Fantagraphics continues their series of archival Marvel reprints with the largest entry to date, a whopping 544-page monstrosity that reprints the full run of Savage Tales. Originally published in magazine form for just over a year in the mid-’80s, the anthology series featured hard-hitting tales of masculine conflicts on and off the battlefield across all of recorded history, eschewing sci-fi and horror in favor of gritty realism. If that sounds like EC’s Two-Fisted Tales comics from the ‘50s, it’s very much intentional, with Savage Tales feeling like a direct continuation of that lauded publication.
Buy Lost Marvels No. 3: Savage Tales of the 1980sWhile the series only lasted for eight issues, those issues weren’t formatted as typical comic books. Instead, they were designed as larger magazines, with increased dimensions and page counts, along with premium price points. As a result, the 544 pages in the book are almost entirely represented by the complete content of the original magazines, including the letters pages, with only an opening introduction and closing bios of the creators added as new content. Of course with any anthology, the quality comes down to the creators involved, and this one boasts an amazing array of Marvel legends along with a few promising newcomers.
The legends are headlined by John Severin, the solo subject of a prior Fantagraphics collection and an original contributor to Two-Fisted Tales, here still operating at the top of the game with highly detailed art promoted to the opening slot in the majority of the issues. He’s joined by other art veterans including John Buscema, Herb Trimpe, and Gray Morrow continuing their classic styles, along with younger talents including Michael Golden, Will Jungkuntz, and even The Crow creator James O’Barr. Each issue also featured a fully painted cover, with a few provided by the soon-to-be legendary Joe Jusko. The writing stable is also impressive, including Denny O’Neil, Archie Goodwin, and Chuck Dixon among many others. Overseeing it all is series editor and G.I. Joe mastermind Larry Hama, who returns 40 years later for the new introduction.
The majority of the short stories are one-offs, with only a handful of recurring entries. One of those titles is The Skywarriors, where Trimpe was given free rein to write and draw his superb tales of post-apocalyptic aerial combat in WWIII. The concept seemingly veers close to sci-fi, but his vision finds the soldiers reduced to recycling technology from prior wars due to the apocalypse, keeping it firmly aligned with realism. The most impressive recurring entry sadly has a tragic backstory: Jungkuntz’s Blood & Gutz. His crisp, kinetic style stands apart from the veterans, foreshadowing the looming emergence of the typical ‘90s look and marking him as a name to watch. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack before 30, during the publication run of Savage Tales.
With all of history to choose from, the writers certainly didn’t limit themselves. Stories take place in the Middle Ages, the Old West, Prohibition, and pretty much every U.S. war ever. Hardened criminals face off against each other, soldiers take on perilous missions, and women are mostly an afterthought. The only stories that seem out of place are a misguided anthropomorphic ‘50s noir and O’Barr’s head-scratching, wordless 4-pager about a speed demon and his dog. Otherwise, the hardboiled writing is fully worthy of the impressive artists, offering a spectacular, fully engrossing collection of “two-fisted tales”.
Most notably, Savage Tales doesn’t seem like a Marvel book at all, and certainly not one from the 1980s, offering a richly rewarding glimpse of a time the House of Ideas tried something far outside their typical comfort zone. It may have folded fairly quickly due to its unique nature, but the new compendium proves it was a worthy experiment filled with fantastic stories and art that have stood the test of time. Highly recommended.
