Sabre: 20th Anniversary Edition

    (Image, 1998)
™ and © 1998 Don McGregor

A nine-year drought, statewide nuclear wastelands and famine-induced riots are the elements of the American milieu in the year 2020. Enter Sabre, the lone paladin, who, with little more than intestinal fortitude, indomitable fighting skill, and clever repartee, stands up to the corrupt government. Created by Don McGregor, a writer known for verbosity, Sabre’s description as a survivor who will not abandon his ideals sounds like an apologist for the ultra right-wing militia movement, but when it was first published in 1978, he was clearly on the side of the angles. Such vigilantes can be heroes as long as their antagonists are perceived as worse and since the government was overtaken by a psychotic cyborg…well, no problem there.

The photo-realistic artwork of Paul Gulacy demands the reader’s attention almost to the detriment of the story since Sabre bears a striking resemblance to Jimi Hendrix and other times he is obviously modeled after Clint Eastwood.

Initially published by Eclipse and spawning a short-lived series in 1982, the original graphic novel was reprinted by Image in 1998.
Jump to issue:
  NotesWriterArtist