Comic Info
Comic Name: Saga
Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2012
Saga #2
Reprints Saga #1-6 (March 2012-August 2012). Alana and Marko are star-crossed lovers. Alana is from the planet Landfall and Marko is from the moon of Wreath. Alana falls in love with Marko at a prison, they escape and break lines by having a child named Hazel. Trapped on a planet named Cleave, Marko and Alana find they must escape, but that both the people of Wreath and the people of Landfall want them dead. With the help of a Horror named Izabel, Marko and Hazel fight to escape bounty hunters like the Will and the Stalk sent from Wreath and Prince Robot IV sent from Landfall.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, Saga—Volume 1 collects the first six issues of one of the hit series of 2012. The comic was an immediate sell-out on the stands and all issues have entered reprints.
I love Saga…plain and simple. The voice provided by Brian K. Vaughan is such a strange and unusual balance that it just feels unlike any comic book out there. The story takes the obvious clichés picked by Vaughan and makes them into something new and interesting with every turn.
A basic Romeo & Juliet set-up (or West Side Story depending on your flavor) is filled by clever dialogue. With tons of vulgarity (and sex…and violence), the writing might offend some readers especially since Vaughan gives it a very fairytale feel. The first six issues has tons of offensive stuff, but still manages to come out as a very touching love story.
Saga #4
Part of Saga’s success has to be the likable characters of Alana and Marko who are frank…very frank. I also however love the side story of the Will and the Lying Cat who has yet to come to complete fruition in this story. Prince Robot IV is a very strange concept, and I have yet to figure out how the planet Landfall really functions in its leadership, but Vaughan makes it easy to look forward to learning more about all the characters involved. I do worry about the Hazel narration at points since she could tip the hat too much to reveal the future, and Izabel just kind of reminds me of an older version of Vaughan’s Runaways character Molly Hayes…and I’m not sure I love that.
The story is enhanced by Fiona Staples’ incredible art which really brings out the story (and some of the perverse images). I have to commend both Staples and Vaughan on choosing such a great quality of stock and publication too (which I sometimes don’t even notice). The colors really just leap off the page and give it that fairytale feel it needs.
Saga—Volume 1 is a must for adult comic book readers. Don’t let it fall into young kids hands despite the nice bright look of the book. It is for adults, and I hope, much like Vaughan’s Y—The Last Man, he has a nice long plan ahead for this fun series.
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