Saga: Volume 1

by Brian K. Vaughan (Author), Fiona Staples (Illustrator)

Saga earns its cred by not shying away from difficult topics, which naturally abound when you’re dealing with lovers from two planets at war. The lovers are forced to flee from authorities from both sides of the galactic war as they struggle to care for their infant daughter. Despite some heavy issues, Vaughn’s languid, careful dialogue and Fiona Staples’ spectacular artwork convey every facet of the lives of two lovers who meet while one is a winged solider and one is a horned prisoner of war. Saga is loaded with warmth, humor and affection and is a remarkably balanced, egalitarian and entertaining story. The characters are fascinating; woman/spider hybrid assassins, cycloptic authors, a gigantic cat that knows when you’re lying, web-footed journalists and a prince with a television in place of his head. While the breathtaking artwork puts these characters and their worlds in your head with the glory of a symphony orchestra, part of the beauty of Saga is its subversive nature; the story contains subtle yet potent comments on the role of literature in revolution. Together, Vaughn and Staples create a world so real, so beautifully human that it is without doubt that Saga’s worth lies in the utter realness of its characters, despite the unreality of their appearances.