REVIEW: Saga #10

Saga is the tale of Alana and Marko, two lovers from warring worlds—Landfall and its moon, Wreath. They are joined by their baby, Hazel, who narrates their journeys through a war torn galaxy. It is a Romeo and Juliet space opera, filled with unique characters and fascinating scenery. The series blends elements of science fiction and fantasy, with a hint of politics and humanism. After nine issues, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples continue to captivate readers with their enormous creativity and understanding of human nature.

SAGA #10
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Letterer: Fonografiks
Colorist: Fiona Staples
Editor: Eric Stephenson
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

Previously in Saga: Alana and Marko have escaped the planet Cleave, only to be attacked by Marko’s parents on their tree spaceship. After their ghost babysitter, Izabel, is banished to a nearby planet, Marko and his mother go to retrieve her. They must find her soon because the planet is hatching, which will destroy it and all its inhabitants. Meanwhile, The Will, a bounty hunter who is tracking our star-crossed lovers, is having terrible luck. His ex-lover, the Stalk, is dead and the girl he tried to save from Sextillion, Slave Girl, is still trapped there. Worse, his employer, Gwendolyn, has found him, wondering why he has not killed Marko and Alana yet. Fortunately for The Will, Gwendolyn pulled some political strings to get Slave Girl out of Sextillion and attempt a rescue. After a brief confrontation, The Will, Slave Girl, and Gwendolyn continue their search for Marko and Alana.

CASUALTIES OF WAR

After a full issue focusing on The Will and his troubles, Brian K. Vaughan returns to Marko and his mother in their search for Izabel. Saga #10 also reveals more of Alana and Marko’s back story when they were together on Cleave. Brian K. Vaughan does an excellent job balancing story events with Hazel’s narration. Her character provides a distinctive voice to the series: a child who has been through much from the beginning, developing an old soul in her young age. She builds suspense by linking lessons taught to her as she recounts her past. Although Hazel’s future seems to be laid out, the same cannot be said for the other characters; their fate is a mystery. The characters are also very layered. Each carries weight with their personalities, such as secrets or relationships. With strong characters come a great story; every character plays an essential role in Hazel’s upbringing. Another aspect of Saga I enjoy is the endless amounts of creativity churned out by the author. The concept of a planet being an egg is novel. I loved how this issue ended. Even though this character’s demise will harden the mood of the comic, the death is needed to cover future plot holes.

SCIENCE AND MAGIC

Fiona Staples artwork continues to be imaginative and groundbreaking. Her mythological animal- humanoid designs of new characters, like the Mid-Wives, are flawless and creepy. The magical elements, such as teleportations and transformations, balance out the established science fiction aspects and futuristic technology. Although her design is consistent, it is not as polished compared to other artists in the comic industry. Still, there are some amazing visuals in this issue, such as the planet hatching. The ending sequence is almost silent but heartbreaking. Since she is the main artist of this series, it is hard to see anyone else create the kind of work Fiona Staples puts into Saga in every issue.

BOTTOM LINE: PICK UP THIS ISSUE

Without the rules of an established universe, Saga explores the boundaries of comic imagination. The combination of Brian Vaughan’s writing and Fiona Staples’s artwork form a perfect union suited for the epic space opera. They take advantage of their creative freedom, continuing a wondrous adventure rife with drama, suspense, action, and politics. I recommend picking up this series if you
have not already.

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