Saga – Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples – #1-18 Review

Two worlds at war, the planet of Landfall and its moon Wreath. Two different cultures, one based around science and the other on magic. Two star crossed lovers from either side of the divide. The perfect set up for this comic, written by Brian K Vaughan and beautifully illustrated by Fiona Staples. Alana met Marko in unusual circumstances, she was his prison warden. Marko was taken as a prisoner of war when he gave himself up to the opposition forces. He’s not a natural fighter, more of a lover, a gentle spirit that sees the similarities more than the differences. He offers Alana a ring that allows them to communicate, through use of magic. This simple gesture sets in motion their strange love affair, which eventually leads to the two of them being on the run, with a child that no one thought possible.

The couple and the child are wanted by both sides, dead or alive. To help with this process, a number of bounty hunters are employed to track them down. These bounty hunters are a surprisingly likeable group and have their own interesting stories to tell. They are not the cold blooded creatures you would expect, but are other characters in the main story, as they try to keep pace with the fleeing family.

Prince Robot IV is one of the pursuers and is from the royal family of the Robot Kingdom. This is a fascinating race of robots complete with a computer monitor for their head! Prince Robot is literally blue blooded and has an impressive disdain for the life of most humanoids. They will hopefully be developed further as the story continues.

The narrator of the piece is the child that was born, she recounts her parent’s adventures and speaks of their trials and tribulations, sometimes giving hints of events yet to happen, and viewing it as if it’s ancient history. We don’t know where she is now, or what condition she is in, but she has survived to some point in the future, to be able to tell this tale.

The art of Fiona Staples is something of a revelation. While the colouring may let the piece down slightly, her clean lines and wonderful creations add to the complexity of the story, and constantly keep you amused. She has an impressive imagination to come up with such oddities, and there is some image or idea in almost every comic to keep you enthralled. Brian K Vaughan the writer of Y the Last Man is back doing what he does best. It is very much a road movie (or comic), and whips along at a good pace. There’s a healthy body count along the way with minor characters being disposed of and you’re never sure which direction it will move in next.

This books is like eating popcorn, you just can’t stop reading it, even though you know you’ve had enough. Prepare for a few late nights if you do decide to pick it up, as you’ll rush from cover to cover. It is a real page turner, and often leaves you on a cliff hanger, forcing you on to the next episode. The banter between the characters is very amusing, and it is not short on laughs. Some of it is on a quite serious level and it deals with sexual politics and modern relationships through the various battles and chases. It is not high art, but it’s a very enjoyable ride.

Saga is published by Image Comics.