Brian K. Vaughan’s original, fantasy-punk series has been having it’s praises sung across the internet and beyond! Bringing a truly unique blend of fantasy, science fiction, and war epic, Saga, has been one of the most refreshing ongoing series in the past year. Does the newest issue live up to its legacy? Find out after the jump!
SAGA #6
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Letterer: Fonografiks
Design: Fonografiks
Coordinator: Eric Stephenson
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Previously, in Saga: Star-crossed couple Alana and Mark are on the run with their baby Hazel. Caught in a war between their two species, the lovers are being hunted down by both sides, each wanting them dead and the baby alive.
GOING WELL, BUT A TRIP RIGHT BEFORE THE FINISH
If Saga has one thing going for it its the pacing. There are very few comics that can deliver the sense of plot movement, action, and character development Saga can in each issue without feeling trite. Vaughan makes every issue feel like a complete story, while still making the reader inclined to go pick up the next issue, and without ever relying on cliched elements lesser comics use for cliff hanger endings.
This issue in particular ended the arc in which our heroes try and find a rocket ship forrest. They find a fully grown rocket ship, escape the planet and are off to find sanctuary among the stars. In spite of their efforts, Prince Robot IV, a man(?) with a TV for a head, discovers their destination. The way he does this is by looking through a favored romance novel of Alana (the female lead) and finding where the author of said book lives. That bit was really weak. While the book was set up some issues before; assuming they would go to the author’s home planet is just too big of a leap of faith.
LORD OF THE BRUSH
The art this issue, as it has been throughout the whole series, is fantastic. Fiona Staples maintains detail without going overboard, giving it an almost simplistic look. Its a very colorful comic too, using its wonderful color scheme to its advantage to help tell the story. Staples gives each character a unique base color that really helps the reader differentiate them. This also instills the separation of characters and gives them an underlying uniqueness all their own.
Design wise this issue continues the series’ trend of whimsical fantasy. With a rocket ship that looks like magic tree, spider-people bounty hunters, noseless punk ghost girls, and much more, this series just drips with creativity. Hopefully more fantasy series, and comics in general, embrace the strengths of the medium, for literally ANYTHING can happen in a comic book for a minimal budget, and yet the industry seems to be stuck drawing the same humans over and over again.
THE BOTTOM LINE: STILL GREAT PICK READ IT ALL
The only complaint I had with this issue is a very minor story one. Sometimes we must make conceits to advance an otherwise great plot. The art is still great, and the tale manages to be personal and fantastical at the same time. If you are not reading this, then you are not reading comics.
