The Savage Dragon #1 - Atop the Fourth Wall

Welcome to Atop the Fourth Wall, where bad comics burn. In this episode, Linkara looks at the first issue of Savage Dragon!
atopthefourthwall.com
Originally released March 4th, 2019.
ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: He's especially savage when he... suggests the ethical quandary of hiring someone to the police without a background check.
#savagedragon #atopthefourthwall #imagecomics

[@TheGrayMysterious]

-simple and recognizable design -genuine good person -crushes some dude's junk then chews him out for being a racist shithead that makes policemen look bad -crashes through roofs firing off machine guns yet somehow manages to shoot-to-wound -actually has a cool Mohawk (yeah it's a fin, but it's meant to look like a Mohawk and we all know it) CONCLUSION: Savage Dragon is actually cool

[@sarafontanini7051]

yes he is yes he is and I put down the 'shooting to wound even though he was firing like a maniac' to ne of his super pwoers, probably

[@KamisamanoOtaku]

Nope. The instant he crushed that guys balls, Dragon failed and became a violent hypocrite. Well... unless Linkara left a *lot* out when explaining the scene.

[@MrSafior]

@@KamisamanoOtaku …And Then There's THIS Asshole!

[@Iamafishproductions]

Hang on...iconic design, takes an aggressive yet justified stand against racism, fires off hundreds of bullets without killing anyone, Mohawk... Is...is Savage Dragon just a green Mr. T? How deep does this rabbit hole go, FOOL?

[@someonewhocommentsonyoutub3779]

Genuinely cool in a way very few 90s image characters were

[@scottsinclair1986]

It's odd that a comic from the 90's about a green skinned, fin headed super-cop has more heroics in it than the actual superhero comics that Image was publishing at the time. Also, the speech that Savage Dragon gave was something to be proud of.

[@BobLogical]

"Shark-Who-Stole-Krang's-Wardrobe" is my favorite character now.

[@ninjagregshow9423]

Is he Armagon or a rip off king shark? I wonder

[@mochiman6307]

But is he a general?

[@AshhNT1]

He's named Mako

[@BATCHARRO]

"Saki, what's that shark doing with mYy SUit?"

[@jfdrac]

@@ninjagregshow9423 Pretty sure he predates both of them by a few months as Armmy is 93 and King Shark is 94

[@clarktooncrossing3975]

Could Savage Dragon crush the treaties of ALL racist cops please?

[@daelen.cclark]

And then crush all the other racists.

[@Anthintendo]

We really need a hero like the Dragon right about now.

[@doubledamn2599]

Likeable protagonist? Okay, now I know this isn't a Liefeld book.

[@hansruhlmann454]

Again, he said the creator was Erik Larsen.

[@jrcarter9175]

Badrock is...kinda likeable.

[@SparkingEX]

@@jrcarter9175 I misread that as Bardock I wish that was Bardock

[@camerongrow6426]

I knew there was a reason Invincible chose to constantly awknowledge Savage Dragon's existance durring its run.

[@cyechan50]

I think one of kirmans first work was writing a supe patriot mini-series. book

[@the_exegete]

That's right, Kirkman wrote a couple Super-Patriot minis and a a mini about Savage Dragon's version of the gods. Those were his first published comics if I'm not mistaken. Kirkman has said that Erik Larsen's writing was a huge inspiration for his own style, particularly being willing to kill off good characters at the drop of a hat. There's a real tension when reading Kirkman's and Larsen's stories because you know that anyone actually can die at any time, and if they do they're probably gone for good. And of course Kirkman rode that writing philosophy straight to the bank, while Savage Dragon struggles to maintain 5k sales a month. Where's a the justice? Not that I want AMC to ruin SD by making a TV series, that cartoon was bad enough!

[@Savagewolver]

The Exegete I actually kinda like the cartoon. It’s got them flaws many nineties action cartoons had, but Jim Cummings did an awesome rendition of Dragon.

[@jfdrac]

@@the_exegete On the other hand a cartoon by Amazon might b good as they have done good by both Vox MACHINA and Inviincble (even if its been SLOOOOWWW to get new eps)

[@mesektet5776]

Oh my gods! It’s crazy Steve out of the Batman duds!

[@Ash0512]

We all knew that the amazing story could not be contained in only Batman

[@PsychoCircusMonkey]

More like The Fixer

[@ProfessM]

Oh yeah his speech after ball crushing about cops might be why youtube wanted me to rewatch this with the world right now.

[@afBeaver]

So happy to see Crazy Steve finally got arrested.

[@Paxchi]

As for the swearing, use of the N word and the like, Larsen has never been shy about using language, sex or similar things in his books. Some of his work stops just short of being porn, and Larsen enjoys finding the boundaries of good taste and pole vaulting far over them. The cover to Savage Dragon 129 is just one example, though a heavy NSFW warning for that one. At the same time, I felt Dragon's speech to Niseman was actually pretty well handled. If you're going to have a series about a superpowered cop, it's important to make it clear how police officers are viewed in universe. Dragon makes the distinction between good cops and bad cops, makes it clear the latter is in the minority, and that bigotry has no place in a police force. It's good to establish clearly and in no uncertain terms that Dragon will be a good cop and not put up with that kind of nonsense.

[@ChristianNeihart]

Savage Dragon and Axe Cop should team up.

[@MisterX867]

Yeah shockingly a handful of Savage Dragon covers are NSFW

[@dreamlandnightmare]

And they actually turned SD into a kids' cartoon back in the '90s.

[@Paxchi]

@@dreamlandnightmare To be fair, Robocop, The Toxic Avenger, Rambo and Conan the Barbarian all got animated series in the 80s and 90s as well. Ultra-violent properties being made into cartoons is nothing new.

[@the_exegete]

Honestly some of the recent issues of Savage Dragon stepped pretty far over the line of being porn. There's a literally a scene of Malcolm Dragon blasting his wife across the room with his super-powered nut. Just launching her off his dick like a bottle rocket. It seems like the book has moved on from it's porny period at this point, though there's still some nudity. One of the great things about the book is that it changes things up and goes in weird directions all the time.

[@Vavalry]

This book is surprisingly relevant in 2020 with everything going on with public figures getting ousted and the tensions between people and the police finally snapping

[@daelen.cclark]

Yeah… It’s stuff like Savage Dragon and L&O that makes me see what police should be.

[@darkmyro]

I think you missed a good joke of giving niseman a high squeaky voice after his run-in with savage dragon XD

[@Igarappappa]

Yeah, that'd have been perfect.

[@jaywingate187]

This is...really bizarre. It's really dated, kind of corny, art is all over the place but....its so undeniably sincere and energetic that i cant help but enjoy it. Maybe i should look SD up some more. The excessive use of slurs is a bit eyebrow raising though...

[@FuugaNatsu]

I'm just happy that racist cop got his balls crushed. Seems like he didn't learn his lesson though - maybe Dragon ought to give it another go, and press a bit harder next time? Make sure Niseman can only speak in a high c note? Also, while admittedly the "cops are supposed to be the good guys" speech does come along a bit... not forced in language, but forced in why it's even in there to begin with, it's a great speech, detailing what "to protect and serve" should be about. I can genuinely see someone like Joe Friday giving that speech with fairly few changes. Very well phrased, and it does come off as being said entirely sincerely by both character and creator. Good stuff, honestly. Again, kinda forced in there, but sometimes that's what's needed.

[@sarafontanini7051]

despite being an image character, Savage Dragon does actively avoid that company's more...infamous tropes aside from character design. Its also really creative and has a tendency to move into outright parody territory at times too, just ebcause it can

[@Agamemnon2]

It's kind of amazing that the single issue has more storytelling and character beats than ten of Youngblood. And yeah, it's all goofy and XTREME! but also colorful and sincere so it's far more relatable and entertaining than Liefeld's Grimace Factory.

[@swallace7447]

Yeah the excessive slurs and swears was a big thing in early Image to prove they were an "adult" comic company. Like Teenagers swearing every second sentence to "sound adult". From my experience they've eased back in current years. They havn't stopped but it feels less like shock for shocks sake and used more realistically.

[@idongesitusen5764]

@Jay Wingate I got into Savage Dragon through the trade paperback "A New Begining". While it does mention things from previous stories, you don't _need_ to know all of it to enjoy the story. It's a good read.

[@jeffreybogard2713]

This is what Image was supposed to be about. One creator's vision that he could never properly convey until he had his own company to do. The art is decent, the story is good, the character is fun, and it's just...solid.

[@darkmage07070777]

I also like that we see a super hero that willingly joins the police force *as a defining trait*. Sure, we've had characters do it under special, limited circumstances, but rarely is it a main feature. Double points for having him go through qualification at the academy instead of just handing him an honorary badge like normally happens. Sure he was gonna blow through the training with his powers and they made some special exemptions for his amnesia (which they try to give the gravity it deserves), but at least they put him through his paces instead of just handing him the keys to the kingdom.

[@bthsr7113]

It is pretty cool and rare. One of the only other ones that comes to mind is, of course, Robocop.

[@firecrakerj3312]

This comic actually got a tv show with Jim Cummings as Savage Dragon.

[@firecrakerj3312]

SonicStantz Well, he didn’t mention the tv show, so it was probably just a coincidence.

[@firecrakerj3312]

Comic book/Yugioh/life entertainer magarine Yes and he’s also Lord Boxman from Ok K.O.!

[@kimifw58]

@@chilliciouspatrioticmeatlover Jim Cummings has voiced _a lot_ more than that, including villains and antiheroes.

[@Shorai_3]

@@SonicStantz I'm just a freak with a badge.

[@ShadowWingTronix]

I've heard (since I didn't read the comics) this was after Dragon quit the force in the comics but in the show he was still a cop. I went to look into the cartoon and they actually did a crossover with the other three "Action Extreme Team" cartoons on USA at the time, the Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Wing Commander Academy adaptations.

[@davidcolby167]

"He's testy cause he was almost kicked out for beating a black man." WHY WASN'T HE KICKED ALL THE WAY OUT!? This is why people say all cops are bad, man...

[@AnInsideJoke]

I can 100% confirm what Night Star said, I've had cops in my family. Plus, it's been fairly well-documented, it's nicknamed "the Blue Shield." Pick up any Criminal Justice textbook written within the past 25 or so years, and there will be an entry on it.

[@joebeard4498]

@@AnInsideJokesuch a superhero name but sounds evil

[@jseeker1867]

Well, that's the nineties for ya.

[@mochiman6307]

Im guessing they were desperate

[@Axioanarchist]

@@jseeker1867 more like "that's ever for you". This stuff very much did not stop in the 90s.

[@docette2015]

Also, favorite joke: Finally discovering Crazy Steve's former identity. Clearly wearing Batman's costume was an attempt to discredit the Caped Crusader. XD

[@robbybevard8034]

Savage Dragon is in fact one of the longest running creator owned books where its stayed one creator the whole time. The other ones neck and neck with it are Fred Perry's Gold Digger, which also started in 92 (who is ahead on issue count, because Larsen had hiatues, and if you include all the one shots and specials Perry did, is way ahead) Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo, (started in 84! But which has had so many different volumes and publishers the numbering is a mess now. Like 220 issues?) and of course, Dave Sim's Cerebus at 300 issues, but he had a background artist so thats up for debate? Dragon had a long hiatus period where issues were sporadic or really far apart because Larsen's EIC duties got in the way, so it'd probably be a bit further along and might be in first place if not for that. Wendy Pini on Elfquest is a contender as she did the book for 40 years, but it had long, long period of non publication and a few other artists on it along the way during a period where it was multiple books.. You also have things like Prince Valiant, Carl Bark's duck stories, and a whole slew of manga titles for creators that spent a lifetime on one property, but those are kind of different scenarios.

[@Rgoid]

This is a very good point.

[@fjgarcia3]

Also, it's set in real time so you can see the evolution of the characters throughout the years.

[@the_exegete]

Knights of the Dinner Table is the other contender for longest running series by a single artist. (Some might quibble about it being a comic but whatever it is it's longevity is super impressive.) Groo was up there too but sadly there won't be any more of that. Of course if we're talking worldwide there are a bunch of Japanese series that far exceed any American books in longevity and length.

[@robbybevard8034]

@@the_exegete Doesn't KoTDT just reuse the same one or two shots of the characters at the table for basically everything? And he doesn't even draw the covers? Credit where its due for writing the series that long, but that's a really rough call in terms of art.

[@DouglasPendletonintherealms]

The savage dragon has aged well though. I give Larson big respect for doing this for so long.

[@the4thwallkid132]

DRAGONS NEVER SLEEP!! Especially because.... I AM A DRAGON!! (PUNCH)

[@benwasserman8223]

Nostalgia Kid With those tiny arms? They’d be better off breathing fire

[@brendaneichler5244]

I can do that, right? Sure you can.

[@autobotstarscream765]

@@benwasserman8223 Do Savage Dragon's arms look at all *tiny* to you!? :o

[@benwasserman8223]

Autobot Starscream Ok he’s an outlier to most dragons. But I doubt you’d see Smaug go for a one-two punch combo

[@autobotstarscream765]

@@benwasserman8223 Yeah, I only even mentioned Savage Dragon because he's the star of this particular video we're Commenting on. :1

[@ZealotZeke]

L'Oréal: Because your SKIN FELL OFF~!

[@Takisan111]

Eh, skeletons with smooth luxurious hair are overrated. Large bushy afros are where the real money is ;P

[@shmee123ful]

linkara: 5:07 'we open with a naked savage dragon sleeping in a literal field of fire.' me: looks at Australian news depicting three large areas of my country currently on fire: 'this is quickly becoming unconfirmable very quickly' and holy shit an early imagae charater and book that didn't suck has the world gone mad? look at the nes again. yes yes it has

[@powerist209]

11:53- Part of me think that it was published after Rodney King beatings, which was published a month after the LA unrest as a result of that. Still somehow relevant with recent issues relating to police that made me wonder if Marvel Civil War would be dated for its "oversight is bad" message by anti-registration side (even a Finn reader found them comparing it to slavery to be ridiculous), even the well-made movie version is guilty of it.

[@mihalis483]

Me too.

[@amandadiamond7147]

12:38 I think Savage Dragon just earned the Apple Pie Bonus on his next roll.

[@Bobsheaux]

11:26 - Oh man... I almost did a spit take with that one. lmao "Somewhere, Joe Friday is crying tears of joy and he doesn't know why." Okay, that's it. As I'm watching this review, any dialogue spoken by the Dragon will be mentally replaced with the voice of Joe Friday. lol 14:09 - What in the 9 circles of Hell is going on with Clown-Hair here? Why does he have half of a head protruding from his jaw? Is he in the process of becoming the 2005 version of Zaphod Beeblebrox?

[@svartfrasr9755]

Oh my GOD! CRAZY STEVE IN THE LACK OF FLESH!!!

[@macuna1995]

Damn, Dragon's speech was absolutely profound. I could just cry right now. 😎👍❤❤❤❤

[@bthsr7113]

12:38 I salute you sir! Admittedly you used rather excessive force on a fellow officer, but it was oh so cathartic for even a 2019 audience.

[@bthsr7113]

Make that especially for 2020. I hate this year.

[@docette2015]

The sad thing about Savage Dragon vs the Racist Cop is -- it may be preachy, but in today's climate, it feels like a much-needed message. Ouch. Anyway, shocking to see early Image that is -- kind of good? I mean, it's aggressively 90s, as you say, but these characters are actually kind of relatable. And don't suffer Youngblood's Disease! Imagine that! And yes, kudos to the comic for going on this long with the same writer and artist. I am duly impressed. :)

[@tyrant-den884]

this would also be a really good time to make a Savage Dragon movie. I super-cop fighting 90's style cliche villains is kind of perfect.

[@Dangeresque300]

12:01-12:38 That was beautiful. I think I'm actually gonna cry.

[@Paxchi]

14:24 My understanding is that this issue happened the same year as a DC crossover event called War of the Gods, which included a tie-in issue where Lobo and Captain Marvel fought one another in a bar (granted, a bar in outer space). Larsen is an admitted Captain Marvel fan, with characters like Mighty Man, Dr. Nirvana, the World's Wickest Worm and the wizard Fon-Ti being direct homages to Captain Marvel, Dr. Sivana, Mr. Mind and the wizard Shazam. He even included Cap in an issue of Marvel Comics Presents as an old friend of Logan's. Issue #50, I'm not kidding: photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-jKDxfck/0/682d32ab/O/i-jKDxfck.jpg

[@oblivious8868]

Yeah, the speech was a little heavy handed, but we still need that sentiment around. Maybe make it a little more organic... Make Dragon's sensitivity towards racism and bigotry more subtle at first, and eventually he snaps. Would probably make the ball crushing a little less out of nowhere. Also, kudos on the Dragnet reference

[@Adrahoth]

First Critical Role raises $3.5 million in one day then I get to end my day with a new Linkara episode. today has been awesome.

[@Savagewolver]

3.5 million for what?

[@toontoosh]

@@Savagewolver animated vox machina special. They aimed for 750k USD. They already got a bit more than they asked, lol

[@rai_harn98]

One of my favorite Image Comic superhero right here

[@GalenNight]

My god! An actually good comic book from the 90’s! This can’t be!

[@kimifw58]

Check out Jhonen Vasquez's stuff.

[@the_exegete]

Jhonen Vasquez was published by Slave Labor, not Image.

[@kimifw58]

@@the_exegete He said "the 90's," not "Image."

[@TheHeroOfTomorrow]

...I'm sorry, but Linkara, did you really gloss over the fact that Image had a character named DESTROYER DUCK?! He looks like Howard's angrier twin!

[@Dynaman21]

TheHeroOfTomorrow Same creator.

[@Axioanarchist]

Basically created to let him keep writing Howard stories without copyright issues.

[@leephillips4402]

He pretty much is

[@93MANIAC]

I am pretty sure that Linkara waiting to talk about Destroyer Duck for another video because there is a really interesting story about the character

[@leephillips4402]

93MANIAC maybe someday he'll review the (in)famous crossover that I've been looking for an excuse to talk about in this comment board

[@sawbonesquad4876]

I had an issue of Ninja Turtles crossing over with Savage Dragon, it wasn't bad. Always wanted to hunt down more issues of this book and it looks like I might.

[@the_exegete]

Larsen was publishing a TMNT series for a few years, and they crossed over with Savage Dragon and Vanguard pretty often. Definitely a series to check out if you're a TMNT fan.

[@bthsr7113]

I (my dad) had one of the issues during that. It was about Dart joining the Chicago PD while Dragon was fighting a fire-breathing gargoyle in New York with the Turtles. Also, some pyro villain got blown up by an oil tanker he lit up. Karma!

[@thevideo-beast122]

Linkara: "... The Duck knight's Return!" Me: "Wait, What!?!?" (My literal reaction. Also, Never watch Darkwing Duck as a kid.)

[@thelordoflemonz]

I own the trade of Duck Knight Returns. It's a really good story.

[@ShadowWingTronix]

I have the individual issues and can confirm the entire Boom Studios run was really good, including the Ducktales crossover they did before Disney took the license to never use at Marvel.

[@SuperWolsey]

12:30- Preachy but justified given the same year Image began was the very year the Los Angeles riots were active

[@daelen.cclark]

Sadly relevant now.

[@richardauthement3105]

if that rated r spawn flim that's in the works succeeds maybe we could get a savage dragon flim sometime down the line cause man you can get some mileage out of this.

[@judeskater93]

Richard Authement wait we're getting another spawn movie???

[@Dragoon1809]

judeskater93 Todd McFarlane (the original creator) is producing and possibly directing the new film with Jamie Foxx as Spawn.

[@aidanmills6136]

Here's hoping it'll be better than the first spawn movie.

[@Fallout2Forever]

Again Linkara! Thank you so much for deciding to review this comic. To me it is the ONLY good thing that Image put out in the 90's, and the 90's Savage Dragon just might be my favorite 90's comic! Gonna share this with everyone I know who might be remotely interested in comics. If you want a really compelling bombastic 90's superhero, Savage Dragon is as good as it gets!

[@doctorhandsome]

Larsen's childlike love of comics and comics history shows through in every story. I especially appreciate that he's still writing and drawing the series after all these years - he's said things along the line of, "I didn't get into comics as a gateway to movies or TV or video games. I got into comics to make comics."

[@Fallout2Forever]

@Shaman X Spawn is pretty terrible. Never read The Mask.

[@Fallout2Forever]

@@the-NightStar I couldn't get into The Maxx, I don't remember why.

[@davidspring4003]

Technically, the cyborg shark is from Heavy Metal, the VILLAINS of Brute Force.

[@Merit2397]

Savage Dragon is one of those books that's very prophetic. I don't know how common it was back in the 1990s to discuss bigotry on the force, but it's nice to have a comic like this confront the subject as well as give readers a positive example of how an officer in the department SHOULD behave as opposed Nyseman's racist attitude. We need real life heroes like the Savage Dragon now more than ever. Let's ditch the bigots and support officers who are willing to do RIGHT BY THE LAW!!!👮‍♂🚔⭐

[@goodwithastain]

MY BOI CRAZY STEVE

[@MetaSynForYourSoul]

14:10 Yes. The clown hair. THAT'S what's weird here.

[@johnivantaro6684]

15:05 Dragon made himself look like an alien version of Duke Nukem. Irony, I know.

[@demi-fiendoftime3825]

I'M here to kick ass kick ass and kick ass and I'm all out of kick ass

[@johnivantaro6684]

@@demi-fiendoftime3825 Or in Savage Dragon's case, he'd say something along the lines of "I'm here to kick ass and be more human than the monsters I fight. And I've got lots of monsters to battle".

[@IsiahTomas]

Dave Cockrum's work in Legion of Super Heroes is one awesome reason how he didn't trash one of his concept characters and it eventually became Nightcrawler.

[@dakotadoyle7573]

Why do i get the feeling that Rob Liefeld bribed the people in charge of Savage Dragon to let him draw the hostage scene

[@fatnin13]

You mean, he bribed Larsen himself?

[@strubberyg7451]

Just want to note 90's Kid is named 90's Dude! Congrats on your 18th birthday! And the actual character growth!

[@rockstickcomics]

Savage dragon comes off as such a cool dude

[@RedDragonM1]

Dragon isn't fond of supers...He constantly rags on them. "Do these guys buy spandex in bulk?" and when Badrock shows up and fights him...because "He just wanted to see if he was tough enough to join Youngblood." Dragon punches him out! And shouts "THAT'S THE STUPIDEST THING I EVER HEARD!!! Look at all the property damage! Someone could've gotten killed!! And all because...uuughh...Forget it!!"

[@HiddenInTheTruth]

Big fan of the Darkwing series so i'm looking forward to your take. Also cool to see MK used for a gag clip.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

@12:01-12:38 AWESOME SPEECH!!!! I Love how the Savage Dragon gave Niseman a VERY Satisfying The-Reason-You-Suck Speech; especially since That's what I would Call what EVERY Cop should strive to be like. . . Savage Dragon: YOUR PREJUDICE & INTOLERANCE IS HURTING ALL OF US; WE'RE LOSING THE PUBLIC'S TRUST; STEREOTYPES IS WHERE YOU FIND THEM; BECAUSE OF MEN LIKE YOU; COPS ARE BEING STEREOTYPED AS BAD GUYS; AS UNREASONABLE IRRATIONAL NARROW-MINDED BIGOTS; WE NEED TO BREAK DOWN THE RACIAL BARRIERS, END RACISM THROUGH EDUCATION; AND RE-AFFIRM WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR-- TO SERVE AND PROTECT THE PEOPLE YOU'RE ALIENATING; THIS *ISN'T* ABOUT GETTING TO BEAT UP INNOCENT CIVILIANS BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY THEY LOOK; WE'RE *SUPPOSED* TO BE THE GOOD GUYS; START ACTING LIKE IT! I also Like the Battle hymn of the republic playing in the background; it gives the speech more impact. . . Nice touch, linkara

[@GenericProtagonist118]

I remember seeing a action figure of this guy in a comics and collectables shop when I was little, I never knew who he was. Now I know that he's infinitely cooler then I ever imagined.

[@johnivantaro6684]

Captain Marvel may have turned evil in the Savage Dragon verse. Maybe that's why Savage Dragon arrested Captain Marvel.

[@Duothimir]

Wouldn't be the first time.

[@sarafontanini7051]

I think that's what the super freaks were: a catch all term for super powered folks using their powers to attack people, and included random jackasses, proper supervillains and criminals and wannabe heroes hurting mroe than helping.

[@mochiman6307]

I wonder if that’s used later?

[@the_exegete]

Nah, Captain Marvel never shows up again, this appearance was just an Easter egg. However there was a Superman/Savage Dragon crossover that was pretty good, and it even ties into the actual continuity of SD.

[@DrPluton]

I remember Superman and Savage Dragon had a couple crossovers where Superman was happy to team up while Savage Dragon didn't care for costumed types, but he changed his mind after seeing Superman kick supervillain butt.

[@theodoremastermind6898]

I love how Savage Dragon crushed the guy's balls

[@thewolfofgallifrey5961]

I actually expected a Monty Python Black Knight joke for the woozy Cutthroat "I'm invincible!" "You're a loony."

[@Joecbg100]

16:20 looks a bit like Dark Knight Returns inspiration for the panel.

[@TheAdamghost]

fun fact - SkullFace has transparent skin and body tissue, appearing as a living skeleton

[@the_exegete]

Savage Dragon is my all time favorite comic series and it's awesome to see it getting a little love, even if most of the elements that made it so great aren't really a part of the original mini-series. For anyone wondering how the original printing differed from this one: Linkara is correct that the fight with Cutthroat and Glowbug was the actual first scene. This was followed by the burning lot scene through Dragon joining the force as a flashback. The issue finishes off with the hostage scene and the epilogue with Overlord. A lot of what's reviewed here got added later. Originally we don't see any of Dragon's police training (other than the short bit where Dragon shows off his perfect sharpshooting and then freaks out about his amnesia, which actually first appeared in issue 2) and we don't really get introduced to any of the other cops besides Alex until the regular series. And yes, this means the whole long spiel about racism that Dragon gave Niseman was retconned in, though Niseman getting in trouble for being a violent bigot was part of his backstory. Overall the additions are good, and not starting the series off with that iconic splash page of Dragon in the burning lot was a miss and I'm glad that got changed later. Some of the additions aren't that great, but still nice to see that he did have to go through training, which was glossed over originally. Changing the order to be strictly chronological, as well as having sometimes abrupt time skips, make the story more consistent with how the regular series tells its stories. Savage Dragon is famously run in overall real time, which necessitates just skipping ahead weeks or even months at a time without much fanfare. The consequence of this real time storytelling is that the series currently stars Dragon's son, who we will see born later in the series and who simply grew up over the course of years, and in fact most of the main characters in the book first appeared as children and grew up before our eyes. It's amazing, I know that some comic strips have done this but Savage Dragon is the only superhero book I've ever seen that does this. (Yes yes, there's Astro City as well but we don't see the moment by moment progression of people's lives the same way in that real time book.) Of course none of this comes through in this mini-series, but you gotta start somewhere. Oh, and no, Mako doesn't have any cybernetics, he just has a dumb costume that he never wears again after what happens in the next issue. His official origin is that he was bitten by a shark at ground zero. What does that actually mean? Who cares, he's a shark man, what's not to love? Mako will go on to be one of the most interesting villains of the series, believe it or not. Here's hoping you get around to the rest of the mini-series at least. Especially issue 3, which features Badrock when he was still called Bedrock. Hey, I know that doesn't sound very enticing but trust me, you'll enjoy it. Dragon and Youngblood have philosophical differences... (BTW in the Savage Dragon canon eventually Youngblood are all killed off by Martians. The Martians from Mars Attacks. I love this series.)

[@Axioanarchist]

Ok that last line is comedy gold. AKK AKK AKK!!

[@fjgarcia3]

It's awesome!

[@fjgarcia3]

@@captainnegativity9269 Man, your memory is some good memory.

[@the_exegete]

Oh, I think you're right. It definitely feels like something that was a self-contained 3-page story that was awkwardly shoehorned in. Poor Larsen, he's been burned trying to collaborate with the original Image guys so many times now. I think the only time an Image-wide crossover project actually got finished was Mars Attacks Image, and then only because Larsen did the whole thing himself.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Hmm a Duck Night, The only Duck Night I could think of is Darkwing Duck.

[@Axioanarchist]

It is indeed a DWD story

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Axioanarchist Really?

[@Axioanarchist]

@@SegaNintendoGuy64 yep

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Axioanarchist Wow that’s bloody awesome.

[@melainakiss]

I didn’t expect this to cover racism. If they had just had “We’re supposed to be the good guys. Start acting like it”, I think it would have worked though.

[@flmbyz]

8:14 - I thought the joke was going to go "It was at this moment, Skullface Guy discovered his true calling: becoming a Cenobite." Of course, I kept expecting Cenobite jokes every time Pinhead was mentioned. I really have Hellraiser on my mind lately.

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

You have not known Hell until you have read Savage Dragon #233...

[@Gorvar100]

The sex scene?

[@yorklane5930]

Ok I want to ask why, but at the same time I don't think I want to know why.

[@TevyaSmolka]

lol indeed

[@MisterX867]

Oh....that's the one with the cum swapping makeout scene.....

[@fjgarcia3]

@@MisterX867 *consults his collection* #228 is the one with the cum-swaping make-out scene. #233 isn't particularly sexy, immature/mature or violent. The cover is definitely NSFW, but the content is nothing that hadn't been seen before (the most intense thing is a big explosion of blood in a splash page, and a character that seems to die at the end of the issue but turns out ok at the beginning of #234; I'd say that's standard comic-book stuff). #240 is the most intense and extreme of the recent issues. Deliberately not fun. It features a violent rape in the style of Urotsukidoji; thankfully off-camera. The next few issues have already shown that it's not gratituitous, since it has had consequences in the life of the characters. Great writing throughout.

[@dannybeane2069]

7:56 considering Savage Dragon took in Lobo and Captain Marvel later in the comic, The Fabulous Skull Face is Crazy Steve the Homeless Tramp until proven otherwise.

[@The-Random-Hamlet]

Mr. Linkara. Did you ever watch the 90s Savage Dragon cartoon show?

[@QuasiTheChemist]

Love that you're covering Savage Dragon! Please keep covering this and Spawn!

[@feralchangeling97]

The return of the 90's Dude!

[@ll6256]

I just love the closing song at the end of ur vids it's so good great vid

[@TheAllSeeingEye2468]

I am the all seeing eye! I will watch this at this near ungodly hour!

[@ADdude]

The super freak joke! I loved it And when I heard you say Duck Knight return I screamed. I loved it and i'm excited to see your review of it.

[@auger0073]

I love savage dragon! I always buy his books when I see them. Always fun; entertaining and good stuff!

[@ariannewingard1660]

I'm excited that you're covering Savage dragon.

[@kpopninja]

Damn you Linkara now I have to go to my comic book shop and buy every single Savage Dragon comic that are out right now. Damn you and your lemonade Linkara!!

[@SuperFireDagwon]

Next week: Linkara gets dangerous! Darkwing Duck! Woo hoo!

[@Axioanarchist]

WHEN THERE'S TROUBLE YOU CALL D-W!

[@andrewollmann304]

“I am the terror that flaps in the night!”

[@owarinetsu9923]

ive i waite a very long time for this

[@TheEmeraldWeirdo]

I can't wait for the next episode! :D

[@WJCuffe]

On the subject of longest running creators: Dave Sim wrote, drew, and self published Cerebus the Aardvark for 300 consecutive issues. Knights of the Dinner Table (also written, drawn, and self published) by Jolly Blackburn, just released issue #262 and is still going strong. It bugs me that McFarlane is tooting his own horn over Spawn soon reaching 300 when 1) Dave Sim among many others wrote and drew issues of his comic for him over that span, and 2) Knights of the Dinner Table has has a far more consistent publishing schedule than Spawn.

[@MatthewSchooley94]

Ooh, boy! Super-hyped for next week's episode. Let's get dangerous!

[@krystlvines]

Hooboy, Do I wish more cops were like savage dragon.

[@Darksummerswind]

Man, it's been a while since I've watched a Linkara video. Still good.

[@dvass7253]

Two Frank Miller references in the same review? I hope that means we'll be getting another Miller Time installment soon. Also, holy shit, does the guy at 14:10 have two mouths? OMG, it's Slifer the Sky Dragon in human form!

[@the_exegete]

The dude's name is Doubleheader and his power is having two faces. I mean I guess he has some super-strength or something too but that's not the important part. His real power is that he can eat two hamburgers at once.

[@AlSidre]

Not just Joe Friday but Commander Sam Vimes too that speach was epic and very relevant.

[@seand7042]

I freakin like this Savage Dragon guy

[@KMmouse20]

I'm glad you're pretty okay with this, I said in your last review's comments that Savage Dragon was my favourite early Image, it really is a good time.

[@s955120]

I'm so glad that Linkara review this a year ago, and not after every thing happened recently.

[@HypeVoiceActing]

The Duck Knight's Return? Well now, this is gonna be interesting lol

[@isenokami7810]

That bit of advice at the start about holding on to your old ideas applies quite well to my creative process. I tend to think up stories without really getting them down in physical form, often having several stories ideas created and killed before I ever get around to even working on one. However, a lot of the characters that have come from these stories not meant to be have stayed in my mind, and as a result I often call on them when a new story comes to mind, assuming I can make their basic concept fit. One of the more interesting characters I've come up with, at least in terms of his evolution, is a guy called Daniel Hayes, now known in my mind as Dull or Dullahan. Originally, he was a guy born with power over death who got sent to Equestria (yes, I'm a brony, and a lot of my recent stories are based around that world). There's actually a story still up on my FimFiction profile of this earlier version, but despite it being well written (unlike a sequel I abandoned for being crap), I have since discarded that version of him. He was super edgy, super dark, and super OP, a lot of terrible OC cliches that frankly made him unsuitable as a protagonist. And so I actually gave him more power in order to get him out of the way, putting him basically in the pony version of the Marvel cosmic stuff. Dull as I currently have him is the lord of death in the pony world, and while he does that job well, he doesn't really interfere with the mortal world. He is powerful, and he's not afraid to use that power, but he's not the kind of character meant to play a part in a story whatsoever. Rather, he's kind of the superboss kind of character (fitting since I own RPG Maker and many of my stories were intended as RPGs): a super OP badass who subverts the cliched issues with that by actually being an obstacle for the actual heroes, but one who's out of the way, a challenge the heroes can pursue on their own terms without his presence affecting the story.

[@JL-vt5uo]

I did not know i wanted this review....ive been meaning to look at this series for years!

[@markuscriticus8278]

Heard it's generally pretty middling.

[@Artista_Frustrado]

wow the 90's were really different times, also Image Comics was the last place where i would see SuperHero suits having an actually practical element

[@bigjake360t]

Hey 90's Dude! It's good to see you.

[@ninjagregshow9423]

Oh 90s kid, how I've missed you

[@RubyKing1997]

Spawn and Savage Dragon are my two favorite heroes from Image.

[@ProfessM]

Anyone who beats up Lobo is cool with me even if he also took down the good captain. Also wow that speech. Just wow.

[@johnnygyro2295]

Welp, looks like there's another comic for me to check out. Thanks Linkara!

[@isenokami7810]

Savage Dragon: Looks more like a merman than Aquaman.