One of the greatest original comic book series out right now
For comic book fans, the name Brian K. Vaughan means something. It means Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Mystique, and Runaways. For a TV audience he was a writer for a lot of episodes in Season 4 of Lost and is connected with the current CBS show, Under the Dome. But bringing us back to comic book fans, he's usually listed up there as one of the great ones such as Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller. And his ongoing comic book series Saga, which is co-created and drawn by artist Fiona Staples, has permanently cemented himself as one of the greatest visionaries in comics.
What is Saga?
Brian K. Vaughan described the series as "Star Wars for perverts." That was in a joking manner, as many people have referred to it more as, "Star Wars meets Game of Thrones." This could give you a clear vision of what people mean by that. The title suggest a large sweeping epic canvas that goes across the universe with multiple characters to follow in this large ensemble tale. But really in the end the story revolves around three people: Alana, Marko, and their infant daughter Hazel.
The drive of the story is really about a married couple, who should not be together, and how they deal with raising a child in a universe torn apart by war. Alana is from a race of fairy and angelic aliens who embrace technology. Marko is from a race of horned aliens who embrace magic. Science and magic don't mix well so they're at war. And so that is where the Romeo and Juliet story plays in the backstory of these two characters who fell in love despite being on opposite sides of the war. And in their union they created Hazel, a horned winged alien.
Now, one might think the drive of this story will be that because of this union she is the chosen one. However as Hazel points out in the narration, this story is narrated by her, she is not the chosen one of some prophecy. She's just a child, and her parents just want to raise her in a world that seems like it is falling apart.
There are definitely other characters I'd like to touch upon like Prince Robot IV or The Will and his partner Lying Cat. But really, you have to read this collection in order to understand how strange and how powerful this series is.
What is this Deluxe Hardcover about?
This deluxe hardcover collects the first three trade paperbacks of the series (issues 1-18). So if you already own those three paperbacks, then there really isn't a point in getting this volume other than having a nice book in your shelf. But for those who haven't, this is definitely a volume that must be bought immediately. It is a weird and powerful story that you won't find in any superhero comics these days. The last time something weird like this that was Superhero related was Joe Casey's Godland which was a direct reference to Jack Kirby's work at DC Comics.
This price is $50 but it is well worth it. This is the definitive edition of Saga, and how it was intended to be read. If you're an Image Comic addict, like me, then one should've know that they would've collected this series into a hardcover eventually. Patience pays off, unlike DC and Marvel who don't seem to know when is the right time to release a hardcover edition of their best collections.
GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER DC AND MARVEL!
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