| Title | : | Saga, Volume 2 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1607066920 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781607066927 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 144 |
| Publication | : | First published June 19, 2013 |
| Awards | : | Hugo Award Best Graphic Story (2014), Harvey Awards Best Continuing or Limited Series, Best Writer (for Brian K. Vaughan), Best Artist (for Fiona Staples) & Best Cover Artist (for Fiona Staples) (2014), Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Best Continuing Series, Best Writer (for Brian K. Vaughan) & Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art) (for Fiona Staples) AND nominated for Best Cover Artist (for Fiona Staples) (2014), Goodreads Choice Award Graphic Novels & Comics (2013) |
Collects: Saga #7-12.
Saga, Volume 2 Reviews
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Dear Mr. Vaughan,
I do not know what process you go though to produce comics like these. I do not know what dark alchemy you perform, what infernal pacts you have agreed to, what terrifying drugs you must imbibe. I have no idea what arcane rituals you must perform every day, what odd odd habits of diet and exorcize you must maintain to keep your mind limber and sparking, to write things like this.
I just wanted to say, whatever it is you're doing, please keep doing it.
Sincerely,
pat -
(A-) 84% | Very Good
Notes: Few things new, but more to chew, still weird, but less and sparing, a smaller-scale family tale, it focuses on pairings. -
review to come, but man, am i loving this series!
okay, time for a real review!
it's hard to know where to begin….
this series is all told from the POV of a girl, detailing the events and adventures of her baby-years and before, including the romantic forbidden love between her parents.
it was not, however, love at first sight.
but it's not all lovey-dovey stuff, nor even lovey-punchy-with-a-rifle stuff. there's also … this
and how much do i love alana? not only for her dry wit
but also for her enthusiasm about BOOKS! well, okay, one book in particular. but still, it's adorable, especially because of this familiar scenario where you're talking about a book you love and your excitement gets in the way of your powers of articulation and you get this reaction to your blathering:
been there, my friends…
but also deep in my heart is lying cat
nooooo! no killing lying cat! lying cat is for SNUGGLING!
there was much peril for lying cat in this volume. at one point i made an audible squeak. not even embarrassed about it.
i want my own lying cat. i also want these things
anyway, an excellent second part to a series that is quickly taking over my life and my heartspace.
you're welcome, book! so glad to be a part of this journey!
come to my blog! -
It might be hard to grow up in such a setting without feeding psychiatrists tons of cash as an adult
Seriously, absolutely nothing is good in this unfolding universe
Even Mommy and Daddy are far away from ideals, not real bad parenting, but definitively no role models because it´s just hard for them to break out of their vendetta cycles spiced with explosive temperaments. And the more the reader learns about the backstory, the more interesting the question, of who the freedom fighters and the terrorists are, gets.
The bounty hunters are literally monsters, but still kind of likable
Not just because of the naughty multi arm fetish sex thing, but because a second pair and a revenge story make this already cool story even more appealing. There will certainly come more headhunting alien freaks in future parts.
Remember the dead
They will certainly have the one or other resurrection too, although their first job is already freaking cool. Certainly better than using unreliable school kids.
What will the in universe author do?
And what means his book for the whole series and plot? I have a feeling that he and his work might become important Chekhovs and MacGuffins, I´m too lazy to learn to differentiate what the difference is. And now that all important protagonists are at one place, we´ll possibly see an escalation of complexity in the following parts.
Give me more sci fi comic universes
Already with just 2 parts, it´s a complex hell of a ride with loads of open questions, cliffhangers, and especially the potential for more. Just as Stars wars and Treks, Sagas expansion may be as endless and partly unexplainable as the origin of the cosmos. In your face, big bang theory.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph... -
3.5/5
This volume found what I felt was missing in the first: backstory and a lot of heart.
We learned more about Marko's past and how he and Alana met. I love him. So much.
I also enjoyed getting to know the new characters, Marko's parents and Gwendolyn, as they helped flesh out the story and provided some of my favorite moments.
Fiona Staples' illustrations did not fail me. They were so vivid - sometimes to a gross degree when it came to certain creatures.
I'm getting more used to the style of this series. It's vulgar and abrasive, but there is real love at the center of it (though it's sometimes hard to see).
Can't wait to see what is to come! -
Tender lovebirds, and not so tender bounty-hunters.
In this continuation of the series we backtrack to the early days when Alana, the soldier, and Marko, the prisoner, met, and how everything unfolded for them to be together. From an indifferent beating to a crazy incomprehensible love; while at the present time also fleeing Cleave from their many pursuers, and trying to find some place in the universe, any place at all, where their little baby daughter can be safe.
Excellent sequel to Saga. I enjoyed it even much more than #1, and looking forward to reading the next chapters. Did I ever say I'm a sucker for love stories?
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PERSONAL NOTE:
[2013] [144p] [Comics] [Recommendable]
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Tiernos amorcitos, y no tan tiernos cazarrecompenzas.
En esta continuación de la serie volvemos atrás a los primeros días cuando Alana, la soldado, y Marko, el prisionero, se conocieron, y cómo todo se desarrolló para que terminaran juntos. Desde una paliza indiferente hasta un loco amor incomprendido; mientras a su vez en el tiempo presente escapan de Cleave y sus muchos perseguidores, y tratando de hallar algún lugar en el universo, cualquier lugar posible, donde su pequeña hija bebé pueda estar segura.
Excelente secuela de Saga. La disfruté incluso mucho más que #1, y entusiasmado por leer los próximos capítulos. Alguna vez dije que soy fan de las historias de amor?
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NOTA PERSONAL:
[2013] [144p] [Comics] [Recomendable]
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Confession time, this is the third time I've read this volume, actually the third time I'm reading the complete volumes 1 to 5! And guess what? Go on, guess?
- I swear - each time I read each volume - this goddamn genius-book just gets better. No kidding! Better, deeper, more innovative, more special. I'm beginning to think this is the golden ticket, the best comic book series... period?
You wanna read a review? Shucks there's 1,000s already, from here on out, you don't really need another from me? In any case, a review is simple, all the volumes, all of them are Five Star reads - see below for some evidence
All the AWARDS:
Hugo Award Nominee for Best Graphic Story (2014), Harvey Awards for Best Continuing or Limited Series, Best Writer (for Brian K. Vaughan), Best Artist (for Fiona Staples) & Best Cover Artist (for Fiona Staples) (2014), Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Continuing Series, Best Writer (for Brian K. Vaughan) & Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art) (for Fiona Staples) AND nominated for Best Cover Artist (for Fiona Staples) (2014), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Graphic Novels & Comics (2013).
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Books can be a lot of things. An escape, for example. A learning experience. A doorstop.
They can also be a useful tool, like this series of graphic novels is. Because every once in a while, I forget how to read, and I need to pick up a book that's 90% pictures in order to pretend I still can.
(This is not to say that graphic novels aren't books. They are. That's so obvious that I shouldn't even have to defend myself against this hypothetical claim I just made up in my head.)
Anyway. From time to time I need a picture book for grown ups, but I don't keep up with the genre, and so I am often at a loss.
But this series of sci-fi-y fantasy adventure books with swearing and boobs, a sure recipe for a good time, has approximately 897 installments.
I'm set for life.
Bottom line: These are fun and that's all there is to it! -
1.) Saga Volume 1 ★★★★★
2.) Saga Volume 2 ★★★★★
3.) Saga Volume 3 ★★★★.5
4.) Saga Volume 4 ★★★★.5
5.) Saga Volume 5 ★★★★★
6.) Saga Volume 6 ★★★★★
7.) Saga Volume 7 ★★★★★
8.) Saga Volume 8 ★★★★.5
9.) Saga Volume 9 ★★★★★
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First read April 2014
Reread in September 2015
Third read in January 2018
I FORGOT HOW MUCH I FREAKING LOVE THESE -
Really enjoying the creativity of this series...the characters...the story arc...the art...all of it.
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Saga is just superb. Aside from the cool characters, its general weirdness and unflinching nature, it also recognises the power of words:
And for me that’s rather important. This particular book has caused the entire situation, pushing the characters to sue for piece in a world driven by hatred and war. The book made them fall in love with each other, and give birth to a new future that they now must fight to protect: a baby born from a union between two races that have always hated each other:
So the plot is rather fantastic with so much potential, I really look forward to seeing where this all goes though I do wonder if it will lose some of its shock factor. There’s been a lot of strange characters/monster so far.
Can it get any weirder?
Time will tell. -
I'm really enjoying this story <3.
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Loving this series so far! It's bizarre as hell, but AMAZING! Reminds me a lot of the old Star Wars movies.
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The art is beautiful, the story is so complex and intriguing and I just love it a lot so far.
EVERYONE WAS RIGHT ABOUT THIS SERIES -
This comic book is an incredible adventure right from page 1.
I seriously could not put this story down. It made me laugh, smile, and even tear up at one point (Barr…).
I never knew what to expect from the incredible ensemble of characters and I think that made the plot that more epic.
The chemistry between all of the characters is phenomenal.
Izabel, Gwendolyn, and of course Alana are so damn badass.
And that ending was AMAZING.
Why have I waited so long to read this series?
On to the next volume!
This review and more can be found on my blog. -
A couple of star-crossed lovers from two different species on opposing sides of an interstellar war are on the run in a wooden rocket ship with their infant daughter and her ghost babysitter as they are pursued by the forces of both sides including a royal family member who is a robot with a television for a head as well as a bounty hunter who has an oversized cat who can tell when anyone is lying.
Geez, why can’t any comic book creators come up with something original?
Ah, but seriously…. This second volume of Brian K. Vaughan’s wild story is just as good as the first. One of the things I love most about this series so far is that despite all the crazy elements, Vaughan makes everything so relatable. This may be taking place in space during a massive war that involves everything from magic to worlds dedicated solely to prostitution, but whether it’s meeting the in-laws or telling us about how Alana and Marko met, there’s a very human element to all the wackiness. That’s what makes the whole thing so damn awesome. -
I put in requests at the library for these books. Did I take the time to look at how many holds they have on them? Nope. So I've ended up with Volumes 2 and 3 first and weeks to go before I'll get Volume 1. I still read this..because I'm a rebel like that. Plus my library sends letters out on over due books that scare me.
This is a fun book. Told from the point of view of the young baby. It's well done and funny. Plus the art work is wonderful.
Plus you have this guy..You know I had to go there.
-
The second book in this graphic novel series by Brian K.Vaughan (writer) and Fiona Staples (artist) is as good as the first ….…. maybe even better, as we continue to get to know the main characters.
It’s bursting with mad invention, wonderfully evocative artwork, a story that is developing nicely and an ever growing cast of very strange characters.
Marko and Alana, the star-crossed lovers (from both sides of a planetary conflict) and their child Hazel, continue their escape from a ragbag assortment of assassins, bounty hunters and ex lovers.
In this episode we find a planet that’s a baby, an organic spacecraft, a lying cat, a telepathic child rescued from a brothel planet and Marko’s very disapproving parents. Not forgetting one of my favourite characters, Hazel’s teenage babysitter, the disemboweled and very cool ghost Izabel!
There’s wisecracking humour, pathos and an exciting adventure that’s impossible to second guess..
All very modern, quite adult and bizarre.
You can probably guess I’m enjoying this series very much!
I’ve included a link to my review of Saga Vol.1 below:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... -
Saga, Volume 2 (Saga (Collected Editions) #2), Brian K. Vaughan (Writer), Fiona Staples (Artist)
Saga is an epic space opera/fantasy comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, published monthly by the American company Image Comics.
The series is heavily influenced by Star Wars and is based on ideas Vaughan conceived both as a child and as a parent.
It depicts a husband and wife, Alana and Marko, from long-warring extraterrestrial races, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their daughter, Hazel, who is born in the beginning of the series and who occasionally narrates the series as an unseen adult.
Volume Two: The second trade paperback collection, Saga, Vol. 2, which collects issues #7-12, was released June 19, 2013.
Chapter Seven: A flashback depicts how Marko was taught the history of his people's conflict with Landfall. In the present, Marko and his mother, Klara, go searching for Izabel, while Alana gets to know Barr, Marko's father, who reveals he has one month left to live.
Chapter Eight: Alana and Marko's first meeting is shown in flashback. In the present, Barr asks Alana to conceal his illness from Klara and Marko. Meanwhile, while searching for Izabel in the Shadow City, Marko and Klara confront the giant, Fard, who tells them the planetoid they are on is a soon-to-hatch egg. Marko's ex-fiancée, Gwendolyn, makes an appearance at the Brio Talent Agency.
Chapter Nine: Gwendolyn confronts The Will over his incomplete mission. To spur him to expedite it, she helps him rescue Slave Girl from Sextillion, after which Slave Girl reveals the psychometric ability to track Marko and Alana through their wedding rings, which were part of the same set as Gwendolyn's translation pendant.
Chapter Ten: Alana's release of Marko from prison and their initial romance is depicted in flashback. In the present, Marko, Klara and Izabel return to the ship, after which the family is confronted by both The Will and the hatching of the giant egg.
Chapter Eleven: Both Alana and Marko's ship and The Will are caught in the pull of the newly hatched giant space fetus known as a Timesuck. Marko's father, Barr, casts a spell to aid in the rocketship's escape, the strain of which kills him.
Chapter Twelve: Prince Robot IV's pursuit of Alana and Marko leads him to the home of D. Oswald Heist, author of Alana's favorite novel. A discussion of the war gets heated and leads to hostilities, with Prince Robot unaware that his targets are hiding in Heist's home.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز پانزدهم ماه فوریه سال 2017 میلادی
عنوان: ساگا دو؛ نویسنده: برایان کی وان؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
حماسه یا «ساگا» (افسانه ها، و اسطوره های سرزمینها، و زمانهای بگذشته، و آینده، به زبان امروز) یک حماسه ی «اپرای فضایی»؛ «فانتزی»، و یک سری از کتابهای مصور هستند، که توسط «برایان ک وان» نگاشته شده، و با تصویرگری «فیونا استپلس» به تصویر کشیده شده اند؛
جلد نخست، سرآمد است، «آلانا» و ��مارکو»، دو عاشق از دو جهان متفاوت؛ «آلانا»، از ائتلاف پیشرفته «لندفال»، بزرگترین سیاره ی کهکشان، و «مارکو» از سیاره ی «تاج گل» هستند، تخریب یکی از جهانها، باعث چرخش جهان دیگر از مدار خویش میشود؛ و ...؛ در سیاره ای به نام «کلیو»، «آلانا» دختری به نام «هازل» را، به دنیا میآورد؛ در حالیکه او، و همسرش «مارکو»، از سربازان فرار میکنند؛ ادامه را در روزهای دیگر خواهم نگاشت؛ این سری از حماسه ها، بسیار شیرین و قند عسل برای نگرش، و خوانش هستند؛ خط داستانی، همانند «رومئو و ژولیت»، و از آثار هنری، با ایده های ناب است؛ چه رویدادی رخ میدهد، که زنی، از فرهنگ جنگجو، با بالهای عش�� یک مرد، از سیاره ی دشمن خود، آشنا شود؟ داستان را، کودک آنها «هازل»، روایت میکند؛ خوانش و دیدنش یک لذت ناب است؛ برای همه طرفداران «علمی تخیلی» توصیه میشود
جلد دوم، نحوه ی آموزش «مارکو»، و تاریخ درگیری مردمانش، با «لندفال» را، نشانه میرود؛ اکنون «مارکو» و مادرش، «کلارا»، به جستجوی «ایزابل» میروند، در حالیکه «آلانا» با «بار»، پدر «مارکو» آشنا میشود؛ «بار» از «آلانا» میخواهد، که بیماری خود را از «کلارا»؛ و «مارکو»؛ پنهان کند؛ هنگام جستجوی «ایزابل»؛ «مارکو» و «کلارا»، با غول بزرگ روبرو میشوند، ...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 22/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی -
If possible, this was even more wickedly delightful than its predecessor.
• We're showered with some much-wanted backstory on my favourite duo:
• Get introduced to a new set of badass mofos:
• Feast our eyes upon more gloriously graphic art:
• And of course, get a glimpse of the most adorable little bean that is young Marko:
• Bonus content – Harambe makes an appearance (forgive me): -
Okaay...so this volume has been better than the first one.
I love the Lying Cat, such a cute-monstrous animal that I've begun to take affection for.❤
You need to read it, seriously...
Review coming soon... -
Actual rating: a low 3.5 stars.
Okay, so I'm not nearly as enthusiastic about this one as I was about volume 1 ← this might (or might not) be the understatement of the century.
Volume 1 left me feeling like this:
Yes, I am a cigarette smoking dude with a moustache and over-gelled hair in real life.
This volume? It left me feeling like this:
Yes, I am also a freaky-eyed sausage on paws in real life. I am so cool.
But I am notcompletelyinsaneyet. I didn't give this book a 3.5-star rating just because 3.5 is a pretty number. It isn't. A pretty number, I mean. Because odd numbers suck. So ugly. Ew ew ew. Oops, am I digressing again? Thought so.Too much vodkaLack of coffee and all that crap. So. Why is this volume still pretty awesome but not quite you almost made it there I could I LOVED you but I didn't:
➊ The Freaking Art is a Freaking Thing of Beauty.
➽ The cover is perfection:
➽ And look at this:
A thing of beauty, I tell you. Fiona Staples' work is seriously amazing.
➋ Super creative world and characters.
➽ Me love me Lying Cat:
➽ Izabel, coolest ghost babysitter ever:
➽ Gorillas and stuff:
➽ Mostest awesomest doctor ever:
➌ Awesome female characters:
➽ Alanna:
➽ Gwendolyn:
➽ Klara:
➊ The Romeo and Juliet vibe:
Please kill me somebody. Can't we just leave the freaking romance at the doorstep for once?! Sex is great but please don't ruin everything with cute, silly scenes.
EW, EW, EW.
➋ Little action and slow-paced, barely there plot :
There are some great individual scenes here, but the storyline itself? Bleh. The whole "meet the in-laws" subplot feels like something out of a sitcom. The scenes featuring Alanna and Barr are dull as hell. The "let's get the baby sitter back" part of the plot isn't that bad, but it's still pretty meh. And it adds nothing to the story as a whole. The only subplot I actually enjoyed was the one involving The Will, Gwendolyn, Lying Cat, Sophie, etc. Too bad these guys aren't the main characters in the story.
»» And the moral of this non-review is: I'll probably give volume 3 a try, but if the authors keep doing the more silly romance and family vs. less cool action and bloodshed thing, I'm done. Yes, this is a threat. Feel free to shudder now. -
Review originally posted on
A Frolic Through Fiction
I’m glad to have finally continued on with this graphic novel series…or should I say… Saga?
(I apologise that was awful)
I’ll just get right into it.
As with the previous book, I loved the art style in this book so much. It has a slightly sketchy finish to it, which just makes me think someone is drawing the story out as they remember it, trying to get it all down quickly. But it’s not a mess of illegible doodles. It’s a good type of sketchy style, one that’s definitely been done on purpose. Wow I’m really bad at explaining.
And it’s not just the style I love, but the way colours are used. The colour theme would change depending on the character’s surroundings and the atmosphere, making it very easy to follow. Each section would be a different colour scheme, adding to the Sci-Fi feel of the story because come on, sometimes the sky would be bright red or the floor blue. Depends which planet you’re on at the time. I just love it when colours are used as an atmosphere change rather than just a fill-in.
The art is easily the thing I’m most impressed with when it comes to this series. It is for most graphic novels. But obviously, the story is enjoyable too – otherwise I wouldn’t want to read it.
Now, with this being the second book in the series, I knew what to expect. (Though I have to admit, I forgot just how weird this book could be at times). With how much I enjoyed the first volume, I think I expected a little bit too much. Because while I enjoyed this second volume…I felt like nothing really happened? Aside from finding out more backstory for the main characters, I honestly don’t think the story progressed much at all.
And when it came to the backstories, they confused me slightly. There would be flashback chapters to explain something a little more, but they were really made clear. You’d just suddenly be back at the beginning of the story (or even before the story) and would have to figure it out by what they said. Not too much of an issue, but I feel like just a simple date or the word “before” at the start of the chapter could have saved me those moments of confusion.
I did enjoy the flashbacks though. You know, once I figured out they were flashbacks. I liked seeing a bit more into the “before”, seeing how things got so bad before this point.
So yeah.
As a second installment, I do think the plot of this volume lacked somewhat. Obviously, things happened, but there didn’t seem to be much in the way of action. And I definitely thought there were a few unnecessary rude parts drawn in – like sex scenes shown on screens somewhere in the picture even though it had absolutely nothing to do with the scene. Heads up: this is not a graphic novel series for either the young or for people who don’t want to see sexual things. There’s not loads but there’s enough.
BUT, it was an enjoyable story. I didn’t not like it. It was a quick read, and kept me intrigued throughout. AND THE CLIFFHANGER. I definitely want the next volume!
RATED 3/5 STARS
Amazon
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These are just genius. Funny, amazing and consistently interesting world, rad af characters. I wish I'd read this earlier today so that I had time to go grab the others from the library before it closed.
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Brian K Vaughan's epic Saga continues, as does the awesomeness from the first volume!
Lovers who each come from opposite sides of two warring worlds, Alana and Marko have become the symbol for a possible union between the planet Landfall and the moon of Wreath. However, since the governments of both Landfall and Wreath have no interest in making peace with each other, they have declared Alana & Marco to be a threat to their ways of life, and have each dispatched hunters to murder Alana & Marco before their story can inspire others to seek out a peaceful union as well. Not interested in being enslaved by the politics of their respective worlds, Alana & Marco continue to escape their pursuers so they can raise their daughter Hazel in peace. But now, they face threats internally as well as externally. In addition to the ruthless bounty hunter known as The Will, and the chillingly methodical soldier Prince Robot IV, Alana and Marco find themselves pursued by even more obsessed hunters...Marco's parents! Horrified that Marco has "betrayed" their people, the misguided couple have found their son and are determined to convince Marco to abandon his new family in order to honor his old one? In a universe ravaged by war, can the love between two people still survive?
Since I've pretty much read almost everything Brian K Vaughan has ever written, you'd think he would have run out of ways to astonish me by now, but no, once again Mr. Vaughan (aided by the eye-popping visuals provided by artist Fiona Staples) hasmanaged to blow me away! The intrigue starts right away with the arrival of Marco's parents. The previous edition of "Saga" focused more on how the battle between their people was impacting Marco and Alana, but now Vaughan adds even more gravitas to the horrors of war by showing not only how it affects individuals, but also how it can potentially destroy families as well. Marco's mother's hostility towards Alana paint a grim picture of how even the people closest to us can have their minds poisoned by prejudiced. And not content to simply use Marco's parents to tell ONE amazing story, Marco's father opens the door to an equally compelling subplot. Even more impressive is that while tackling such heavy themes, Vaughan still manages to inject enough levity to make the material as much fun as it is moving. Just as things start to feel a little too somber, someone (often Alana) will come up with an amusing remark that instantly lightens the mood...
One thing that amazed me about Saga's first volume was how the supporting characters were just as interesting as Marco & Alana, and that hasn't changed this time around. The moral quandary that bounty hunter The Will found himself in previously is explored further, but this time he finds some unexpected help from Marco's bitter ex-fiance, Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn proves to be a perfect partner for The Will, as her intelligence and craftiness only enhances The Will's terrifying physical powers. Gwendolyn's former relationship with Marco adds a personal element to the duo's quest to capture the star-crossed lovers, and with her on board, The Will's journey proves to be every bit as mesmerizing as Marco & Alana's! In addition, some much needed laughs are provided by The Will's pet, a cat who's compelled to call out anyone who tells a lie...even when it's The Will himself!
But out of all these great characters, my favorite still remains Izabel, the disembodied spirit of a dead teenage girl who now acts as a kind of "spiritual babysitter" for Alana and Marko's baby, Hazel. Izabel's perkiness and attitude reminds me of another brilliant Brian K Vaughan character, Molly from
Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy. Despite her rather frightening appearance and her sad history, Izabel remains a ray of sunshine in an often bleak world, with her spirit (no pun intended) and good cheer making her a ghost who's far too lovable to be scary!
Now, despite my enthusiasm for everything I've talked about above, I still haven't even mention my favorite part of Volume 2! That would be a self-contained chapter where another one of Alana & Marco's pursuers, Prince Robot IV, visits an author Alana admires in hopes that the writer may hold some clue as to where his fan may have fled to. On paper, this may sound like a rather dull pit-stop, as almost the entirety of the issue is dedicated to the Prince's conversation with author D Oswald Heist. However, their conversation proves to be one of the most compelling elements in this volume. The Prince and Heist engage in a rather weighty philosophical debate that covers many topics, including the value and true meaning of art, the importance of loyalty, fatherhood, and the price of war. While the Prince had displayed less personality than most of the other characters up until now, in this issue we learn much more about what truly drives him, and that knowledge transforms him into quite possibly the most dangerous threat yet to Alana and Marco! In addition, we learn more about the author whose work may or may not be indirectly responsible for Alana's willingness to break free from her own people...
This is most certainly NOT Brian K Vaughan talking about "Saga"!
DAVE'S FINAL JUDGMENT -
THE DEFENSE
- Deep and enthralling story and world-building
- Main characters and secondary characters are equally captivating
- Extremely clever and often amusing dialogue
- Fascinating philosophical themes are explored
- Absolutely no filler or padding, Vaughan and Staples make every panel count
THE PROSECUTION
- Strong language and sexually explicit situations may turn off gentler readers
- Won't be nearly as satisfying unless you've read
Saga, Volume 1 first
THE VERDICT
Just as brilliant and exciting as the first volume, this edition further cements Saga's potential to be one of the greatest graphic novel stories of all time! -
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OMG! I loved this one even better than the first, although, there is one monster that will give nightmares for some time. You will see :-D
So Marko's parents get beamed on board and they are not happy to see that he married Alana who is supposed to be an enemy of their race.
And, when they get there, Marko's mom banishes our wonderful ghost friend Izabel. Soooooo.... Marko goes off through the portal to find her and his mom follows him. This leaves Alana, Marko's dad Barr and little baby Hazel. They don't hit it off at first, well Alana is being a her normal self, but then they finally bond and she finds out a secret Barr has been keeping from his family. It's sad.
Meanwhile..... Marko and mummy are dealing with this....
Meet balls.. er.. I mean Fard. Lol, yeah I thought it said fart when I first read it and dear Lord. I have no words..
Anyhoo..
We get to meet Gwendolyn in this book. She's the one that Marko jilted, he was engaged to her. She's not happy so she gets with the bounty hunter and his cat to go looking for him after they save the little girl. You have to read the first book to know what I'm talking about.
That Robot, I call TV HEAD is still looking for Alana, Marko and the baby too! All of these people want them!
I like that the book goes back and tells some back stories of how Alana and Marko met. They also show some backstory of Marko as a child.
The graphics are awesome once again, the story line is awesome, there is plenty of snark and crap being blown up, stabbed, gassed, shot and what not. I love these novels so far and look forward to the rest. -
"Review" from 2018 below... I stand by it
I'm so in love with Marko 😍 -
In the first 6 issues of Saga (which comprised volume 1 of the trade edition), Brian K. Vaughan threw in enough weird ass shit to keep me in a delightfully perpetual state of "what the hell was that?" So much so that I worried the inventiveness might eventually wear thin, begin to feel as though it's trying too hard (as I sometimes feel with China Mieville's Dial H), or simply create such a labyrinthine mythology that it's just not worth trying to puzzle it all out. The second 6 issues have definitely allayed those fears as they are as outrageous and genuine as the first story arc, losing none of the batshit craziness or heart.
Hazel, the newborn daughter of Marko and Alana, continues to narrate the story of her parents from an unknown point in the future. Marko and Alana, both soldiers from two warring alien races, have a romance that reads like Romeo and Juliet on crack. On the run as fugitives from their respective races, they continue to search the universe for a safe place to live, love, and raise Hazel. But, alas, bounty hunters continue to plague them and, worst of all, the sudden appearance of ex-flames (an enraged Gwendolyn, Marko's one time fiancée) and in-laws (Marko's parents seek out their wayward child at the worst possible of times, complicating his escape with Alana).
This arc provides background on several significant characters, including how Marko and Alana met, as well as the history of the relationship between The Will and The Stalk, the star-crossed (and bad ass) bounty hunters hot on their trail. For those uninitiated to Brian Vaughan's work, however, be forewarned: there will be sex scenes, giants with pendulous scrotums, and enough deviant behavior to make Sodom and Gomorrah blush with shame. However, I also appreciate the maturity with which the relationships are portrayed--they're real without being romanticized. Saga works beautifully because of this and because of the huge debt the series owes to illustrator Fiona Staples. The work of any other artist could have made Vaughan's ideas too cartoonish, too over-the-top, but Staples's work is the right mesh of quirky and realistic that roots this world in an organic quality that gives it weight and authenticity.
In short, I can't praise Saga highly enough. It's a testament to what comics can achieve when writers and artists are let off the leashes of pre-conceived, "safe" concepts and allowed to chase after their most vivid, fevered imaginings.
Cross posted at
This Insignificant Cinder and at
Shelf Inflicted -
Vol. 1 ★★★★
I completely loved this. I was enthralled the whole time learning about Hazel and the events that lead up to her creation. This world is so creative and imaginative that I'm just blown away. This is one of the best graphic-novels out, and my words won't do justice as to why I would recommend this to every living soul.
The main theme in this book is the blind prejudice that all these souls have grown up believing in, because it has always been forced upon them. Everyone can take something out of this lesson, especially with all the hate this election season is bringing.
Hazel being the narrator was such a genius move by Brian K. Vaughan. It is so expertly done, too. One minute you feel your heart being ripped out, the next Hazel is making you laugh out loud. Hazel's voice is perfect, and watching her journey is magical.
This bind-up gives us flashbacks from the past constantly. It's done very well, and helps the reader get a way better understand at what Marko and Alana have at stake and why it's so important that love wins.
I'm now going to break down each chapter in this bind up. There will be SPOILERS, so please use caution in continuing if you have not read this graphic-novel or
Vol. 1!
CHAPTER SEVEN:
We get to see Marko's past, the moon he grew up on, and how people started instilling the prejudice of wings very early in children's lives. Present day Marko is still in the tree space ship with Alana and their baby, Hazel, but the new additions are Marko's parents. Marko's mother has banished Izabel to another planet so he and his mother go after her, while Alana and Hazel stay in the ship with his father, who lets her in on a very important secret.
CHAPTER EIGHT:
We get to see a glimpse of Alana and Marko first meeting - he was a prisoner and she was a guard. It wasn't exactly love at first sight, but I was still very appreciative of the glimpse. We learn that Marko's father, Barr, is an armorer. Then we see Marko's ex-girlfriend, Gwendolyn, looking for The Will.
CHAPTER NINE:
The Will is taking The Stalk's death very hard. Gwendolyn finds him, promises to help him avenge The Stalk and helping him get back the young sex slave he was unable to save in
Vol. 1. He desperately wants to kill Prince Robot IV, and agrees to start back up on his previous mission to find the half-breed baby once they rescue the young girl, who ends up having a pretty powerful ability.
CHAPTER TEN:
We get to see Alana and Marko's relationship developing more in the prison. He smuggles her books, and she reads them to him. After Alana is informed that Marko is being sent to a new prison where the captives never come back, she takes action into her own hands and breaks him free. From there on out, they are on the run together. Back in our time, Marko and his mother find and save Izabel. Then, Gwendolyn and The Will are able to locate Marko and Alana thanks to the young girl they rescued. Gwendolyn is probably the most unstable ex-girlfriend of all time, and shoots a missile at their tree ship.
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
We get to see Hazel being conceived, which was very humanizing. In present time, Marko's father sacrifices everything he has to protect the ship and his loved ones. Also, this issue kind of broke me, but my heart wasn't ready for Barr and then for the opener of the next chapter.
CHAPTER TWELVE:
First Barr, now this rat medic? I felt my heart just being ripped out of my chest. Then, Prince Robot IV comes to Alana's favorite author's house. Thinking she will eventually show up to save him. Little does he know, the whole gang is already there and has been waiting for him.
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Re-read after becoming a die-hard fan fo the series, 5/9/18:
I'm going nuts here. I feel so sorry for grandpa. I love Lying cat. I can't believe how good this The Will still looks! And all the introductions of characters who... *sob* *sniffle*... this is almost too much for me right now.
Original review:
Truly a quiet piece of genius, now that I've read this far. It's pacing is great and its characters are all fantastic. The deep subversion vibe of that romance novel has got the shivers running down my spine. I'm very happy to be reading this stuff. It's inspiring.
