We should be talking about this book. Over in a recent blog post, Chris Fluit said:

That’s not to say that everything new has been disappointing or underwhelming. A few new series have turned out to be quite excellent. The first is Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Vaughan is the creative mind behind earlier hits like Ex Machine and Y: The Last Man. Staples demonstrated her artistic flair on the recent mini-series The Mystery Society. So I was definitely looking forward to their new sci-fi epic. My biggest concern was that it wouldn’t be able to live up to my anticipation.

I needn’t have worried. Though it’s very early, Saga has been everything I could have hoped for. A galaxy at war. A central romance. A parade of bounty hunters. Interesting new species, including one that’s a television/human hybrid.

Saga was promoted as Brian K. Vaughan meets Star Wars. That’s a pretty hefty billing to live up to. But Saga is no Star Wars rip-off. There are superficial similarities but Saga draws from classic literature like Romeo & Juliet and modern communication theory as much as it does from popular science fiction.

Perhaps the best thing about Saga is the way in which it keeps the focus on its central couple while using the entire galaxy as a backdrop. This isn’t the story of a galaxy at war. Rather, it’s the story of two young people who are trying to survive and start a family. The galactic conflict provides an epic feel and numerous moments of awe. Yet the personal element is what draws us into the story.


I really don't have anything to add to Chris's intro of the book, but I thought it could use its own home, to allow a bit more freedom to discuss story points, spoilers, and the like.

So...what did everyone think about the most recent issue?

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  • First, the letters pages...where Vaughan talks about the reponses he received to a list of questions to readers he included in the first issue...was just as fun as the rest of the book.  I thought it especially interesting that a reader said that the generic name "Saga" made it hard to find pirated files on the 'net...I wonder if that was Vaughan and Staples' plan or just a lucky coincidence. 

     

    The Will, with the amazing Lying Cat, gets to be more than an evil bounty hunter and I see a Lone Wolf and Cub...or for younger comic readers, Cable and Hope...vibe coming.  I like the addition of the ghost girl to our little family of runaways.  As Holly was reading it, the...um...graphic nature of Sextillion took her off guard for a moment, but she still really likes the book.

  • Is the "graphic nature of Sextillion" why my LCS had it bagged?

  • Uh...yeah.

  • Yeah... pretty graphic.

    Another great issue, though. I love this book from top to bottom. 

  • Just to let y’all know I do listen to recommendations, I did read the first issue, but it didn’t appeal to me. It’s well-told, but it’s not the kind of story I enjoy reading. The comparison to Star Wars is way off base. I classify Star Wars as “science fantasy (in the best sense of the term), but Saga is pure fantasy. It’s set against a science fictional backdrop, to be sure, but at no time did I get the impression that the main characters were alien races rather than fantastic beings, but in outer space rather than some mythical fairyland. It’s well-written and well-drawn and I’m glad it exists for those who like it, but it’s not for everyone.

  • My review of the first issue: http://www.rpsteeves.com/2012/06/wrapped-up-like-comic-review-saga-...

  • You're right, Doc.  That letters page was awesome sauce.  I read it aloud to anacoqui and had her laughing. 

    Doc Beechler (mod-MD) said:

    First, the letters pages...where Vaughan talks about the reponses he received to a list of questions to readers he included in the first issue...was just as fun as the rest of the book.  I thought it especially interesting that a reader said that the generic name "Saga" made it hard to find pirated files on the 'net...I wonder if that was Vaughan and Staples' plan or just a lucky coincidence. 

     

  • I am so behind. I have only read issues 1 and 2. 3 and 4 are waiting for me. Actually I'm behind on most of my comics.

  • Just read issue #1 - not a book I would've sought out for myself, but someone was good enough to send me a copy. Not bad - it is, in my opinion, more"fairy tale" than science fiction", but then so is Star Wars, to my way of thinking.  The artwork is nice, and I have to say that the Lying Cat joins the Catbus on my list of "Ficitonal Cats That I Wish Were Real".

  • I just read the trade and it doesn't have the letters pages. Boo!

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