Thanks to the double page spreads, this issue has something like seventeen pages of story. Only most of it is action stuff with the stoner lead on the run for the sheriff. Only the sheriff is now a flying dragon alien.

Bone’s art is fine, but not the right style for an all-action issue. Worse, when Robinson does take a break, he pretty much just mimics scenes from Terminator movies. He’s hinted at some original ideas–like the alien invaders are psycho environmentalists–but none of them come through enough to make a difference.

It’s the second issue and all Robinson’s promises for the next one is more unoriginal answers and more chasing. Maybe at some point The Saviors will get interesting, but it seems a long way off with Robinson taking every diversion he can.

A faster pace and less grandiose panel layout would help things a lot.

C 

CREDITS

Writer, James Robinson; artist and letterer, J. Bone; publisher, Image Comics.

Weird. Weird is a good word for the first issue of The Saviors.

The J. Bone art–black and white–is good. It’s simultaneously energetic and pensive. He’s drawing the word from the perspective of the perpetually stoned protagonist, Tomas, so there’s got to be a balance. Bone finds it.

The story apparently has to do with a stoner discovering evil monsters are impersonating people on Earth in positions of power. Writer James Robinson never gets to that revelation. He establishes Tomas through a stoned monologue (to a lizard) and then gets going on an action roller coaster. The action is better than the setup.

The book has its problems, of course. Foremost has to be the blandness of Tomas as a lead. He’s the stoner from high school grown up, with Robinson silently judging him. It would’ve been more interesting for Robinson to lionize the stoner.

It’s decent though.

B 

CREDITS

Writer, James Robinson; artist and letterer, J. Bone; publisher, Image Comics.