Saga tells a tale of two star-crossed lovers, soldiers from the opposite sites of a galactic war who try and bring a new life in those dangerous times. The young family tries to find a place for themselves in this world in this adventure filled adult drama. Volume 1 contains issues #1-6.
I’m not even sure where to start, I LOVE IT!
I feel like Marko and Alana are the perfect representation of new parents, they are trying their hardest with the purest of intentions but everything goes wrong anyway. There is a learning curve that they’re undertaking and it is both hilarious and heartwarming.
There is a depth to both of those characters and we see glimpses of it in Volume 1, when both of them go back into their soldier mentality to protect little Hazel. Marko has placed a personal vow not to hurt awful people, which he breaks when his newborn baby and wife are in danger. He looses control and seeks bloodshed but Alana knows him well enough to stop before he does something he will regret. This particular scene makes me intrigued about the character’s past, we don’t learn much about either of their history to see why they are the way they are, but I can’t wait to find out.
This graphic novel also has some amazing secondary characters. We get to see a little bit of The Will, a freelancer contracted to find and kill both Marko and Alana, and take away the baby, in order to protect the troop morale. Since both parents have run away from their respective armies during an all out war, they are seen as betrayers. The Will has an amazing sidekick, the Lying Cat, and they have a very entertaining relation. I particularly like The Will, because in this Volume, the author has introduced an interesting idea of “some monsters are worse than others…” and I want to see that developed further. It got my full attention.
The variety of characters is enormous, we have TV-face people, seahorses and other creatures that make for a very imaginative fantasy story! Big props to Fiona Staples, the artist behind it all, for she has done a fantastic job of capturing each of them so well. Every character is extremely detailed and the facial expressions are remarkable.
And since I’m talking about artwork, can we all just please take a moment to appreciate Marko’s smile?! It is the work of heavens!
Throughout the story there is an accompanying commentary from the actual newborn baby, Hazel. However in that she seems to be a good bit older, it feels a little bit like she is retelling the story of her parents in a way. It’s a nice touch, it provides insights and depth to the story, it makes you think about what she’s saying, it’s fantastic!
This graphic novel contains a vast story-line that still keeps expanding. One of the main reasons that I know this will become one of my favourite comics is that it already seems to be touching on some very big issues in life – consequences, survival, morals. It does so in a funny and bizarre way, but not too much as to pass it on as a meaningless. Saga has incredible delivery system of the messages it tries to convey, they really stick with the reader.
I can’t oversell this graphic novel, I am so happy I finally picked it up and honestly can’t wait to read more of it! I recommend you check it out too but be warned that it is for adults, it contains sexual and gruesome scenes that some reader may find distressing.
Thank you for taking your time to read this review, I hope you enjoyed it, let me know down in the comment section!
Until next time, Dream On, Dreamers!
The Wolf Pad 