Saga, Volume 1.

Author: Brian K. Vaughan Illustrator: Fiona Staples

Publisher: Image Comics

Genre: Graphic Novel, Sequential Art, Science Fiction

Release Date: October 23rd 2012 (first published October 10th 2012)

Page Count: 160

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781607066019

Collects Saga issues #1-6.

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Author | Illustrator
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Book Depository | Amazon | Chapters/Indigo | Goodreads

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It seems as though everyone on this planet has read or talked about Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Almost every single booktuber, every single person I’m friends with on Goodreads and every single one of my comic book / graphic novel loving friends has talked about Saga and every single person has given it an amazing review. I knew it was something that I needed to pick up and read ASAP, but every time I made a trip over to my local book store I just never felt like reading it right at that moment. Recently though, I decided TODAY IS THE DAY and I finally picked up my copy of Saga Volume 1 and I now regret pushing it back for this long.

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Goodreads Synopsis: 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 universe. 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 world. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

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This was my first experience with a graphic novel by Brian K. Vaughan and also my first experience with art by Fiona Staples…and I hope it won’t be my last! Saga has been extremely hyped up with the amount of people who swear by it and love it. The danger in that is that sometimes things can get a little over-hyped which causes me to have extremely high expectations. I usually try to go into new novels blindly without researching on the thoughts of other reviewers, but it was literally impossible to avoid hearing about everyone’s love for this graphic novel series. I am so happy to say that Saga volume one lived up to all of my expectations.

Saga tells the story of two soldiers, Alana and Marko, who are on opposite sides of a long-time war and eventually end up falling in love and running off together. Obviously, this sounds very Romeo and Juliet, but Romeo and Juliet didn’t have a baby to worry about! What I love about the way this story is written is that parts of it are told by Hazel, Alana and Marko’s baby daughter, sometime in the future after the present events that are happening currently. Saga gives a new and exciting approach to a very standard and typical story arch. The writing is funny, crude and smart and very well done.

Apart from the creative and unique take on the standard forbidden love story line, Saga contains some of the most unique creature concepts I have ever seen. There are no other alien-like beings like the ones that exist within Saga that I have ever seen before. Not to mention how beautifully drawn they are. Fiona Staples is an amazing artist and she also happens to be Canadian…BONUS! The detail, colouring and everything else about the art within Saga is just simply amazing!

Each of the main characters are fantastic and so creatively different from one another. Marko and Alana make a great pair, and the added frustration of having a new born baby while also trying to outrun members of each of their own armies makes for some great comic relief. On top of being on the run from those they used to work with, there are also two bounty hunters set to kill them as well as, one of the most unique takes on an alien/creature in my opinion, Prince Robot IV…a man with a computer/tv screen for a head? I mean come on, so weirdly creative it’s awesome!

Saga was everything I hoped it would be and then some. I highly recommend getting your hands on this graphic novel series! I can’t wait to continue reading (I just picked up volumes 2 & 3) and see just how much more creative this story can get!