Written by: Daniel Hadley

So Malcolm Dragon is moving on, opening post threesome, we learn that he has gotten his girlfriend Maxine pregnant and is possibly the father of Angel’s unborn baby. We then find out that they filmed said threesome and someone has stolen the recordings. It’s a pretty weird opening and I have to be honest: I wasn’t exactly hooked. With almost every page using the same panel layout I found this beginning pretty difficult to get through, feeling more like a teen drama than anything else, but once I was deeper into the book it became a much more enjoyable read.

On offer here is plenty of action, a marriage, child birth and a pretty big character is bumped off. The story is pretty dense. A lot happens here but it never feels jumbled or confused. Malcolm Dragon struggles to deal with day to day life, the prospect of becoming a father and devoting himself to his girlfriend. He also has to battle his way through multiple villainous monsters and a plot to reveal him as something far less than the hero everyone believes him to be. The story is pretty jam packed.

The art is fantastic as is to be expected. Coupling well-drawn action and vibrant colours, Growing Pains is a very easy and enjoyable read. Once I started reading I blasted through the whole thing without a break, which given the shaky opening is a testament to how fun it becomes.

This was my first time reading Savage Dragon, and it has peaked my interest in the character. I have never really been a fan of the musclebound overpowered hero, but growing pains really goes a long way to make Malcolm Dragon much more than just a heroic beefcake. Having him deal with day to life and spending time with his girlfriend outside of his super hero antics goes a long way to humanize him and give him a really likable quality. Not an easy thing to do when you open to him looking for a sex tape post threesome.

If you’re a fan of Savage Dragon and his son Malcom, then I wouldn’t hesitate to give this a go. It’s a fun read peppered with some great action and despite the strange choice of opening, it finishes strong.