The Archive

Saga

Saga:  A crazy space opera with talking cats, magic, mutilated ghost babysitters, and breastfeeding.

What do you call a comic when you toss in space opera, family, open sexuality, PTSD-ridden robot things, bounty hunters, crazy ex-girlfriends, gay fish reporters, and an ongoing galactic war? Beats the fuck outta me, but you would get something resembling Saga. With Brian K. Vaughan writing the story and the very beautiful artwork that seemingly came outta left field from Fiona Staples, Saga is the one series that is worth jumping into.

 


Alana meeting her father-in-law for the first time.

The story revolves around two soldiers on opposite sides of a war falling in love. They end up having a child together, which according to the attitudes revolving around the conflict, is really really bad. Both sides don't want this to get out so bounty hunters, TV headed nobles, and even jaded ex-girlfriends are on their heels forcing them to stay on the move with their child. The tale is told from the viewpoints of the parents, the bounty hunters, and referenced as flashbacks from the parent's child herself. What we get from Saga is something new and very entertaining.


The Will and his sidekick Lying Cat.

First of all, lets get the obvious out of the way. Brian K. Vaughan has written a ton of great comics with soul crushing endings. For example, Pride of Baghdad centers around a pack of lions who escape the zoo during the Iraq war. The entire story (which is a great read by the way) seems like a dark ride through a beautiful Disney film ends exactly the way you would imagine. He also wrote Y The Last Man and Ex-Machina which were well worth reads, but left me depressed by their endings. Who knows if he will continue the trend with Saga, and if you are into happy, cut and dry endings, this is a warning. That doesn't mean the ride isn't anything less than facinating.  However it turns out, it's a series that's worth seeing through to the end.