission Dragon encounters New York's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Later he runs into the WildC.A.T.s. Larsen doesn't neglect the Dragon's personal life as we see various hotties fall for him. Alas, we don't find out his origin in these issues. That'll come much later. But we do get an idea of just how formidable Dragon is and how tenacious his recuperative ability. Larsen really puts his guy thru his paces.

Here's my shot at being objective. For me, as a read, SAVAGE DRAGON ARCHIVES VOLUME 1 is worth around 3 stars. I'll add a half star for the very do-able price. Why 3 stars? A big part of why is the storytelling. The cartoony art I can live with, and, over time, Larsen even improves his renderings. But cool splash pages and buff, heroic poses can only carry the narrative so far. I haven't been religiously following SAVAGE DRAGON in recent years, so I can't comment on Larsen's writing skills as they are today. But his writing in these early issues is suspect, the plotting amateurish, the flow of the narrative spotty. What undermines this lengthy story arc even more is the decision to not insert copies of the original comic book covers (or anything to serve as a break). As it is, these issues just run into each other. This doesn't give the reader enough breathing room or a chance to assimilate the stuff he'd just read. The pace is relentless, and, at 500 pages of nonstop action, it's wearying. Brawl after brawl after senseless brawl, and, pretty soon, they melt into each other and lose all meaning. Of course, the very young comic book junkie probably won't mind too much. When I was a kid, nothing but nothing beat a wicked splash page.

What do I like best about Dragon? I like that he's the toughest hombre in the Windy City. I like that he looks cool and so formidable. And I like that he's the working man's superhero. He doesn't grandstand or indulge in superheroic excesses. He does what needs to be done, then he's out. Yes, he's prone to surliness and he can be brutally no-nonsense, but when you're up the smelly creek without a paddle, he's the one you want bailing you out. I root for the Dragon, just as I root for Erik Larsen. So despite my negativity about Volume 1 of the Savage Dragon Archives, I still recommend it. So three and a half stars for Volume 1. And I just ordered Volume 2.

By the way, how much do you think it costs Chicago P.D. to keep Dragon's uniforms in stock? Geez, the way he goes thru 'em...

Excellent read.

Whats more to say, if you have ever been a fan of Savage Dragon or just looking to pick it up from the begging.

Book is well bounded and the print quality is very high quality. The book is in B&W just like the original comic.

I did find a few spelling errors that could of been corrected. Younglood for example should of been Youngblood

I read Savage Dragon years and years ago. This is a fantastic reintroduction to the series and really highlights Larsen's art. Fast paced and fun book at a very reasonable price.

I remember coming across Savage Dragon comics when I was a kid, and I've already been fascinated with the character. However, it seems that nostalgia is stronger than the actual product in this case. This really feels like a Michael Bay movie in comic form.

Wish it was color but I guess it would make a hell of a coloring book.

I admit I never bought the Savage Dragon, but as a kid I read my friend's entire collection and loved it. Now in my late 20s, I wanted to reread the series but was afraid hindsight was going to destroy all my fond memories of the book. It did not. On the contrary, I was surprised how well it all holds up. Yes, it's very early Image in that there's plenty of splash pages and mindless fight, but they're always fun and they work. The story moves and break-neck speed with lots of subplots moving in and out of the main Overlord story. The art is fantastic in B&W. Overall, it was an excellent buy!

Note: This book made me wish Image was collecting all of Freak Force.(Hint hint, Mr. Larsen!)