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Savage Dragon: The Ultimate Collection Volume 2
Savage Dragon’s formative years collected at last! This MASSIVE hardcover collects a host of the Savage Dragon’s most epic adventures! Featuring a slugfest with SuperPatriot! Jimbo Da Mighty Lobster! The Fiend! She-Dragon! Widow! Vanguard! Dragon possessed! And the final showdown with the villainous Overlord! SAVAGE THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, VOLUME 2 is a can’t miss for any burgeoning Fin-Addict looking for an easy way to start this long-running series from the beginning. Introduction by ERIK LARSEN. Collects THE DRAGON #9-21, including relevant portions of WildC.A.T.S. #14, plus LOADS of extras!
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
400 pages, Hardcover
Published December 12, 2023
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Erik Larsen
954 books75 followersAs a child growing up in Bellingham, Washington and Albion, California, Erik Larsen created seveal comic books featuring versions of a character named 'Dragon.' He eventually published a fanzine, which led to his doing professional work on a comic book called Megaton for creator Gary Carlson. It was here that he introduced the Dragon, a super powered superhero, to the comic-reading masses.
After a multitude of mailings, showing his work, Erik became aquainted with Jim Shooter, who was, at that point, Marvel's Editor-in-Chief. Erik eventually met Jim at a convention in Chicago and Jim was impressed enough with Erik's work that he consented to co-plot a story with him on the spot. That story was a battle between Marvel Comics characters Hulk & Thor. Although it wasn't actually published until years later, it did impress a variety of Editors enough to get Larsen some more high-profile work in the funnybook field.
Erik jumped around various books in this part of his career. He did an Amazing Spider-Man fill-in story at Marvel, a few issues of DNAgents for Eclipse, and he eventually took over the art chores on DC's Doom Patrol. Soon afterwards, he left DC and moved on to the Punisher for Marvel. Five issues of that book was about as much pain as that poor Minnesota boy could stand. Erik wanted to write and when a Nova serial was given the thumbs up to run in Marvel Comics Presents with Erik as the writer/artist, he gladly left the Punisher. But it was not to be! The powers that be had other plans for Nova and Erik's yarn didn't fit in with the impending New Warriors series. Editor Terry Kavanaugh gave Larsen an Excalibur serial to draw for Marvel Comics Presents while the poor bastard waited for his big break.
When ever-popular artist Todd McFarlane left his artistic duties on Amazing Spider-Man, Larsen was chosen to be his successor. That run was astoundingly well-recieved, and included popular stories like 'The Return of the Sinister Six', 'The Cosmic Spider-Man', and 'The Powerless Spider-Man'. Although he was comfortable with his position as Amazing Spider-Man penciller, he was frustrated drawing other people's stories. Larsen found that his ravenous desire to write had only gotten stronger. He left Amazing Spider-Man, quite pooped.
By this time, the New Warriors was going full tilt and Erik tossed together a proposal for a Nova ongoing series. While he waited for it to get the nod, Todd McFarlane left the new Spider-Man title that he had launched. Erik was called upon once again picked up the torch - and he ran with it. Larsen created a memorable albeit brief run on that title, despite a traumatic event in his personal life - his house burned to the ground, destroying all of his childhood drawings and comic books.
After this period, creator Rob Liefeld invited Larsen to help found a new comic book imprint called 'Image' at Malibu comics, alongside notorious creators Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino. Erik's flagship comic book at Image (which soon left Malibu and became the third lagest comic book publisher in the United States) was an updated version of his childhood creation -- 'The Savage Dragon.' Larsen has been succeeding with his ideas ever since, through his creations Freak Force, Star, SuperPatriot and the Deadly Duo as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which he helped revitalize and bring to Image.
As of 2004, Erik Larsen became the Publisher of Image Comics and shows no sign of slowing down.
After a multitude of mailings, showing his work, Erik became aquainted with Jim Shooter, who was, at that point, Marvel's Editor-in-Chief. Erik eventually met Jim at a convention in Chicago and Jim was impressed enough with Erik's work that he consented to co-plot a story with him on the spot. That story was a battle between Marvel Comics characters Hulk & Thor. Although it wasn't actually published until years later, it did impress a variety of Editors enough to get Larsen some more high-profile work in the funnybook field.
Erik jumped around various books in this part of his career. He did an Amazing Spider-Man fill-in story at Marvel, a few issues of DNAgents for Eclipse, and he eventually took over the art chores on DC's Doom Patrol. Soon afterwards, he left DC and moved on to the Punisher for Marvel. Five issues of that book was about as much pain as that poor Minnesota boy could stand. Erik wanted to write and when a Nova serial was given the thumbs up to run in Marvel Comics Presents with Erik as the writer/artist, he gladly left the Punisher. But it was not to be! The powers that be had other plans for Nova and Erik's yarn didn't fit in with the impending New Warriors series. Editor Terry Kavanaugh gave Larsen an Excalibur serial to draw for Marvel Comics Presents while the poor bastard waited for his big break.
When ever-popular artist Todd McFarlane left his artistic duties on Amazing Spider-Man, Larsen was chosen to be his successor. That run was astoundingly well-recieved, and included popular stories like 'The Return of the Sinister Six', 'The Cosmic Spider-Man', and 'The Powerless Spider-Man'. Although he was comfortable with his position as Amazing Spider-Man penciller, he was frustrated drawing other people's stories. Larsen found that his ravenous desire to write had only gotten stronger. He left Amazing Spider-Man, quite pooped.
By this time, the New Warriors was going full tilt and Erik tossed together a proposal for a Nova ongoing series. While he waited for it to get the nod, Todd McFarlane left the new Spider-Man title that he had launched. Erik was called upon once again picked up the torch - and he ran with it. Larsen created a memorable albeit brief run on that title, despite a traumatic event in his personal life - his house burned to the ground, destroying all of his childhood drawings and comic books.
After this period, creator Rob Liefeld invited Larsen to help found a new comic book imprint called 'Image' at Malibu comics, alongside notorious creators Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino. Erik's flagship comic book at Image (which soon left Malibu and became the third lagest comic book publisher in the United States) was an updated version of his childhood creation -- 'The Savage Dragon.' Larsen has been succeeding with his ideas ever since, through his creations Freak Force, Star, SuperPatriot and the Deadly Duo as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which he helped revitalize and bring to Image.
As of 2004, Erik Larsen became the Publisher of Image Comics and shows no sign of slowing down.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 19, 2024
I’m a huge Savage Dragon (and Erik Larsen) fan! I love seeing these issues re-printed in color and oversized. I hope the next volume comes out soon!!!
February 8, 2024
Super fun 90’s early founding fathers of Image comics. Fun stuff!
September 28, 2024
This made me happy, as it improved on most of my problems I had with Vol. 1.
The artwork improved and is starting to look really good. The stories improved and the book doesn't just jump from one meaningless fight with random new characters to the next. Instead, characters introduced in Vol. 1 return and start to fit more naturally into this world.
I still have the issue that there is (at least) another title running in the background, which is frequently referenced, but not collected here (why not!?).
However, reading this was really fun. There's multiple open plot threads at any given time and a satisfying conclusion regarding the big antagonist in here. Many of the supporting cast are fleshed out and I'm even starting to care about Dragon's colleagues at the police force.
After a really rough start in Vol. 1, I'm happy to keep reading this series. I just wish the publication of these editions was faster than once per year and more complete.
The artwork improved and is starting to look really good. The stories improved and the book doesn't just jump from one meaningless fight with random new characters to the next. Instead, characters introduced in Vol. 1 return and start to fit more naturally into this world.
I still have the issue that there is (at least) another title running in the background, which is frequently referenced, but not collected here (why not!?).
However, reading this was really fun. There's multiple open plot threads at any given time and a satisfying conclusion regarding the big antagonist in here. Many of the supporting cast are fleshed out and I'm even starting to care about Dragon's colleagues at the police force.
After a really rough start in Vol. 1, I'm happy to keep reading this series. I just wish the publication of these editions was faster than once per year and more complete.
July 7, 2025
A weirdly mature book and immature book at the same time.
Like, a mature discussion of the ideas of love, marriage, and commitment, jealousy, and other stuff, and the discussion is mostly between a superhero/ex sex worker who has her boobs out at all times and a living dragon man who is almost as wide as he is tall.
These are the contrasts I live for.
Like, a mature discussion of the ideas of love, marriage, and commitment, jealousy, and other stuff, and the discussion is mostly between a superhero/ex sex worker who has her boobs out at all times and a living dragon man who is almost as wide as he is tall.
These are the contrasts I live for.
January 21, 2024
3.2 Out Of 5 Stars
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Art: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pace: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Art: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pace: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews