(GIANT-SIZED) SAVAGE TALES #1 (2026)
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
STORY: David Avallone
ART: Mariano Benitez Chapo; Pasqual Qualano; Sebastian Piriz
COLORS: Ome Remalante, Jr.
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
COVER: Bjorn Barends
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Bjorn Barends
40pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (April 2026)
Rated Teen+
Savage Tales is the title of an anthology comic book series that has been used by both Dynamite Entertainment and Marvel Comics (twice). Dynamite recently brought its version back as a series of occasionally-published one-shots.
The 2026 edition of Savage Tales #1 has four short stories, all written by David Avallone, a master of the comics short story. These stories feature Gullivar of Mars (“His War Chapter Four” drawn by Mariano Benitez Chapo); Red Sonja (“The Code” drawn by Pasqual Qualano); Allan Quatermain (“Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” drawn by Sebastian Piriz); and Vampirella (“The Old Country Trigger” drawn by Mariano Benitez Chapo). All four stories are colored by Ome Remalante, Jr., and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.
I will summarize and review each story individually.
THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, the marketing department at Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is the 2026 edition of Savage Tales #1, which is one of several Savage Tales titles that I have reviewed.
Captain Gullivar of Mars: “His War: Chapter Four” by Avallone and Benitez-Chapo:
Captain Gullivar Jones is based on the character, Lt. Gulllivar Jones, that first appeared in the novel, Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, which was written by Edwin Lester Arnold and was published in 1905. Writer David Avallone has been reworking the character over the past few years.
“His War” finds Jones returned to Mars – 20 years after he left it to its fate – via his magic carpet, “Ditan Yunshu. What he finds is a disaster, and his once “luminous princess” is now the embittered one-eyed Princess Heru. Determined to fix all that went wrong because he left, Capt. Gullivar Jones must make a most amazing journey – one that may well become his final journey.
Avallone has a deft touch with vintage and classic characters, and because of author Edwin Lester Arnold's influence on the science fiction sub-genre, “planetary romance,” Gullivar Jones is both vintage and classic. I thought “His War: Chapter Three” was Avallone's best work at that point in the serial, but for Chapter Four, I must use the phrase “blown away.” I am honestly blown away by Chapter Four, which finds Avallone unleashing 16 pages of thrill, chills, and savage surprises.
Artist Benitez Chapo's storytelling is a two-fisted celebration of old-timey science fiction. Chapo offers aggression, passion, and determination, and it all explodes off the pages thanks to Omi Remalante, Jr's raw coloring. The experience of reading this reminds me of why I like comics because Avallone and Chapo left me feeling dazed. I felt cross-eyes after reading this true adventure gem.
Red Sonja: “The Code” by Avallone and Qualano:
“The Code” opens in the city of “Bukhrosha” on the evening of the second day of the “Bukhroshan Revolution.” A man referring to himself as a merchant hires Red Sonja to get him out of the city, which is in the throes of a murderous rampages against the nobility. But there is more to this merchant's story, and it will test the She-Devil with a Sword's fidelity to “the code.”
David Avallone is good at Red Sonja – really damn good. When I read his Sonja stories, I feel the experience of reading about a genuine female character with as much depth of character and emotion as she has skill with a blade. Pasqual Qualano's beautiful art and storytelling is clever, brutal, and lethal without slathering on violence. I enjoyed the hell out of reading “The Code.”
"Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” by Avallone and Piriz:
The story opens in June 1932 aboard the cargo vessel, the “SS Cyclops.” There, Marlowe, a passenger, tells the ship's captain a tale of the legendary English big game hunter whose adventures occur in southern Africa. Marlowe's tale is one told to him by a World War I German soldier whose military unit finds itself in conflict with that great hunter, Allan Quatermain, after they seek refuge in his South African estate.
“Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” is one of the best stories featuring the character that I have ever read. Once again, Avallone proves that he is as deft with Victorian characters as he is with vintage American pulp characters. Sebastian Piriz's art creates a ghost story so potent that I thought I was being dragged into the Germans' tragic fate. What a powerful tale, y'all. I'm horny for it.
Vampirella: “The Old Country Trigger” by Avallone and Benitez-Chapo:
“The Old Country Trigger” opens in New York City where NYPD Officer Ana Reyes seeks help from Vampirella. The target is John Trigger a.k.a. “The Old Country Trigger,” and he's a vampire. Officer Reyes wants Vampirella's help in destroying Trigger, but, of course, it is going to be just a tad bit more complicated than even Vampirella expects.
Avallone and Mariano Benitez-Chapo do the buddy-cop thing with “The Old Country Trigger,” and honestly, I'd like to see Vampirella and Ana Reyes team-up again. Here, writer and artist are macabre dance partners in producing this delightful performance of dark fantasy storytelling. In fact, I could see it in a longer form as a graphic novel. They give this narrative, the characters, and the settings room to breath and to move and groove. This is a gem of a short story.
If I had to reluctantly pick my favorite story in Savage Tales #1 (2026), it would indeed be a reluctant process. As I don't have to, let's have fun with it, dear readers. I'm going with “Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” as my favorite in this box of dazzling tales. Still, I think you, dear readers, should buy a copy of this comic book and decide for yourself.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of anthology comic books who are looking for a collection full of great stories will want to read Savage Tales #1 (2026).
A+
10 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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