SAVIOR review

(Review by Melody Werner)
Savior is a 2015 8 issue long series published by Image Comics. Co-written and created by comic legend Todd McFarlane (Spawn, The Haunt), also co-written by Brian Holguin (Spawn), and with art by rising star Clayton Crain (X-Force, Rai). It's a drama-thriller (I guess) with tilts in religion and conspiracy. It was, apparently, met with critical acclaim. Having recently come out in TPB form, I've decided to finally read this, since it hits all of my buzz words. Does it hold up? Yeah.

The art, as one who's seen Crain's work before could tell you, is magnificent. This guy's spectacular, and he consistently produces masterful artwork. I legitimately think that he may be the best artist in the mainstream industry--if not, he's definitely one of the greats, up there with Faith Erin Hicks, David Finch, Rob Guillory, Greg Capullo, and Alex Ross. Everything looks absolutely gorgeous here, with a terrific digitally painted style.

Writing wise, it isn't a slouch either. It follows multiple stories that all tie into one another in a clear way, and the story is followed through in a non-linear fashion, and it's well-executed on both counts. The plot leaves many questions unanswered, but leaves those up for the reader to answer. This series definitely doesn't lead you by the nose, and you'll have to put your own thoughts into it, meaning the experience will be different for everyone else, but if you're skeptical of that this might not be your series. Notwithstanding, it stays a very compelling story due to the execution as well as leaving some questions to the reader.

The characters in Savior are interesting and enigmatic; their trials and tribulations are understandable and they react in ways that are believable and don't feel purely scripted. The dialogue is well written, even if it can be a little hammy at times.

I don't want to say a whole lot here, as the nature of this series means that could lead into spoiler territory. But it's an excellent, cerebral story that I very much enjoyed. It's twisted and strange, which is what I wanted coming into it. If this interests you I definitely suggest checking out the first issue and seeing if it grabs you. It's a short, complete title so that may play a role in your decision. Savior gets a 9/10.

Excellent

Summary:
A fantastic, cerebral story following interesting characters, filled with great dialogue, all with stellar art. It can be a little hammy at times, but it's a clever comic and well worth checking out.