| Title | : | Saga, Volume 4 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1632150778 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781632150776 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 144 |
| Publication | : | First published December 17, 2014 |
| Awards | : | Harvey Awards Best Continuing or Limited Series, Best Artist (for Fiona Staples) & Best Cover Artist (for Fiona Staples) AND nominated for Best Writer (for Brian K. Vaughan) (2015), Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Best Continuing Series & Best Penciller/Inker (for Fiona Staples), AND nominated for Best Writer (for Brian K. Vaughan) (2015), Goodreads Choice Award Graphic Novels & Comics (2015) |
Collects: Saga #19-24.
Saga, Volume 4 Reviews
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Goddamn. This series. It's so good. It has such a density of narrative. Such quality of story.
There was a series of four panels that made me burst immediately into tears. Vaughan. What the hell man. How do you keep doing this to me? -
(A-) 83% | Very Good
Notes: Starts mundane, on marriage strain, fidelity eroding, it ends in thrills once secrets spill, and heads resume exploding. -
My favorite volume so far! The art? Stunning. The plot? A+.
Despite it being one of the shorter volumes, so much happened. I think part of the reason this was so successful was the time jump. The past three volumes have all occurred back to back, and there wasn't much time for new obstacles to pop up. Volume 4 has a new villain who actually frightens me as well as new strain on Alana and Marko's relationship. Not to mention Sophie has grown up into a fierce little girl.
Now, I'm not sure if this is really the best volume so far or if I've become more used to the vulgar and abrasiveness of this series, which has allowed me to enjoy the story more. Maybe both?
I read the past four volumes in less than 12 hours (they are seriously addictive), so I'm taking a breather. But then watch out! I'll be marathoning the rest for sure.
P.S. Can I please adopt Ghüs? -
4.5 stars
WARNING: Potential Spoilers Ahead!
You can really see how this family is going through the growing pains in this one. And, once again, Vaughn and Staples create a fantasy world that is so incredibly not fantasy.
This volume? This is a real marriage.
Can we please fight about it in the morning?
Ok, so now that they aren't running for their lives, the mundane existence of taking care of a family sets in. As it does with most marriages.
Alana is working full-time as an actress on this space soap opera, and Marko is staying home with Hazel.
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage.
But they don't tell you what happens after that, do they?
Yep. You aren't really married till you've practiced your alibi in the mirror at least once. Now, at some point, you'll both laugh about how you ran into each other at Home Depot, looked into each other's shopping carts, and saw that you were both buying tarp and duct tape.
But till then, you'll go through that rough period known as:
Those Couple Of Years We Gutted It Out For The Kids.
But when you haven't been married long, and the memories of your glory days are still bright and shiny? Well, those first few knock-down-drag-out fights can seem like the end of the world.
You're also not married till one of you spends the night somewhere else. Or at least storms off with the intention of spending the night somewhere else!
Most of the time you just drive around all angry-like, taking out your frustration by singing off-key to break-up music and giving the finger to incompetent drivers. Eventually, you end up sitting in a parking lot somewhere as the realization hits that you don't want to spend the night anywhere else. I mean, that's a real hassle when you think about it, right? Wait. Did our song just come on the radio? It must be a sign...
And so it goes...
I think Vaughn did a spectacular job of showing how each of them fell off the sparkly marriage wagon just a bit.
Alana starts taking drugs (recreationally) to help her fight the crushing pressure of being the only breadwinner while working long hours at a soul-sucking job.
She misses her family, but if she doesn't make money they're gonna starve. So, not a lot of choices for her but to put her head down and keep going.
Ahhhhh. That feels much better...
That sort of thing usually ends badly, and Alana is no exception to the rule. After a while, it gets easier and easier to just zone out instead of facing her problems. The lines start to blur, and the next thing you know...
Meanwhile, Marko becomes the full-time parent. Which, after having done this myself for well over a decade, I think I can speak with some authority when I say this is the most rewarding job ever.
BUT IT CAN SUCK YOUR WILL TO LIVE.
First, you don't get paid for it. And the first person who comments and says that you get paid in hugs! wins an asshole award. I'm not sure how your electric company works, but mine does not accept HUGS as a form of payment.
So. NO PAY.
Second, Adult Interaction.<---This is very important.
And a huge problem arises when you get stuck on playdates with ratchety parents that you don't like. The flavors usually taste like Annoying Helicopter, Complains About Spouse, Kill It With Fire Religious Nut, Sports Dad, My Child Can't Do Anything Wrong, Organic Only Momma, and the absolute worse - The Clinger.<---The Clinger assumes you are now best buddies forever, and won't stop texting, calling, and thinking up new and exciting reasons to come over and intrude on what little private time you have left.
If you don't have a Clinger in your life? Look in the mirror.
You know, just to be sure.
However, every now and then you meet someone you really like.
And more importantly, your kids like each other!
In Marko's case, he's feeling alone and abandoned. He misses his wife (who's at work all the time) and when she is home? Well, she's acting kind of distant and odd. He's also worried about how to keep his daughter safe, but still give her a full life. And now he's got this cute mom who seems to understand exactly how he feels practically throwing herself at him.
And that's only half the story.
The rest includes a Robot father who's become totally unhinged over the death of his child, Gwen & Sophie searching for a way to cure The Will, a Prince on a mission of revenge, a missing baby, and a very unlikely team-up.
At first, I thought this one didn't quite measure up to the previous volumes, but the more I considered it, I realized this one was just different. I'm really enjoying watching all of these characters grow and change! I know I'm the eighty-billionth person to say this, but this is a fantastic title! -
Life is nothing but a beautiful imperfect gem.
Problems in heaven. Our lovely fugitive couple struggles to secure a livelihood while hiding in some remote charted planet named Gardenia. Marko as a dedicated stay-at-home dad, Alana as a feisty disguised troupe actress. Tension rises, mistakes happen, and someone is bound to pay the price for it.
A nice turn to a bit of emotional family drama, strange, yet moving, and with some little action as well, how can that be missing. An awesome cliffhanger too. Looking very forward to the next chapters.
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PERSONAL NOTE:
[2014] [144p] [Comics] [Not Recommendable]
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La vida no es sino una bellísima imperfecta joya.
Problemas en el paraíso. Nuestra querida pareja fugitiva lucha por encontrar un medio de subsistencia mientras se esconde en un remotamente ubicado planeta llamado Gardenia. Marco como un padre amo de casa, Alana como una enérgica actriz en disfraz para una compañia. Las tensiones aumentan, errores se cometen, y alguien va a terminar pagando el precio.
Un lindo giro hacia un pequeño y emocional drama familiar, extraño, pero conmovedor, y con un poco de acción también, como podría faltar. Y un final en suspenso brillante. Esperando ansiosamente leer los próximos capítulos.
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NOTA PERSONAL:
[2014] [144p] [Comics] [No Recomendable]
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A lot of people who came into my family's life looking like heroes ended up acting more like villains. I wish I could say the opposite was also true, but that was pretty fucking rare.
see, this is why goodreads is so great - i wasn't in love with this volume until i read
anne's excellent review, where she recontextualized the story into real-world situations that made me appreciate it so much more with her insights and anecdotes. that woman's got a gift for reviewing, man. she should come back and do it more frequently.
because, yeah - this time it isn't all fierce action and adventure. this has always been the story of a complicated marriage, but it's usually taken the form of "both of our people want to kill us and the product of our miscegenation and we must flee to the farthest reaches of the galaxy." and here, the problems are more recognizable relationship woes: working late hours, trying to make time for each other, the jealousy of the working-spouse for the caregiver-spouse's closeness with their child, turning to mind-obliterating substances to get through the grind of the day, new friends with romantic agendas - and it's all done really well with some excellent subtle detailing, but man - at first i was dismayed at how "ordinary" the drama was.
(although i am still such a fan of the damnable foreshadowing this series is so fond of dropping. this one was dropped and it set off a chain reaction that made my jaw and stomach drop simultaneously)
it's a different vibe from the previous books, and there was far too much time spent in robot-ville for me, but it's definitely setting the stage for exciting developments to come. and it's not all rom com themes. there's still zany-fun stuff like this:
and this:
and if you ever wanted to know what a teevee-headed android's perineum looks like, well, you're in luck:
but the WORST thing about this book is this:
which is apparently a limited-edition bookplate that was given out at forbidden planet; a comic book store located, like, RIGHT THERE. i wish i'd been reading this series when this was going around because i would have grabbed it like cake. you snooze, you lose, karen!
i will leave you with this excellent observation:
and seriously - read anne's review. i mean, unless you haven't read the book first, and then - go read the book, silly!
thanks for letting me read this, maggie! it was still warm from your tummy!
********************************************
maggie's trying to help me out in my resolve to not burn through this entire series in a matter of days
"if you can't get to it, you can't read it!"
can't argue with that...
eventually, she moved.
review to come
come to my blog! -
The out of the way, out of the war, green planet Gardenia is the next stop, as we move on to a few years later for Alana, Marko, Hazel, Klara and Friendo (who??). What starts off as a family living quietly on an outpost planet, descends into trouble, as they haven't been forgotten by those that are after them. Also, there's Ghuus :)
This series! - on so many levels - gay partners/ detectives - the android class system - Hazel's family - Friendo - and of course the unsurpassable art of
Fiona Staples, as per. - it all works so well, on so many levels. One of the solid storytelling devices used continuously in Saga, is not foreshadowing, but blatant foretelling, and instead of being spoiler-y, it adds to the authenticity of Hazel's narration. Although the weakest volume so far, still a 10 out of 12, still a Five Star Read! How can this be! What's the secret of Saga's genius?
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Creo que este volumen ha sido mi favorito hasta ahora, omg. Se quedó bien intenso.
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Saga, Volume 4 (Saga (Collected Editions) #4), Brian K. Vaughan (Writer), Fiona Staples (Artist)
Volume Four: The fourth trade paperback collection, Saga, Vol. 4, which collects issues #19-24, was released on December 17, 2014.
Chapter Nineteen: The family has been living on the planet Gardenia for several months. Alana is struggling as an actor on the Open Circuit, an underground acting troupe in which all the players wear masks. While caring for Hazel, who is now saying simple phrases, Marko meets a children's dance studio owner named Ginny. Prince Robot IV's son is born, although he himself is still missing in action. Alana and Marko disagree over balancing keeping a low profile with giving Hazel a happy childhood.
Chapter Twenty: Prince Robot IV recuperates on Sextillion. Alana tries a drug called Fadeaway after learning that half her colleagues are high on it. Marko becomes closer to Ginny, the children's dance studio owner he met in the park. Robot IV's wife and her staff are assassinated by her custodian, Dengo, whose son died at age four due to lack of medical insurance available to commoners.
Chapter Twenty-One: Alana continues to experiment with Fadeway, while Marko and Ginny are brought closer by the time they spend away from their spouses. Dengo, with the infant Robot as his hostage, invades a Landfallian starship and kills its crew. Robot IV comes out of his stupor and after learning what has happened to his wife and son during his three-week convalescence, resolves to ask his father, King Robot, for assistance.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Yuma cautions Alana to maintain her cover, but Alana's actions may have alerted Upsher to her whereabouts. When Marko discovers her drug use, and Alana confronts him over Ginny, the ensuing argument becomes physical, and leads to Marko's estrangement from their home. Prince Robot IV's father, King Robot, declines his request to take the lead in pursuing Dengo, but Special Agent Gale gives the Prince a lead that may prove useful. Dengo arrives at The Open Circuit Productions facility and demands airtime on which to broadcast a speech to the masses, and after he kills two of Alana's colleagues, Yuma says she can give him something better than airtime.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Marko heads to Ginny's house, but abruptly has a change of heart and leaves to return home. Prince Robot IV pursues Dengo, and finds the wreckage of the ship Dengo hijacked, and its occupants dead, along with a clue to his son's survival. Yuma tells Dengo about the family and where to find them, after which Dengo shoots her. Izabel counsels Alana on the need for forgiveness. Dengo invades the treehouse/rocketship with the infant in tow, and although Alana launches the rocketship, he takes Klara hostage and demands Alana take the ship to coordinates of his choice. Marko arrives home just after the launch of the ship, at which point he is met by both the wounded Yuma and Prince Robot IV.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Gwendolyn and Sophie, who is now Gwendolyn's duly sanctioned Page, meet The Will's sister, The Brand, who offers to aid them in their endeavor to acquire an elixir to heal The Will. Marko, Prince Robot IV and Yuma team up to seek the aid of Heist's neighbor, Ghüs, to use his link to Friendo to track their families.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز هشتم ماه مارس سال 2017 میلادی
عنوان: ساگا چهار؛ 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 عشق 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، ...؛
جلد سوم: فصل سیزدهم: در فلش بک، خانواده، هفته ها پس از مرگ «بار»، به «کوینتوس» میرسند، و با «هیست» دیدار میکنند، «آلانا» امیدوار است بتواند آنها را در مورد آینده شان راهنمایی کند؛ «اوپشر» و «داف»، روزنامه نگار و عکاس «تبلویید»، در فصل پنجم با یکی از سربازان «لندفالین» که توسط «مارکو» در جریان تلاش ناموفق برای تسخیر خانواده مصدوم شد، مصاحبه کردند؛ در همین حال، «ویل»، «گوندولین» و «اسلیو گرل» در سیاره ای گیر کرده، و منتظر تعمیر کشتی خود هستند؛ «ویل» باید با تنش جنسی بین خود و «گووندولین» کنار بیاید، و تصمیم میگیرد «اسلیو گرل» را «سوفی» نامگذاری کند
جلد چهارم: فصل نوزدهم: خانواده برای چند ماه، در سیاره ی «گاردنیا» زندگی میکنند؛ «آلانا» به عنوان بازیگر، در «اوپن سیرکوت (مدار باز)»، که یک گروه بازیگری زیرزمینی هستند، و در آن، همه ی بازیکنان نقاب میزنند، در تلاش است؛ «مارکو» هنگام مراقبت از «هازل»، که اکنون عبارات ساده ای را، میتواند بیان کند، با یک صاحب استودیوی رقص کودکان، به نام «جینی» آشنا میشود؛ پسر شاهزاده ربات چهارم متولد شد، گرچه خودش هنوز هم گمشده است؛ «آلانا» و «مارکو» درباره ی متعادل نگهداشتن وضعیت «هازل»، براساس یادمانهای دوران کودکی خود، اختلاف نظر دارند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 02/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی -
I'M SWALLOWING THESE BOOKS FASTER THAN ALANA DOES FADEAWAY DRUGS.
And I don't know about you, but if that wasn't just some fantastic character development and maturity for Marko right there, then Mama Sun's a saint sent straight from the heavens. Would have loved to see more of the other characters than we did, but boOOoOoOoy oh boy am I still invested in this story than ever.
I'm coming for you, Vol 5!!! No seriously, expect a review to follow in t-minus 2 hours. This shit really is like drugs— the best frickin' kind of them. -
SO GOOD SO GOOD.
Especially in this one, every chapter was a freAKING CLIFFHANGER it made me need to keep reading. -
Four volumes and I've given each of them 5 stars.
'nuff said. -
This review contains *spoilers*.
I loved how close the family was at the beginning. Alana and Marko were so sweet with Hazel.
They had this super adorable scene and then this happens
That one sentence made me tear up.
I’m so shocked with what went down in this volume. I honestly can’t believe Marko and Alana were split up at the end. I care for the two of them together so,so much. My heart hurts for everything they’re going through.
Hazel summed up my feelings pretty well “I guess I’m not sure what to say about that. Words are harder than they used to be.”
But I loved that we got to focus a little more on the family part in this story.
And I still stand by my point that Gwendolyn is so damn badass.
Also are they teaming up now??
Because I need Marko and Alana to reunite right now.
This review and more can be found on my blog. -
This series started out WAY too trippy for me, but I've come a little closer to accepting the sheer insanity of its plotlines and characters with each issue I've read. Now, after 24 issues, I think I might just have fallen a little bit in love with it.
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Saga, Volume 4: The first three volumes are in comparison to this fourth volume light and fun. I am reading this roughly eight years after I read it when it initially came out, and I was so dismayed by its darkness that I gave it four stars, and this was consistent with a lot of reviewers at the time, but now I am sure it is just like the others, a bonafide five-star volume. And in part because of the struggle in it.
Toddler Hazel tells the story in this volume from some time in the future of struggles of her parents and her Mom's work in sort of pay-per-view theater, and her stay-at-home Dad's struggles with parenting, and marriage. Yup, Hazel narrates the story of the break-up of her parents’ marriage, which is kind of unacceptable to most readers, given how crazy we are about this couple. Let me not spoil things for ya, but let's just say the current number of volumes is nine, and counting. So, there’s that to consider.
We also learn of a missing robot child, so this is really a parenting volume. Ad another thing it continues to be about is Fiona Staples's award-winning art, clearly, which is always pretty stunning, with lots of beautiful and creatively conceived and sometimes amusing creatures. Invention, with humor. Very entertaining. That's one of the clear winning aspects of this, even if the plot at this point is sort of domestically focused. The sheer beauty and joyful invention, à la Star Wars, the father figure of this series.
Another starring attraction here for me is as always for me Brian Vaughn's witty dialogue, establishing character and tone; it's entertaining, it feels very contemporary, it's engaging. And profane, humorously so. This not Star Wars-like in that it is very violent at times in this issue, we lose people we care about, it’s war, and there are raunchy sequences, too. It’s for adults, not kiddies.
What else do I like/notice?
*I like all these murderous freelancers (hit men and women), who have their own unique personalities: The Stalk, The Will, The Brand.
*I like Gwendolyn and now eight-year-old Sophie, who traveled to find Marko to learn of a spell to save The Will. With The Will’s Lying Cat, such a wonderful invention
* I like the adorable Ghus, cute creature
*I really do like the inclusion of the marital and personal struggles of Markus and Alana; it happens! Temptations, drugs, work/parenting balance
*I like the inclusion of a crazed robot who is enraged at the economic inequities of the world. I don't like what he does with his rage, but with the war story, we begin to get a sense of human nature as self-destructive, a concept Vaughn didn't just make up, of course -
My favourite reads of the year are traumatizing me all at once. I can't handle the heart hurt 😭
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3.5/5 Stars
Buddy reading this entire series with my favorite
Princess Celeste
Took me a while but NOW THIS IS GETTING BETTER! Finally! Imo Volume 4 of Saga is the best so far. It's fast paced, the stories are great (it's finally going somewhere), it's more complex and the drawings and characters development improve much further. If the quality of this volume continue to the rest of the series, I can see why Saga received the acclaim it gets.
Marko, Hazel, Alana have changing and more complex relationship now. However, the best characters goes to Prince Robot IV and The Robot Janitor, without those two I really don't see the plot going anywhere great. Especially The Robot Janitor, his appearance really make the story much more intriguing.
I read the entire volume straight within 40 minutes cause it was so addictive. Hopefully this goes the same way for the rest of the series! -
You know, I really cant get over how good this series is. I took maybe a month between reading the first 3 and then this one, and I was so excited to get back into the story.
It's simultaneously adorable, creepy, sleazy, and incredible. Each chapter leaves me wanting so much more, and yet is so fulfilling.
If you want to know more about what I think of the series, check out my other reviews. Otherwise, I can't recommend this enough.
WEBSITE |
TWITTER |
FACEBOOK |
INSTAGRAM -
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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Re-read 4/19/17: Marko is still a stone cold fox tbh
Original read 2015: Absolutely incredible. Also, Marko is a stone cold fox. Damn -
First off, I wanted to kill this stupid chic thing. I don't even know her name. I looked all over and thought I was losing my mind not remembering her name. All I can say is she's blue, she tries going after Marko and lets just say that little Hazel said it best in the book Her is ugly I had to get that out so now we can move on :-D Oh yeah, her name is Ginny! Who cares!
So it starts out with Prince tv heads wife has a son while he is off in the twilight zone. <---Read book 3.
Said baby gets stolen by another tv head for a certain cray cray reason. Well, maybe it's not too crazy. I mean he had a point about his kids, but I digress.
Meanwhile, Marko, Alana, Hazel, Klara and Izabel are all hiding out. Well mostly Alana, Marko and Hazel since they go out in public. Alana is a cool star in a tv show and gets to play dress up and beat up bad guys and stuff. And her and Marko are having some issues. But they make up when it comes to Hazel and I think they are still in love, just tough times with all that going on right?
Marko puts on some disguise that's not really a disguise to me, but whatever works :-D
The prince tv head gets some of his senses back and is told about his son being stolen so he's on a mission. While said person that stole his son is out on his mission and killing people, er, things left and right.
Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that Hazel has a new pet named Friendo :-)
Anyhoo, some stuff happens I can't tell you about and the ending is super awesome! Some of the other peeps from the books are in it for a little bit and some new people.
And I leave you with the above crazy image. I'm not going to tell you what was going on in this picture but it's probably not what your thinking. lol
MY BLOG:
Melissa Martin's Reading List -
Re-Read 5/14/18:
So I'm revising this down to four stars. Why? Because it is, conceivably, the weakest of all the volumes. It's not that it's bad, but that so many crappy things happen... or are caused by... the characters I love the most.
Too much whining, too much indulgence, and just when they're both acting the most selfishly, FATE has to intervene.
So. Crap. This is the downturn. This is the start of a tragedy that, fortunately, is not forever. Things GET BETTER. *Sob* But first, sometimes, an alien has to hit bottom first.
Original Review:
NOOOOO...
I'm gonna kill the person who created serials. Seriously. I'm gonna clone the shit out of him or her and then kill em. This ending is so completely unfair now that I'm this freaking hooked. -
This was by far the most entertaining volume yet! I'm forever impressed by the art in Saga and the creativity that comes with inventing such unique characters.
“A lot of people who came into my family's life looking like heroes ended up acting more like villains.”
In Volume 4, Marko and Alana find themselves struggling with more mundane issues than they would typically come across. As Hazel grows into a toddler, Alana is forced to find a steady source of income while Marko takes care of their daughter. Their relationship is put under immense pressure, leaving the pairing on the verge of parting ways.
I found the in-depth exploration of Marko and Alana’s relationship a really great addition to the overall development of this series. Though there wasn’t as much hardcore action as in previous volumes, it was a delight to focus more on the characters I’ve grown to love.
Varying perspectives like Gwendolyn and robot prince IV add a vibrant flare unique to this graphic novel series. The new creatures and alien races introduced each volume are continuously impressive! I really loved this instalment! -
OMG that ending. How is it possible for this series to be so consistently amazing?! Need volume 4 immediately.
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This fourth installment was not as perfect as the last one, but it was still fucking amazing.
The plot continues to thicken and the characters keep getting better at what they do. While this one started off slow, the pacing improved while nearing the middle. A lot of unexpected things happened plus an annoying cliffhanger in the end. I can't wait to read the next volume to know what's going to happen with . Add the fact that while Hazel continues to grow up, she also continues to be a lot more interesting. Vaughan sure knows how to write a great plot.
The artwork is consistent since the first volume. Vivid colors and interesting cartoon take on the characters. Not my favorite artwork ever but still really good.
My favorite thing of this volume would be the fact that The Stalk and Will appeared in the end. The Stalk and Will are among my favorite characters in Saga. While they don't seem to play a huge role in the plot anymore, I still like reading about them from time to time.
4/5 stars. While this will never compare to the amazing volumes 2 and 3, it was still amazing in its own way. Go ahead and read the series if you haven't even tried by now. -
My fangirl timeline:
First there was Scully and Mulder (the truth is out there).
Then came Sam and Dean Winchester (saving people, hunting things, the family business).
Recently there's been Elizabeth and Philip (Married Russian spies not to be confused with Royals)
Now keeping company with all of these is Alana and Marko. Star-crossed lovers from the warring planets of Wreath and Landfall. Horns and wings aside, their love is universal and instantly recognizable. All they want is peace, to be left alone to raise their precious daughter. But their enemies are many and threats lurk around every corner, from the seemingly innocent ballet teacher to Alana's Open Circuit coworker with her infinite supply of drugs. Then there are the mercenaries, Robot insurgents, and interplanetary revolutionaries who want to make the denizens of Wreath and Landfall pay for unleashing such a brutal and unceasing bloody war upon them all.
So much love for this series it's turned me into bonafide fangirl stupid.
Re-read Feb 22, 2016 -
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD.
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The best volume in the series to date! Exciting, action-packed, great character development, and beautiful artwork as always. Simply PERFECTION.
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Love where this story is heading!
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Vol. 1 ★★★★
Vol. 2 ★★★★
Vol. 3 ★★★★★
Honestly, I had to read something I knew I loved after watching The Walking Dead premiere last night. It's too bad that this volume decided to kick me more in the feels than that heartbreaking episode, but I digress.
This volume really highlights the struggle of "non-practical" house dynamics. Alana is now a working mother, and Marko is now a stay-at-home dad. The resentment from both sides is really hurting their relationship and it was really hard to see/read about. Seeing Hazel narrate the events is even more painful.
Hazel is such an amazing character, and she's only going through toddlerhood. Every panel with her made me feel so many emotions. Brian K. Vaughan is seriously a genius for creating Hazel, and his voice in Saga truly makes this series one of the best comics ever made.
Also, I'm sort of loving Prince Robot IV now, so... I have to give the man credit for that, too. I haven't hated and then loved a character for a very long time. Especially with such little time to do so in comics. I love seeing all the different parts of this intricate story come together. I think the finale is going to be something amazing and beyond words.
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,
Vol. 1,
Vol. 2, or
Vol. 3!
CHAPTER NINETEEN:
Prince Robot IV's son is born in the Robot Kingdom, but Prince Robot IV is still missing. Marko, Alana, Hazel, Klara, and Izabel are on a new planet named Gardenia, where Alana is living out one of her dreams of being an actress on the Open Circuit. Because of this job, we see the first signs of Alana and Marko's relationship being in a not so great spot.
CHAPTER TWENTY:
Prince Robot IV is alive, and is in the brothel that the Will saved Sophie from. We meet Yuma, who works with Alana and is a drug dealer. Alana takes some of the drug Fadeaway, and soon becomes addicted. Marko is becoming friends with Hazel's dance teacher, Ginny, and we see more foreshadowing on how Marko and Alana's relationship is at a low point. Dengo, a robot janitor, kills Princess Robot and takes their newborn son. He talks about his son's death, wanting retribution, and it really hit home for me, because his son died from drinking bad water, from a city no one cares about, without any health insurance to heal his son. I'm from Flint, Michigan, so that parallel to Dengo's pain really resonates with me, and is very important to me.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE:
This is the chapter where we really see the struggle of Marko being a stay at home dad, while Alana is the major breadwinner of the family. Alana is taking more Fadeaway to escape her problems, but it isn't working. We learn Gwen is still missing.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO:
Alana is becoming more and more addicted to the Fadeaway drug, all while Ginny is hanging out more and more with Marko. They have a huge fight, and it looks inconsolable. We meet Prince Robot IV's dad, King Robot, and he's a big jerk. Dengo comes to the Open Circuit so he can broadcast a message to the masses, but ends up shooting a lot of Alana's coworkers.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE:
After Alana and Marko's fight, Marko goes to Ginny's house. I was honestly going to scream if anything happened. But after seeing a toy Hazel left behind, Marko leaves to bring it back to her. Dengo is still trying to broadcast his message, but Yuma, before being shot, tells Dengo about Hazel. Izabel, the ghost babysitter, talks about her ex-girlfriend, how she died, and how important love is. Honestly, this chapter had some of my favorite panels, ever. Marko arrives at the ship, right when it is taking off - with Dengo inside. Prince Robot IV finally shows up and sees Yuma and Marko, who is now separated from his family.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR:
The Will's sister, The Brand, is interviewing the adorable Gus, from the previous installments, about the walrus he trades to Hazel and her family, Friendo. Sophie, Gwen, and Lying Cat are looking for a formula to save the Will's life. They all find out that Gus is able to track Friendo, so they will be able to find Hazel, Alana, Klara, and Izabel, too. We then find out that Marko is working with Prince Robot IV and Yuma to get their families back.
I love this world, these planets, and these characters. Saga has the reputation for being the best comic series out there for a reason. It truly is at a tier above the rest, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself once I finish the last installment. I love these characters too much to let them go.
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