Mad Cave Studios’ latest series is undoubtedly a love letter to the wild wild west. Savage Bastards #1 does a great job of not only setting up the series but also sucking you into its world. Moreover, the issues’ breakneck pace never felt like a problem to me. Don’t get me wrong you’ll have to hold onto your horses tight. However savage Bastards does a great job of balancing its action with its character’s introduction and development.
Story
Savage Bastards #1 is written by David Galiano. The issues fantastic artwork comes from both Carlos Angeli and Miguel Angel Zapata. Without wanting to give too much away, Savage Bastards tells a heartfelt story with family at its core. A tale of two brothers from two different mothers. On a quest across the wild frontier of the United States. Their end goal? Revenge on their father, Darragh MacDougal.
Whilst the action is great and the dialogue feels authentic what is really great about Savage Bastards is the sibling dynamic between Elliot Wright and Samuel Franklin. They couldn’t be more unlike from one another and I’m not just talking about the color of their skin. One, a simple barber dreaming of a life of excitement but always too afraid to grasp it. The other, a classic cowboy badass, who never goes down without a fight.
A Tale of Two Brothers
When their worlds collide, the issue runs at 1 million miles an hour. But the story was never hard to keep up with. I always felt like I was along for the ride rather than falling behind. The issue spends a good portion of its time dishing out explanation. Despite this though it never felt too heavy thanks to a couple of breaks for some classic wester action sequences. Including a gritty bar brawl and a brilliant shootout at the issue’s finale. I also really loved Elliot and Samuel’s back and forth banter. They don’t properly meet until near the end but they quickly become a great pairing and I’m excited to see more of them in future issues.
Savage Bastards tells a gritty and real western story. Its relatable characters, combined with its fantastic action make a very fast-paced plot easier to deal with. Obviously there’s that infamous Mad Cave Studios twist buried beneath the surface too, but that is as much as I’ll say to avoid spoilers.
Characters
like I said, Savage Bastards’ biggest strength is its characters. Let’s start with our two brothers Samuel and Elliot. I instantly loved Samuel. He fills the role of the mysterious stranger rolling into town but does so with a unique flair. His action scenes are the best in the issue and his back and fourths between his half brother Elliot are incredibly enjoyable. Speaking of Elliot I really enjoyed him too, but for completely different reasons. He’s out of his element, not built for the harsh wild west. It leads to some nice comic relief moments which are appreciated in such a dark and mature story. Elliot certainly has the more noticeable character arc throughout the issue, but both brothers have a lot of room to grow and I’m excited to see where the series takes them.
The issue opens with Rose Franklin, Samuel’s mother and one of Darragh’s wives. She also made a brilliant lasting impression, with her own great action sequences. She didn’t stick around for too long, but what little time we did see of her, she was a great addition.
I’d have to say the weakest element of Savage Bastards are the villains. The main villain, Darragh plays more of a “mustache-twirling” role, sending his lackeys out to do his work for him. I hope in future issues he steps more into the limelight but here he didn’t make a brilliant first impression.
Speaking of one of those lackeys, Harland Ayers AKA The Spider again only shows up briefly but he makes a much better impression than Darragh. Hopefully, both of them will be featured way more in future issues so they feel on par with both Elliot and Samuel.
Artwork
Savage Bastards looks absolutely fantastic. That dirty, worn, lived-in look and feel of the wild west is captured beautifully here. The environment feels real and the characters feel authentic not just through their looks but through their dialogue. The issues many action scenes are handled brilliantly and really sell the violent gritty feel of a classic western story.
Overall Savage Bastards #1 is a strong series opener that sets up the world and its characters nicely. The combination of great action and real feeling dialogue between our main heroes makes the overly fast-paced story is easy to keep up with. If you’re looking for some classic wild west action over the festive season, look no further than Savage Bastards.
