Savage Squad 6

The year is 2037.  War has reduced humanity to pockets of civilization across the globe, none more ruthless than the Scourge.  In their struggle to stand against this threat, the Central Colonies have sent their best team – Savage Squad – into Pripyat to secure some newly unearthed nuclear fuel rods.  The six members of the squad are some of the toughest women around, but what’s waiting for them will test their skills and willingness to survive like they’ve never been before.

Co-written by Robert Venditti and Brockton McKinney and illustrated by Dalts Dalton, “Savage Squad 6” feels like the kind of sci-fi action movie you’d rent at your local video store because it had a sweet cover, or you liked the description, or you were just a sucker for the genre.  Then you’d watch it and go, “Hey, that was pretty cool!”  Like a good direct-to-video action flick, this is a straightforward, no-nonsense story that delivers up plenty of satisfying violence at a steady pace, and with just enough character to keep you entertained.

That said, I wouldn’t say that this title’s virtues can compete with the best in its genre.  The story is predictable, most of the cast are distinguished only by their weapons, and the female cast slings enough macho bullshit to make you think it was the 80’s all over again.  Still, I was pleasantly surprised with how well it captured the spirit of the films it was emulating and I’ll hope it can emulate them further by spawning a sequel or two.  Or just more work from Venditti, McKinney, and Dalton together.