Doc Savage #3 Review

Can this third issue make a strong case for an aged property? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

It is 1961, and Doc Savage’s team of aides includes old veterans who have been with him from the beginning, and young newcomers who are experts in the frontiers of science and invention. Doc is about to unveil his greatest discovery, one which could change the course of history and improve the lives of everyone on Earth. But a madman with an atomic bomb has other plans…

What can be said about this icon? I’d have to start off with the simple fact that we’re dealing with someone who’s attempting to balance duty and personal responsibility. Thankfully the Man of Bronze is all about the right thing but the world at large has people who are willing to kill for their own ends. The creative team captures that dynamic but stumbles a bit along the way.

The script by Chris Roberson is a bit wordy but within that text beats the heart of a narrative that’s struggling with the past while embracing the essence of a new decade. More often than not the author attacks that head on yielding a decent pace which carries these festivities to some level of completion. Doc Savage, and the world populated by his cohorts, is a corny experience that uses location names such as Fear Cay or Valley of the Vanished, while employing dialogue and mannerisms that reek of a time long since passed.

The brightest spot within this particular comic book is the visual component. We see a world filled with violence, hope and some semblance of realism brought to life by Bilquis Evely. The way the talent captures not just the innate tendencies of human expression but also the backgrounds surrounding this zany romp is rather inviting. Combine that with colors by Daniela Miwa and you have one good looking adventure.

Doc Savage #3 may embody some of the more regrettable tendencies of the past but it still offers a potent, albeit predictable, conclusion. As it skates by with a light recommendation.