Saga, Vol. 1 Library Binding Author: Visit Amazon's Brian K. Vaughan Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0606324321 | Format: PDF
Saga, Vol. 1 Library Binding Description
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Vaughan, writer of the hugely successful Y: The Last Man, isn’t one to think small. In this opener to his ambitious new series, bits of sf space opera and classic fantasy mesh in setting a sprawling stage for an intensely personal story of two lovers, cleverly narrated by their newborn daughter. Though recently soldiers from opposite sides of a massive intergalactic war, moth-winged Alana and ram-horned Marko simply want peace and anonymity to raise their daughter (an abomination to the powers that be) away from conflict and hatred. Vaughan’s whip-snap dialogue is as smart, cutting, and well timed as ever, and his characters are both familiar enough to acclimate easily to and deep enough to stay interested in as their relationships bend, break, and mend. While Vaughan will be the star power that attracts readers, do-it-all artist Staples is going to be the one who really wows them. Her character designs dish out some of the best aliens around, the immersive world-crafting is lushly detailed and deeply thought through, and the spacious layouts keep the focus squarely on the personal element, despite the chaotic cosmos they inhabit. Add another winner to Vaughan’s stable of consistently epic, fresh, and endearing stories. --Ian Chipman
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
- Library Binding: 160 pages
- Publisher: Turtleback (October 23, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0606324321
- ISBN-13: 978-0606324328
- Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
For many years, Brian K. Vaughan has been dazzling us and making our heads spin with his wordsmithing and storytelling on some of the greatest comics of the last decade or so. Books like Y: THE LAST MAN, EX MACHINA and his initial run on RUNAWAYS are the stuff that comic book readers' dreams are made of. Alas, since the devastating finale of EX MACHINA, he took some well-deserved time off, but when he announced a new creator-owned series for Image Comics that was apparently going to be "STAR WARS meets ROMEO AND JULIET meets GAME OF THRONES", people's heads started to explode with anticipation. But would it live up to the inevitable hype surrounding a work by Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples?
Short answer: Abso-freakin'-loutely.
SAGA is the type of space opera that only someone like Vaughan could do, and do with enough smarts, fun, emotion, action and surprises to keep the audience wrapped around his finger. It's the story of Marko and Alana, a pair of star-cross'd lovers from different sides of warring planets. Alana is from the planet Landfall, a place of great technological advancement, and their planet is in constant conflict with the magic-wielders of that planet's moon Wreath, where Marko hails from. Marko was captured after a battle with Landfall where he threw down his arms because he is a self-proclaimed conscientious objector, and he was imprisoned, where Alana, who was also somewhat disgraced in her military service, is his prison guard. Fast-forward several months, and Alana is giving birth to their child, Hazel, the actual narrator of the series. The very beginning of the series is dedicated to her actually giving birth, and it's hilarious and beautiful and suspenseful since they are being pursued from both sides of this galaxy-wide conflict.
I've been reading comic books for about 20 years. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I tell you that this is the best comic book I have read in my entire life. I've been a huge fan of Brian K. Vaughan, largely in part to his talent in creating new and engaging characters in a comic industry that has become a little bit stagnant. His work on Runaways and The Hood really intrigued me, because he has a knack for making over-the-top characters seem incredibly believable and real with his dialogue and exposition. He has a talent that few, if any comic writers can claim to equal.
I picked up this trade on a whim, simply because it had Vaughan's name on it, (and who am I kidding? It was cheap!) I flipped it open and experienced the first page, which literally made me burst into laughter. Comics just don't DO that very often! I was laughing out loud in my local shop, and I'm sure that I looked like a loon, but I didn't care. I immediately purchased this book and headed back to my house to read it. I read it three times in a row; I could not believe the caliber of book I was reading.
Vaughan has created a universe that is completely ridiculous. I mean that in a good way. He has introduced to us a world that is so sickening, gorgeous, bewildering, and imaginative all at the same time. This story is essentially Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet. It's such an injustice to categorize it like this, as that description doesn't do it justice at all, but it's as close as I can come off the cuff. Now, as you'd expect, the writing is superb. Vaughan has made this world so out of the ordinary, and yet somehow so relatable with his grounded dialogue and narration carrying the story along.
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