Comics News
Savage Dragon vs Wanted
By The Editor
May 24, 2006 - 06:10




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Here's one for those fans who are  tired of talking head crossovers where it takes half a dozen issues  or more for anything to happen. Creator Erik Larsen takes the bull by  the horns with the superhero crossover no one saw coming: Savage  Dragon vs. Mark Millar's WANTED and delivers an action-packed epic  that fits neatly into the pages of SAVAGE DRAGON #128!

SAVAGE DRAGON started off as a cutting edge superhero book for older  readers that focused on over-the-top action, dark humor and planet-shattering adventures. It blazed the path for books like THE  AUTHORITY, THE ULTIMATES and WANTED, and with this crossover, the  book returns to its roots.

A six-issue miniseries published by Image/Top Cow, Millar had  previously stated the cast of WANTED were never to appear again, but  the moment Larsen proposed the crossover, he had to make one exception.

"JG and I always made it quite clear that WANTED was going to be six  issues long and self-contained," explains Millar. "It sold a lot of  books, the highest-selling creator-owned book since the '90s, I  believe, but we stuck to our guns and turned down all offers of a  sequel because we liked it just the way it was. That said, only a wee  daftie would turn down a chance to see their characters in SAVAGE  DRAGON. Dragon is one of our favourite creator-owned books of all  time and Erik is one of our favourite writer-artists. This is a One  Night Only special and our babies are in good hands. If you don't buy  this, you're a monkey."

"I had a story that had been building over the years where a member  of Dragon's supporting cast took over the world, and I was looking  around for something out of left field to throw into the mix and  after reading WANTED, it just seemed to click in my head what a  perfect combination these two concepts would be," said SAVAGE DRAGON  creator, Erik Larsen. "Mark Millar has been an enthusiastic supporter  of SAVAGE DRAGON for years and when I brought up the idea to him, he  was more than happy to loan me his characters to play with. The  combination is pure gold!"

Continued Larsen, "The nice thing about doing creator-owned books is  that you can literally do whatever you want without fear of someone  getting in the way or telling you what you can or can't do. When I  say that a world will shatter, characters will die and Savage  Dragon's world will never be the same, you'd better believe I mean it.

"In this case, Mark and JG Jones have been kind enough to let me work  in Wesley Gibbons and The Fraternity directly from the midst of the  original WANTED miniseries. It fits in beautifully and sheds new  light on events only touched on in the original WANTED miniseries."

A smackdown brawl that will excite loyal fans and new readers alike,  SAVAGE DRAGON #128 is wall-to-wall story with a low cover price of  $2.99! It will not only feature a variant cover painted by WANTED co-creator JG Jones, but the cover by creator Erik Larsen will be done  in watercolors – a first for Larsen – as well.

"I'm thrilled to have the Wanted characters appear in the pages of  SAVAGE DRAGON." WANTED co-creator, JG Jones added, "I've been a fan  of the Big Green Guy for years, so this definitely sets off my inner  fanboy.  SAVAGE DRAGON is absolutely the best monthly monster fight  in comics. Hands down."

SAVAGE DRAGON #128 (MAY061745) will be in stores July 2006 and is  available for order in the May issue of Diamond's PREVIEWS. Mark  Miller and J.G. Jones' WANTED miniseries is collected in a trade  paperback (FEB058403) and is available now.