Oh my. This compendium is absolutely stunning. I read all 1300+ pages in a single day because I couldn't put it down, and I don't know if I'l5/5 stars
Oh my. This compendium is absolutely stunning. I read all 1300+ pages in a single day because I couldn't put it down, and I don't know if I'll find a graphic novel quite like it again. It also absolutely destroyed me and I'd like to unread the last few pages because they broke my heart.
The story is a little bit Romeo and Juliet, a little bit Game of Thrones, and it's all set in space. It's full of bizarre fantasy creatures, from tiny talking rodents to humanoid television sets, to giant planet devouring infants, and it all fits together seamlessly in this world. I was extremely impressed by the delivery of so much info at such a good pace in this format; I hadn't expected the level of world building I'd find in a series of novels in a graphic novel series, simply because so much of the storytelling is visual, but Saga absolutely delivers. As the main characters (a couple and their child) travel through space, trying to find a home for their family despite being hunted by monsters, government agencies, and exes, we're gradually introduced to a wider cast and new facets of this vast universe.
There's also some excellent use of narration. The story is being told by the fleeing couple's daughter, but the actual narration is used sparingly. There are little pieces of it woven into panels here and there, drawing your attention to certain themes and recurring elements as needed. I thought it added a lot to the story, and added a lot of emotional emphasis to certain scenes. The themes themselves were well written, and there are some interesting conversations about morally gray topics that take place between characters.
Okay, characters. Possibly the best part of this series (but please don't ask me to choose, it's all good). The dialogue is SO strong and the characters are developed quickly and naturally. Their reactions to their environment are very distinct, and you get an idea of who they are and what they value from the very first scenes. Alana and Marko, the main couple, are everything, and I adore them with my whole heart. I don't know how many times their dialogue made me laugh, but they also had serious moments that carried an appropriate amount of weight. They're young and naive in some ways, but they've also been through a lot and they're going to fight for what they have, and I loved their relationship. I loved that they struggled, and doubted each other and themselves, and I liked that they were able to go through phases where they were distant from each other and phases where they were very close. It felt like a real relationship.
The secondary characters are also great. The plot follows several different groups like Game of Thrones, so you'll switch between the main group, bounty hunters, a royal family, etc. They've all got their own agenda, it's all intertwined, and none of it is boring. There is also excellent representation in this book. There are a wide variety of skin tones, gender expressions, and sexualities in the cast, and I thought it was all done really well.
I also have to take a minute to talk about the art because it's beautiful? So so beautiful. And funny too. The artist is great at capturing movement in wide landscape shots, and the facial expressions and emotions of the characters were drawn well too.
My only real complaint is that there's a lot of nudity, which I don't generally mind, but some of it felt gratuitous. It wasn't all necessary. However, I did really appreciate that the women weren't overly sexualized, and that the amount of female nudity and male nudity was pretty balanced. It was also pretty body positive, and showed things like stretch marks on a character that had given birth as well as a variety of body types.
Overall, this is an incredible story with enormous scope, intelligent and humorous writing, beautiful art, and characters that will break your heart and put it back together again. It's definitely not a story for kids (see content warnings below), but I'd recommend it to anyone else who likes sci-fi/fantasy.
Content Warnings: violence, murder, sexual abuse (including referenced sexual assault of a child), graphic sexual content, PTSD and scenes depicting the effects of trauma, war, on page miscarriage and discussion of abortion, substance abuse and addiction (drugs), homophobia/transphobia (from characters, but not perpetuated by the narrative)....more
Again, very similar thoughts on this volume as the previous two, with a couple differences.
I've been extremely impressed by the art in this s4/5 stars
Again, very similar thoughts on this volume as the previous two, with a couple differences.
I've been extremely impressed by the art in this series overall. There are some gorgeous panels, and the covers are especially stunning. In this volume in particular I did have some trouble following what was happening due to some intense shadows and panels that were generally very dark, but this was also affected by the plot being somewhat difficult to follow. It felt like the villains came out of nowhere and I was pretty confused at the beginning of the story.
I also felt like there wasn't much character development in this one. I know it's the last volume, and I understand not wanting to add to much new information in the conclusion of a series, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more growth or development of personality.
If you've read other books in this universe and want some additional background, then this series is worth reading. I don't recommend it as an introduction to this world though.
My thoughts on this one are similar to the review I wrote for the first one. Gorgeous art, but a rushed plot. Good if you've read other books4/5 stars
My thoughts on this one are similar to the review I wrote for the first one. Gorgeous art, but a rushed plot. Good if you've read other books set in this universe, but potentially confusing otherwise.
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