Savage Avengers Annual #1
Marvel Comics
Written by: Gerry Duggan
Art by: Ron Garney
Colors by: Matt Milla
Letters by: Travis Lanham
Human trafficking will bring together the savage Avengers on a mission with ties to the displaced Cimmerian warrior.
In the jungles of Brazil, a group of men herd kidnapped women into trucks to prepare to sell them to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for them, there are others in the area that don’t take kindly to slavers.
When one young woman calls out for the forces of darkness to stop the men who have kidnapped her and others, Daimon Hellstrom hears the call and prepares to go on the hunt. At the same time, Conan finds no comfort in his surroundings and a run in with the men who supply a local brothel will cause the warrior to head out on a new adventure. After finding the slavers and taking them on with Hellstrom, the two find themselves being helped by Black Widow, who has her own reasons for being in the area.
The warriors will join forces to stop the scourge of human trafficking and Conan will discover that the men who he fights have ties to the wizrd who brought him to the future.
The story in this annual is exactly what I wanted from these characters. I enjoyed the way Duggan not only connected this story to the bigger arc for Conan, but also how the warriors uncompromising drive for battle and action put him at odds with the other warriors he fights with. The dialogue is fantastic and stays true to each of the characters. While there are multiple characters to read in this annual, the tone of the story seems more concentrated on Conan, which is a good thing. The Cimmerian’s reactions to the other warriors and the battle he finds himself in are great and the story is both topical and entertaining.
Ron Garney does some amazing work with the art in this issue. The tone and style of the art are perfect for the dark, gritty tone of the story.