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A review by mediaevalmuse
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
5.0
Finally, finally I’m reviewing Saga. I could not read this trade fast enough. It was basically all of my favorite things rolled into one: an exciting space opera, a tale of two lovers defying political and social odds, aliens and mystical creatures, multiple storylines, beautiful art, I could go on and on. If you’re a sci fi fan and aren’t adverse to some sexually explicit imagery, read Saga.
Things I Liked
1. Characters: The characters of Saga, in my opinion, are what make this story really memorable. We’ve got Alana and Marko, star-crossed lovers who bring a child into a universe torn apart by war. We’ve also got characters like Prince Robot IV, who hunts them, but is rather sympathetic with his weariness of war. Bounty hunters The Will and The Stalk are also around, and their story is just getting started. By far, my favorites are Izabel and Lying Cat, the former being a ghost and the latter being a large cat that detects when someone isn’t telling the truth. With characters such as these, what could be a run-of-the-mill political space opera about two people who fall in love becomes rather an exciting narrative about a whole host of characters.
2. Pace: Saga moves briskly, but not so briskly that readers miss out on what’s going on. The story is rather deliberately told without bogging the reader down, and on top of that, there are multiple storylines to fill in gaps where there would otherwise be rather slow moments.
3. Art: Fiona Staples’ art is phenomenal. Her depictions of multiple alien races, planets, and objects such as a wooden spaceship are breathtaking and really enhance the feeling of otherworldliness in the story. Everything also looks very organic, so there aren’t a whole lot of mechanical objects, even when it comes to spaceships and the bodies of certain characters. Everything feels like it belongs in the same universe, and visually, it’s a delight to see.
4. Narrative: I’m very glad that this story didn’t start with the beginning of Alana and Marko’s relationship. Those stories are prevalent enough already where I feel like they’d bog down the reader if told again. Instead, this comic is about the aftermath of the birth of Hazel, and though it’s a chase/pursuit narrative at its core (which I normally don’t enjoy), there’s enough going on between the characters and between multiple storylines that I felt engaged with the story.
Things I Didn’t Like
I honestly can’t think of anything - this comic is just getting started and there’s so much more awesome to come.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in space operas, fictional worlds and races, war, interplanetary conflict, star-crossed lovers, bounty hunters, and chase/pursuit narratives.
Things I Liked
1. Characters: The characters of Saga, in my opinion, are what make this story really memorable. We’ve got Alana and Marko, star-crossed lovers who bring a child into a universe torn apart by war. We’ve also got characters like Prince Robot IV, who hunts them, but is rather sympathetic with his weariness of war. Bounty hunters The Will and The Stalk are also around, and their story is just getting started. By far, my favorites are Izabel and Lying Cat, the former being a ghost and the latter being a large cat that detects when someone isn’t telling the truth. With characters such as these, what could be a run-of-the-mill political space opera about two people who fall in love becomes rather an exciting narrative about a whole host of characters.
2. Pace: Saga moves briskly, but not so briskly that readers miss out on what’s going on. The story is rather deliberately told without bogging the reader down, and on top of that, there are multiple storylines to fill in gaps where there would otherwise be rather slow moments.
3. Art: Fiona Staples’ art is phenomenal. Her depictions of multiple alien races, planets, and objects such as a wooden spaceship are breathtaking and really enhance the feeling of otherworldliness in the story. Everything also looks very organic, so there aren’t a whole lot of mechanical objects, even when it comes to spaceships and the bodies of certain characters. Everything feels like it belongs in the same universe, and visually, it’s a delight to see.
4. Narrative: I’m very glad that this story didn’t start with the beginning of Alana and Marko’s relationship. Those stories are prevalent enough already where I feel like they’d bog down the reader if told again. Instead, this comic is about the aftermath of the birth of Hazel, and though it’s a chase/pursuit narrative at its core (which I normally don’t enjoy), there’s enough going on between the characters and between multiple storylines that I felt engaged with the story.
Things I Didn’t Like
I honestly can’t think of anything - this comic is just getting started and there’s so much more awesome to come.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in space operas, fictional worlds and races, war, interplanetary conflict, star-crossed lovers, bounty hunters, and chase/pursuit narratives.