Empyre: Savage Avengers #1
Written by: Gerry Duggan, Illustrated by Greg Smallwood
Marvel Comics
2020
In South America, Conan finds himself enslaved – which is typically bad news for those attempting to do the enslaving! But these enslavers come from beyond the stars, and they’ve got a singular and grisly end in store for the Cimmerian – one that only Venom can help him avoid!
Once again, I find myself blessed in my reading order. As the last Empyre issue on my list, Savage Avengers may be the perfect way to wrap things up. There’s not much advancement of any plot herein, and there’s not really any character building, or even much of a story, really. All there is, is pure fun and silliness from two of the most mismatched heroes ever to share an issue. And that’s exactly what I needed by the time I’d read the story five or six times already.
In case you’re not aware, Empyre: Savage Avengers is a single issue starring Conan and Venom, and I haven’t read a more fun pairing since Spider-Man met Deadpool. All they do is fight and wisecrack. Conan hardly understands a thing Venom says, and the bonding is all the funnier for it. And the butt-kicking is fantastically fun.
As long as you don’t mind about the lack of a story (which you shouldn’t – that’s not what this team is all about) there’s not much to complain about at all. The art is top notch. The action is furious. And the smirks are aplenty. This issue is a perfect way to get me to buy one more comic in a huge series like this. It’s fun. The characters are great. And I don’t have to worry about picking up endless tie-ins or missing half the story. Everything you need to know is right here. The pure fun of reading this one comic is all that matters.
Conan and Venom Take on the Cotati
And it's every bit as fun as it sounds. This stand alone issue is 100% fun and fights, and while it does nothing to advance the Empyre story, this allows it to focus entirely on making its stars shine. And shine they do, this is easily the most fun I've had reading comics in six months, at least.
Brian Reed
Brian has been reading comics since January, 1987, when the death of Optimus Prime rocked his young world. Once a regular presenter on The Nerdstravaganza Podcast, Brian now writes for Florida Geek Scene.
