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Kemper's Reviews > Saga, Volume 1
Saga, Volume 1
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Kemper's review
bookshelves: 2012, comics, war, spooky-powers, magic, sci-fi, fantasy, space, saga
Nov 30, 2012
bookshelves: 2012, comics, war, spooky-powers, magic, sci-fi, fantasy, space, saga
Some of the elements in Saga:
1) Star crossed lovers who were soldiers in opposing armies of an intersteller war who have a baby and are being hunted by both sides.
2) A royal family comprised of humanistic robots with TVs for heads.
3) Magic
4) Ghosts.
5) A bounty hunter with a giant cat that acts as a lie detector.
6) A forest that grows wooden rocketships
And that’s just the start.
I’m a huge fan of Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina so no surprise that I loved this. What is surprising is just how bat shit crazy he made this story. Yes, Y:TLM was about the sudden deaths of almost every male on earth, and Ex Machina used the idea of a super hero as the mayor of New York right after 9/11, but both of those started with the real world as the baseline and then explored what happened if you introduced a fantastic element to it.
Saga has no similar foundation in a recognizable reality, yet once again Vaughan creates familiar and likeable characters that you can’t help but root for. Alana and Marko’s quest to find a safe place to raise their baby is something that anyone can relate to. When they bicker, it reads like real people squabbling. So even though he has horns like a ram and she looks like Rosario Dawson with wings, they could be any young couple trying to protect themselves and their child in desperate circumstances. That the circumstances are like a dream that Neil Gaiman would have while running a high fever and taking too much cold medicine is just the window dressing that make the story so much fun.
It’s like a sci-fi fairy tale with a layer of gritty realism to it. It’s also one of the best comics I’ve read recently, and I can’t wait to see how this story plays out.
1) Star crossed lovers who were soldiers in opposing armies of an intersteller war who have a baby and are being hunted by both sides.
2) A royal family comprised of humanistic robots with TVs for heads.
3) Magic
4) Ghosts.
5) A bounty hunter with a giant cat that acts as a lie detector.
6) A forest that grows wooden rocketships
And that’s just the start.
I’m a huge fan of Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina so no surprise that I loved this. What is surprising is just how bat shit crazy he made this story. Yes, Y:TLM was about the sudden deaths of almost every male on earth, and Ex Machina used the idea of a super hero as the mayor of New York right after 9/11, but both of those started with the real world as the baseline and then explored what happened if you introduced a fantastic element to it.
Saga has no similar foundation in a recognizable reality, yet once again Vaughan creates familiar and likeable characters that you can’t help but root for. Alana and Marko’s quest to find a safe place to raise their baby is something that anyone can relate to. When they bicker, it reads like real people squabbling. So even though he has horns like a ram and she looks like Rosario Dawson with wings, they could be any young couple trying to protect themselves and their child in desperate circumstances. That the circumstances are like a dream that Neil Gaiman would have while running a high fever and taking too much cold medicine is just the window dressing that make the story so much fun.
It’s like a sci-fi fairy tale with a layer of gritty realism to it. It’s also one of the best comics I’ve read recently, and I can’t wait to see how this story plays out.
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Reading Progress
November 30, 2012
–
Started Reading
November 30, 2012
– Shelved
December 1, 2012
–
Finished Reading
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message 1:
by
Dan
(new)
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rated it 4 stars
Dec 01, 2012 06:47AM
I want to read this but I might wait until it's finished. Waiting for the new volume of Y to come out so I could get my fix was torture.
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Dan wrote: "I want to read this but I might wait until it's finished. Waiting for the new volume of Y to come out so I could get my fix was torture."Yeah, I started Y when it was close to finishing so didn't have to wait long for the end, but counting the days between Ex Machina collections was no fun.
Nice review. I have been reading this fantastic series by the month . I loved it from the first issue in, which is usually not how it goes for me. I wish Star Wars were like this.
Anthony wrote: "Nice review. I have been reading this fantastic series by the month . I loved it from the first issue in, which is usually not how it goes for me. I wish if Star Wars were like this."Now that Lucas has sold it to Disney, maybe they'll get somebody to come up with something cool for the next ones.
I liked the book very much. I don't get the tv heads.
Tamahome wrote: "I liked the book very much. I don't get the tv heads."I'm pretty curious as to what the story is with them, too.
I have been waiting to make this series one i read in volumes only. BKV is very talented,creative writer. I enjoyed The Hood mini and Runaways too.
The Batman and Wonder Woman False Faces trade is clever too. He had this really funny interview on the dc comics podcast with a Vertigo editor, but it seems offline now.
Oh, geez. I forgot all about Runaways. That was good too.
Are you going to track down Manhattan Projects? This seems to be the year for Image Comics.
Kemper wrote: "Oh, geez. I forgot all about Runaways. That was good too."And Joss Whedon took it over after Brian.
I really wanted this to win the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ category for best graphic novel of 2012. This may be my favorite series right now.
Kemper wrote: "Oh, geez. I forgot all about Runaways. That was good too."I thought what is wrong with Kemper here how can he not mention The Runaways ;)
Seriously underrated compared to Y The Last Man and should have been longer run. Not many good,different teen age superhero books like that. Neat idea behind that series.
Alex wrote: "Are you going to track down Manhattan Projects? This seems to be the year for Image Comics."I may have to check it out at some point.
Tamahome wrote: "Kemper wrote: "Oh, geez. I forgot all about Runaways. That was good too."And Joss Whedon took it over after Brian."
Yeah, he had a pretty good run there.
Amanda wrote: "I really wanted this to win the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ category for best graphic novel of 2012. This may be my favorite series right now."Yeah, it was one of the best graphic novels/comics I read this year and that's saying something with Fatale, American Vampire, Snyder's Black Mirror, etc.
Mohammed wrote: "I thought what is wrong with Kemper here how can he not mention The Runaways ;)."It's weird that I completely blanked on that one. I'll blame the liquor.
Kemper wrote: "Tamahome wrote: "I liked the book very much. I don't get the tv heads."
I'm pretty curious as to what the story is with them, too."
Because it's an ingenious way to show a character having PTSD.
I'm pretty curious as to what the story is with them, too."
Because it's an ingenious way to show a character having PTSD.
@Kemper: Very cool review, though I'd disagree with you on SAGA having no "recognizable reality." Maybe not recognizable in the real-world sense, but wouldn't SAGA be playing off of another reality that is all too familiar to comics fans (or almost any one else), namely that galaxy, far, far away?
And that IS Rosario Dawson with clipped wings, isn't it?!
Oliver wrote: "@Kemper: Very cool review, though I'd disagree with you on SAGA having no "recognizable reality." Maybe not recognizable in the real-world sense, but wouldn't SAGA be playing off of another reali..."
Thanks. I was talking about Saga not being set in the 'real' world, not comparing it to other sci-fi universes.
Right, just seemed like you were implying that Vaughn was sorta starting from scratch with SAGA, which he's not. Nevermind.
Awesome review Kemper!! I loved this book too and I really can't wait to see what would happen next!
WOOHOO, right on. Great review :)
Kat Stark wrote: "WOOHOO, right on. Great review :)"Thanks! I just read yours too. You're gonna love the next couple of volumes too.
Kemper wrote: "Kat Stark wrote: "WOOHOO, right on. Great review :)"
Thanks! I just read yours too. You're gonna love the next couple of volumes too."
It's true that they're highly addictive. I already ordered the next two.
Thanks! I just read yours too. You're gonna love the next couple of volumes too."
It's true that they're highly addictive. I already ordered the next two.
Too many people like it now. It's not cool anymore.
Tamahome wrote: "Too many people like it now. It's not cool anymore."I didn't realize comic books were like bands for hipsters.
This comment alone just sealed my fate into reading this!
