Brian K. Vaughan, the writer behind Pride of Baghdad, Y: The Last Man, and Ex Machina, debuted his triumphant return with last week's premiere of Saga #1. A sci-fi/fantasy mash up with promise of serious drama, fighting, and the requisite shadowy oppressive government element, Saga does not (so far) disappoint.
Alana and Marko are young newlyweds with a classic problem: they are each members of opposite sides in a xenophobic war. What's worse is that they have just brought our narrator, Hazel, into the world. After defecting from their respective sides of the conflict, both are wanted for treason, for which the penalty is death. Now with the birth of Hazel, the first hybrid of two species who have been at war for longer than anyone can remember, the fight for their lives just got much more complicated. And deadly.
The winged people of Landfall and the horned/antlered people of their moon, Wreath, are bitter enemies. But they are not the only races involved in this conflict. Also present are the bizarre television-headed people of The Robot Kingdom. Vaughan characterizes these people as a analogous to U.S.' involvement in conflicts in the Middle East (Landfall and Wreath). It is a fairly simplistic but realistic comparison. The Robot people are outsiders with (of?) higher technology, while the people of Landfall and Wreath (derogatorily known as "Moonies") are really not so different apart from surface aesthetics.
It has been said that Vaughan writes about that which frightens him. His most famous work, Y: The Last Man, drops protagonist Yorick Brown into a world populated solely with women, many of whom are antagonistic. Obviously, Vaughan had some women issues to work through. In Saga, Alana and Marko not only lack a home and basic necessities for thier child, but are also constantly on the run from those who would destroy them. Once comfortable with women, what could be more frightening than parenthood?
Fiona Staples provides excellent art, lush with color and a clear art nouveau influence. Also used to great effect is Hazel's narration, handwritten directly over the art. This technique gives a strong feeling of a real person reminiscing about her parents, rather than the usual disembodied and uninvolved narrator.
Most impressive to me was what was clearly a well thought out and intricate story world with a variety of different creatures and peoples. Legend, history, and lore are deftly interwoven with the fabric of the story without boring or pulling the reader from the action. It's also a great blend of sci-fi and fantasy. Though the characters sport ram horns and dragon wings, the futuristic setting is never lost. As a reader, I found myself craving more info about Landfall and Wreath, and the people that live there. I am super excited for what's to come.
You can pick up issue 1 of Saga at Hastings for under five dollars. Money well spent!
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