When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. From New York Times bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina) and critically acclaimed artist Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, North 40), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.
by Mike
“Has no business being as good as it is.” – or something along those lines I read somewhere. Maybe in a quote on one of the issues. It is the perfect description of my opinion of this series. Which is a high one, by the way, because the quote could also be read as condescending, which it isn’t. Let me explain:
This is the first graphic novel series that I ever started to read. A friend with a surprising sense for my taste gave the first volume to me for my birthday and wished my wallet luck with all the next ones.
He probably understood that I would fall for the (sometimes literally) balls-out weirdness and humor. And he also understood that I would stay for the surprising depth. This is a universe of interstellar race war, magic, and robot royalty, so yeah; it POSES as some demented take on Star Wars. But this one goes above and beyond to stake its claim as a dramaturgical achievement about the crazy roller coaster parenthood can be.
As the mosaic style story starts to connect characters who all somehow get swept up by the throughline of an endangered infant whose grown-up version narrates it all, you really feel like something that is this goofy, this all-over-the-place – literally, from brothel planets to space faring trees – has no business being so engrossing. I laughed out loud, gasped, and swore at the blatant profanity, gory twists, and ridiculous encounters between even more ridiculous creatures. Main characters either protect or hunt down this one child by the most bonkers blend of sci-fi/fantasy shenanigans, while being written as utterly relatable scum-bags. Everybody in this story is some shade of awful or has been in the past. None of the main characters are safe from each other and they all care about something or someone in a context that moves them to cause others harm.
The art has an understated quality to it which gives it all a rather simplistic look, but the way composition and movement heighten the terrific timing in the imagery make it wholly cinematic. Bringing me to the final point: I truly believe this would not be adaptable to any other medium and therefore am super happy this was my entry into the graphic novel medium. No Hollywood studio or streaming service would dare produce this. Its scope and settings rule out any lower budget adaptations and as an animation it could not have the same cadence that the panels and the composition within them create. This is a unique story in a unique world, uniquely suited for its medium.
Oh, and the representation and inclusion in this one is. On. Point.
And, oh my. Are you choosing to raise a kid? Regardless if that is in the vastness of space and in a hostile universe, Alana, Marko and their impeccable sense of humor will have you identify with the (tree)rocket ride that parenthood can be.
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