DYNAMITE DOC

Cover artist supreme Alex Ross channeled the great Jim Steranko for the cover of DOC SAVAGE: THE MAN OF BRONZE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 from Dynamite Comics (2014). The Omnibus is a handsome trade paperback that reprints the eight issue DOC SAVAGE series along with the one-shot DOC SAVAGE 2014 ANNUAL. I scored this beauty at a comic book shop in Oklahoma City on our recent trip. The store was having a Back-To-School sale with everything in the store 20% off. I couldn't resist and I popped on this one instantly (along with several other treasures I hope to blog about).

But, as always when buying any Dynamite Comics products, the cover is usually the best thing about the book. I once heard someone say that Dynamite was more interested in selling covers (witness the multitudes of variant covers), than actual comics. I've been burned many times by buying a Dynamite Comic because of the cover, only to be sadly disappointed by the thin story and mediocre art contained within. And with Alex Ross providing the covers for this run of Doc Savage comics, the bar was certainly raised high. Good lord, can you imagine an entire Doc Savage comic book series illustrated by Ross?! My head would explode.

Of all of the various comic book iterations of Doc and the Fabulous Five (plus Pat) that have been published over the years, my favorite remains the stories in Marvel's DOC SAVAGE black and white magazine from the 1970s. Those stories by Doug Moench, John Buscema and Tony DeZuniga, are all top notch adventures that perfectly capture the spirit of the era in which Doc best belongs: the past.

Because when it comes to Doc stories, I'm a bit of a purist. I strongly believe that the character and his adventures work best in the decades of the '30s and '40s. There have been numerous attempts to update Doc Savage by bringing him and his crew into contemporary modern times. DC comics used this approach with mixed results in the '80s. It takes a really good writer to be able to pull this stunt off convincingly and make me believe and care that Doc is still around in the 21st Century.

I'm here to tell you that writer Chris Robinson does exactly that in this epic Doc Savage adventure that begins in 1933 and ends in 1924. The narrative involves a threat faced by Doc and the Five in the early days of his career, a threat that comes back to menace the entire world in 2014. In between, we're treated to various iterations of the Savage team. Renny, Long Tom and Johnny drop out fairly soon, leaving an aged Monk and Ham to continue the fight alongside new team mates. Pat is along for the ride, the beneficiary of an immortality serum discovered by Doc. Over the years the team gets replaced and updated with all new characters fighting beside Doc and an aged Pat at the end.

There are multiple threats that must be faced and defeated but for the first time, Doc experiences a sliver of doubt as to his capabilities for saving the world. He also comes under attack for his "Crime College", that mysterious facility in upstate New York where Doc operates on criminals' brains, turning them into useful, productive members of society. The philosophical questions caused by this practice are brought under scrutiny and serve as a problematic point that places Doc and his foundation under intense public scrutiny and questioning of his motives.

Roberson handles all of this extremely well, mixing slam bang action with thoughtful explorations of morality with Doc, of course, ultimately standing tall and triumphant at the end of the story. And for once, the art in a Dynamite Comic is good throughout. Bilquis Evely does a fine job of depicting Doc and his team mates in clean, clear artwork and solid storytelling. While it would have been a visual feast to see Alex Ross on the interiors as well as the covers, Evely more than holds his own here.

In short, this is one of the better Doc Savage comic book stories I've ever read. Buy it for the Ross cover but read it and savor it for the terrific story by Roberson and Evely. Oh, and don't overlook the back up story from the 2014 ANNUAL. It's a strong stand-alone adventure by Shannon Eric Denton and Roberto Castro. Throw in a variant cover gallery (hey, it's Dynamite Comics!), and you have one first rate package of pure pulp thrills.

Thumbs up.