Well it took five, very long months but now it is safe to say that I am caught up with all of you! SAGA has now been put into my pull bin and I have read all five issues to get into the monthly schedule. Of course the moment I do that, Brian K. Vaughan decides to take a bit of a hiatus and now we have to wait until November for the next issue. But I’m not gonna let that bog me down, I’m on the sixth issue and I gotta say: I love this series.
It is a very strange title though, because I’m not sure why I love it. The premise isn’t entirely original when you think about it. Romeo and Juliet in Space? I know I’ve seen that before. A species that have TV’s for a head? Clearly inspired by FLCL. Add in a big chase in space and you got have millions of titles to reference in any media. Somehow though, BKV is able to put all of these things together and make it fascinating to read. There’s a great amount of humor and action to balance it out and it can get very violent when need be. This issue in particular is a bit more on the humor side but when we get towards the end there is a very violent ambush that made me upset to see a certain character get hurt. (Although I have a feeling he/she is okay) Also, what help this book is the character interactions and most of them feel believable. You can sense the love between Marko and Alana even if they are snippy at each other most of the issue. Stuff like that goes a long way for making this more interesting to read then a typical comic book.
The only series I ever read with Fiona Staples on art was North 40. That was a very strange, horror comic that I did like the art in more than the story. Although it has been a while since I read it so I have no idea if the series is similar to what Staples is giving to this title. (Also, another way to thank Josh Flanagan because like Brit I got that series for free at an iFanboy meet.) ‘Strange’ is a good word though for her art because it is very difficult to pinpoint why I love it so much. It has a very simple feel to it when you first look at it, especially in the backgrounds. Most of the backgrounds look like they were done in watercolor but you can really see some detail in them. The mountain ranges are a simple shape but you can see the depth to them when you inspect them closer. Same goes with the character designs. She puts a lot of great emotions on these characters so when someone is angry you can see it and each panel transition doesn’t look stiff or uneven.
So yes, I have fallen in love with this series like the rest of you. Although I have to say: Manhattan Projects is MILES better. Not because I love Jonathan Hickman or Nick Pitarra, but because there is some more originality to it and also it is fucking crazy. But there is more than enough things to love about this series to make it an ‘A’ rated title. You got the typical BKV writing that has a great mix of humor and characterization. Add in some gorgeous Fiona Staples art and it’s a no brainer (hey I used this three straight times!) that this is a much beloved series. Now….how to handle the two months hiatus?