Savage Things has never failed to live up to its name. Every instance of violence and brutality that we’ve seen over three issues has been disturbing and savage, and made sure to pull no punches. Sweet lord, does it get even more brutal here, and that’s why I like it.
Writer: Justin Jordan
Artist: Ibrahim Moustafa
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Now, it’s not perfect. I’m starting to worry that this plot–terror attacks in NYC to take out infrastructure and turn the island into one giant panic factory–is going WAY too fast, and I’m usually the guy that wants the slow paced books to get their shit together and go go go.
Here, it’s starting to feel like we’re rushing through quite a bit, to get our hero and anti-hero into the punch-up we’ve all been expecting.
If you’ve not been reading along, the short synopsis is: government-trained sociopaths, stolen as children, are attacking NYC. The only way to stop them is with another sociopath; one who was allowed to escape to see if he’d join up with this renegade batch.
Yes, it’s totally Michael Bay 101 on paper, but in practice it really does land all its punches. I can’t stand our protagonist, because he’s an emotionless automaton out for blood, but his interactions with our second protagonist/FBI agent is compelling as hell. It’s not a love interest (or it damn well better not be), and it’s not a crack in this psycho killer’s armor either. He’s a murderer, but he’s agreed to help her, so he’s concerned about her well-being for now.
The craziest change for me after four issues? I now look forward to the kid scenes. Learning how these people became the completely twisted things they are now.
The artwork reminds me more of classic Preacher as the series goes on, with bloody visible wounds and utterly bestial fist fights. Think of Jesse fighting his family, and the same neglectful destructive art is exploding here.
I’m pretty invested in this tale now. The various plot beats have been well thought out, racheting up the drama from issue to issue, and holy cats do they end on a crazy intense note in issue #4. Also, our FBI agent, Kira? There’s something going on under the surface with her–something that’s either a red herring, or a totally sinister plot twist coming, that will make Abel’s brain snap.
I think if the pacing slows down a bit and we get to see the evil plan start to unfold on a more measured pace, this book will continue to be knocking them out of the park.
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