SAGA #1
IMAGE COMICS
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
WRITER: Brian K. Vaughan
ART/COLORS: Fiona Staples
LETTERS: Fonografiks
44pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (March 2012)
Rated M / Mature
Chapter One
Saga is an award-winning comic book series created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples. Vaughan is best known for the comic book series, Y: The Last Man. Saga follows a husband and wife, each a member of two long-warring extraterrestrial races, fleeing authorities from both sides as they struggle to care for their new-born daughter.
Saga #1 is set against the the backdrop of a ceaseless war between “Landfall,” the largest planet in the galaxy, and its satellite moon, “Wreath,” that has spread across the galaxy. On Cleave, an ancient planet caught in the war, two people from each side of the war meet. Private First Class Alana of Landfall and Marko, a foot solider from Wreath who is also known as Prisoner #9763572, are deserters and a married couple. Alana has just given birth to their first child, a daughter, and now, the forces of their home worlds are arrayed against them.
THE LOWDOWN: Saga is not the first tale of “star-crossed lovers,” nor is it the most famous. That would be William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Still, Saga may prove to be the most imaginative take on the story of lovers who come from opposite sides in a bloody, endless, and seemingly pointless conflict. The more people that read it, the more fans Saga will likely gain.
Writer Brian K. Vaughn offers two delightful characters who make up our-lovers-on-the-run; witty and charming, they make their flight seem a romantic romp as much as it is a race for survival. There are wicked and charming supporting characters like Special Agent Gale (of Secret Intelligence), Prince Robot IV, and The Will and his lying cat. Also for a narrative that mixes science fiction and low fantasy, Vaughn's dialogue is refreshingly modern and vulgar.
Probably the most striking thing about Saga, the thing that makes it so fresh, snappy, and mesmerizing is Fiona Staples illustrations and graphical storytelling. It is like Ralph Bakshi meets Eddie Campbell, a screwy blend of trippy animation style and matter of fact comic book design. Each panel has its own interior graphic design that is ordinary and elegant at the same time.
I originally received a PDF review copy of Saga #1 that Image Comics provided to media outlets, which I never got around to reading. I found a nice-looking copy of the fifth printing of the first issue on eBay that I could not pass up, so now it is time for me to catch up. And after one issue, I see why this series has won so many awards.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Brian K. Vaughn will want to read Saga.
A
9 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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