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*'''The Will''' Wreath's primary pursuer of the two fugitives, The Will is one of the freelance bounty hunters hired by the Wreath military to kill Marko and Alana, not only for Marko's betrayal, but also so that news of the coupling does not spread and threaten troop morale. Vez, the woman who hires him, also instructs him to bring back Hazel alive and unharmed in order to collect his complete payment. The Will is accompanied by a Lying Cat, a large talking female feline that can detect lies. Vez, who says that a prophecy reveals that Marko will be responsible for the deaths of millions, says she hired The Will because he shares Marko's [[moral relativism]].<ref name=Saga#1/> The Will's moral outlook is such that after telling a [[pimp]] on the sexually permissive planet Sextillion that the activity he has seen on Sextillion seems rather tame, and being presented by the pimp with a six-year-old sexual slave girl, The Will kills the pimp.<ref name=Saga#4>{{cite comic|title=Saga|issue=4|story=Chapter Four|publisher=Image Comics|writer=Vaughan, Brian K.|artist=Staples, Fiona|date=June 2012}}</ref>
*'''The Will''' Wreath's primary pursuer of the two fugitives, The Will is one of the freelance bounty hunters hired by the Wreath military to kill Marko and Alana, not only for Marko's betrayal, but also so that news of the coupling does not spread and threaten troop morale. Vez, the woman who hires him, also instructs him to bring back Hazel alive and unharmed in order to collect his complete payment. The Will is accompanied by a Lying Cat, a large talking female feline that can detect lies. Vez, who says that a prophecy reveals that Marko will be responsible for the deaths of millions, says she hired The Will because he shares Marko's [[moral relativism]].<ref name=Saga#1/> The Will's moral outlook is such that after telling a [[pimp]] on the sexually permissive planet Sextillion that the activity he has seen on Sextillion seems rather tame, and being presented by the pimp with a six-year-old sexual slave girl, The Will kills the pimp.<ref name=Saga#4>{{cite comic|title=Saga|issue=4|story=Chapter Four|publisher=Image Comics|writer=Vaughan, Brian K.|artist=Staples, Fiona|date=June 2012}}</ref>

*'''Izabel''' One of Cleave's 'horrors', Izabel is the ghost of a teenage girl who was killed by a landmine and manifests as a reddish torso with her intestines hanging out from under the hem of her t-shirt. She makes a deal with Alana to save Marko's life in exchange for being taken with them when they leave the planet, but in order to do so, has to bond her soul to Hazel's. Although Alana is initially reluctant to allow this, she finally relents, and soon comes to appreciate Izabel's presence, since she can act as a 'babysitter' at night and allow Alana and Marko to rest.


==Plot==
==Plot==

Revision as of 09:12, 28 September 2012

Saga
Cover art for Saga #1 (March 2012).
Art by Fiona Staples.
Publication information
PublisherImage Comics
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing series
GenreEpic Space opera/fantasy
Publication dateMarch 2012 to present
No. of issues6
Main character(s)Alana
Marko
Hazel
Prince Robot IV
The Will
Creative team
Created byBrian K. Vaughan and
Fiona Staples
Written byBrian K. Vaughan
Artist(s)Fiona Staples

Saga is an epic space opera/fantasy comic book series created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples, and published monthly by Image Comics. The series, which is heavily influenced by Star Wars, and based on ideas Vaughan conceived both as a child and as a parent, depicts two lovers from long-warring extraterrestrial races, Alana and Marko, who struggle to survive amid a galactic war with their newborn daughter, Hazel, who occasionally narrates the series. The book, which was described in solicitations as "Star Wars meets A Game of Thrones", and by critics as being evocative of both science fiction and fantasy epics like The Lord of the Rings and classic works like Romeo & Juliet,[1][2][3] is Vaughan's first creator-owned work to be published through Image Comics, and represents the first time he employs third-person narration in his comics writing. The series' first issue was published March 14, 2012 to positive reviews and a sold-out first printing. The first six-issue story arc will be published in trade paperback form for October 2012 release.

Publication history

Writer Brian K. Vaughan first conceived Saga when he was a child,[4][5] having been inspired by such influences as Star Wars,[4] Flash Gordon and children's books. Vaughan has also invoked the awe and wonder of first seeing the Silver Surfer, which at the time was a new and different concept.[6] Despite these early influences, it was not until his wife became pregnant with his second daughter that he began to develop the series in earnest, as the underlying theme of parenthood is present in the form of Alana and Marko, two lovers from warring extraterrestrial races who struggle to survive with their newborn daughter, Hazel, who occasionally narrates the series.[7] Vaughan, who intended to return to writing a comics series following the 2010 conclusion of his previous series, Ex Machina, saw parallels between the caution by colleagues against launching a new book in the poor economy, and those who cautioned against bringing a new child into the world, observing:[4]

I realized that making comics and making babies were kind of the same thing and if I could combine the two, it would be less boring if I set it in a crazy sci-fi fantasy universe and not just have anecdotes about diaper bags...I didn’t want to tell a Star Wars adventure with these noble heroes fighting an empire. These are people on the outskirts of the story who want out of this never-ending galactic war...I’m part of the generation that all we do is complain about the prequels and how they let us down…And if every one of us who complained about how the prequels didn’t live up to our expectations just would make our own sci-fi fantasy, then it would be a much better use of our time.[4][8]

Vaughan explained that the main characters' romance would be a major theme of the book.[6] Touching upon the juxtaposition of the book's mature subject matter with its Star Wars inspirations, Vaughan jokingly described the book as "Star Wars for perverts."[4]

Writer Brian K. Vaughan signing a poster for the series at Midtown Comics in Manhattan.

The book was first announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International,[3] and was billed as "Star Wars meets A Game of Thrones" in solicitations.[9] Saga represents the first time Vaughan has employed third-person narration in his comics writing, a decision influenced by the whimsical interaction between the text and images in the children's books he reads with his children, and by Vaughan's desire to try something new that he felt would work well with Saga's narrator, Hazel.[5] It is also his first series to be published through Image Comics,[10] whom he selected as the series' publisher on the recommendation of writer Jay Faerber, who cited the creative freedom afforded by that publisher.[6] Vaughan elaborated on his selection of Image thus:

I love all the other companies I've worked with, but I think Image might be the only publisher left that can still offer a contract I would consider "fully creator-owned." Saga is a really important story to me, so I wanted a guarantee of no content restrictions or other creative interference, and I needed to maintain 100% control and ownership of all non-publishing rights with the artist, including the right to never have our comic turned into a movie or television show or whatever...[Image's] Eric Stephenson was the only publisher I spoke with who was thrilled to make that deal, and co-creator Fiona Staples and I didn't have to sign exclusives or agree to work on a bunch of corporate-owned titles to get it.[5]

Although Vaughan has written for television, and has endeavored to have his previous works adapted into film,[11] he stresses that he developed Saga to be strictly to be a comic book, and not adapted to other media, explaining, "I wanted to do something that was way too expensive to be TV and too dirty and grown-up to be a four-quadrant blockbuster."[4] Vaughan has also indicated that he has an ending in mind for the series,[12][6] and that he knows what he is doing five issues ahead,[6] having written the first six issues as the first story arc, which would have ended with the two main characters die on the rocketship launch pad in issue #5 if the series had not been successful.[12]

The series is illustrated by Fiona Staples,[13] who was introduced to Vaughan through their mutual friend, writer Steve Niles, with whom Staples worked on Mystery Society.[5] Vaughan, who did not meet Staples in person until just before their panel at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, explained his selection of Staples by describing his reaction upon first seeing her work, saying, "Her artwork is incredible. [It] doesn't look like anyone else. She is very unique. When I opened up this file I was like, 'This is going to work!'" Vaughan also stated that Staple's style has influenced the direction of the story. Staples is co-owner of Saga,[6] and in addition to designing all the ships and alien races in the story and providing painted covers, Staples also hand-letters Hazel's narration.[5][7] At the Image Expo, Staples described her the process by which she produces the art as harkening back to animation cels, in which emphasis is placed on figures and backgrounds.[14]

The book's release was celebrated with a launch party at Los Angeles' Meltdown Comics, which featured a public conversation with Vaughan's former co-worker, Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof,[4] who in 2007, had hired Vaughan as a writer/producer on that series.[15] Vaughan also promoted the book by appearing at signings at Midtown Comics in Manhattan[16] and Bergen Street Comics in Brooklyn during the week of the first issue's release.[17]

The book is priced at $2.99, and will remain at that price for the duration of its run, which Vaughan arranged as part of his contract with Image, along with the stipulation that it never be less than 22 pages long.[5][8] The first issue featured 44 pages of story and no advertisements,[3][8] for both its print and digital versions.[5]

After the publication of issue #6 in August 2012, Vaughan announced in that issue's letter page, "To Be Continued", that the series would take a two month hiatus, after which the first six-issue story arc would be published in trade paperback form in October for $9.99, before the series resumes in November.[12] That same month, Vaughan and Staples will promote the series by appearing together at the 2012 New York Comic Con, their first appearance together since the series' debut.[12][18]

Reception

The first issue sold out of its first printing ahead of its March 14 release date. A second printing ordered for April 11, the same release date as issue #2,[19][20] also sold out, with a third printing arriving in stores April 25.[21][22]

The first issue received wide acclaim from numerous reviewers, including MTV, Ain't it Cool News, Complex magazine, Comic Book Resources, iFanboy and Comics Alliance, of all whom praised Vaughan's ability to incorporate elements of different genres, establishing the vast setting and mythology, and introducing characters that engaged the reader. Multiple reviewers likened the book to a combination of sci-fi/fantasy works such as Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings and classic works of literature such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and the New Testament,[1][2][3][5][23] with AICN singling out the use of the newborn Hazel as a lone individual to chronicle large-scale events from a past perspective,[2] and Alex Zalben of MTV Geek remarking that he could hear a John Williams score as he read the book.[1] Multiple reviewers also lauded Vaughan for beginning the story with Hazel's birth, rather than hurting the story's pace with copious exposition of Alana and Marko's initial meeting and courtship.[9][24] Todd Allen of The Beat approved of the book's unique "flavor", singling out the characters' motivations, the immersiveness of its surrealist setting, the strangeness of the story's various oddities, and the timely nature of the story's political undertones.[14] Both Alex Evans of Weekly Comic Book Review and P.S. Hayes of Geeks of Doom called the series a "classic",[9][25] and Hayes also praised Image Comics for publishing such an "original" series.[9]

Also universally praised was Fiona Staples' artwork, which was characterized as "glorious",[2] with Zalben predicting that readers would "fall head over heels in love" with it,[1] and Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources positively comparing it to that of Leinil Francis Yu, specifically her use of delicate lines to frame characters with large, bold figures, and Staples' mixture the familiar and the foreign together in her character designs to create a visually cohesive universe.[24] AICN singled out Staples' handling of grand, sweeping space shots and other genre trappings, as well as her mastery of facial expressions, which AICN felt was perfectly suited to Vaughan's subtle dialogue.[2] Todd Allen of The Beat opined that Staples' landscapes at times play as much a part in the story as the foreground.[14]

Cast

  • Alana The female lead of the series, Alana hails from the technologically advanced Coalition of Landfall, the largest planet in the galaxy, whose people have wings that give them the power of flight. Alana was drafted into her planet's war against the planet Wreath after she dropped out of school and was subsequently reprimanded for "abject cowardice" following her first experience in battle. As punishment, she was redeployed to the planet Cleave, where as a prison guard, she met Marko. Twelve hours later, she helped him escape, married him, and later bore his daughter, Hazel.[7]
  • Marko The male lead of the series, Marko hails from the planet Wreath, whose people have horns like a ram, and can wield magic. A foot soldier in his people's war against the Coalition of Landfall, he surrendered to Coalition forces as a "conscientious objector" 18 months prior to the beginning of the series. He was a prisoner of war on the planet Cleave until his guard, Alana, escaped with him, married him and conceived their daughter, Hazel.[7]
  • Hazel The daughter of the two lead characters, born in the first issue, who occasionally narrates the series. She has wings like her mother, horns like her father, and brown eyes whose color is unlike that of either of her parents.[7]
  • Prince Robot IV The Robot Kingdom's primary pursuer of Alana and Marko. Like others of his race, he is a humanoid with a small television set for a head, which Vaughan explains is influenced by a fascination with old televisions that he developed when he began writing for TV. Politically, Vaughan characterizes the Robot Kingdom's alliance with Landfall by saying, "Though it's not exactly analogous, [it is] is almost as weird as the United States' current relationship with Saudi Arabia." A scene in the first issue depicts two of the Robots having sex, which Vaughan says is "actually vitally important to our larger story, so I'm grateful that Fiona was deranged enough to show our bluebloods in their (mostly) anatomically correct splendor."[5][7]
  • The Will Wreath's primary pursuer of the two fugitives, The Will is one of the freelance bounty hunters hired by the Wreath military to kill Marko and Alana, not only for Marko's betrayal, but also so that news of the coupling does not spread and threaten troop morale. Vez, the woman who hires him, also instructs him to bring back Hazel alive and unharmed in order to collect his complete payment. The Will is accompanied by a Lying Cat, a large talking female feline that can detect lies. Vez, who says that a prophecy reveals that Marko will be responsible for the deaths of millions, says she hired The Will because he shares Marko's moral relativism.[7] The Will's moral outlook is such that after telling a pimp on the sexually permissive planet Sextillion that the activity he has seen on Sextillion seems rather tame, and being presented by the pimp with a six-year-old sexual slave girl, The Will kills the pimp.[26]
  • Izabel One of Cleave's 'horrors', Izabel is the ghost of a teenage girl who was killed by a landmine and manifests as a reddish torso with her intestines hanging out from under the hem of her t-shirt. She makes a deal with Alana to save Marko's life in exchange for being taken with them when they leave the planet, but in order to do so, has to bond her soul to Hazel's. Although Alana is initially reluctant to allow this, she finally relents, and soon comes to appreciate Izabel's presence, since she can act as a 'babysitter' at night and allow Alana and Marko to rest.

Plot

The opening story arc introduces the series' leads, Alana and Marko, two lovers from different planets whose people are at war with one another. Alana hails from the technologically advanced Landfall Coalition, the largest planet in the galaxy, and Marko comes from Wreath, Landfall's only satellite, whose people wield magic. Because the destruction of one of the worlds would only send the other spinning out of orbit, the war was "outsourced" to other worlds. While peace was restored on the two home worlds, the conflict spread across all the other known planets, whose native species were forced to choose a side. As Landfall and Wreath were on opposite sides, Alana and Marko met when she was assigned to guard him after he became a prisoner of war. They escaped together twelve hours after meeting, slaughtering a team of robot Coalition Baron police in the process, and in the beginning of the series' first issue, Alana gives birth to their daughter, Hazel, who occasionally narrates the series. The family subsequently flees forces from both sides, in particular Prince Robot IV and The Will, who hunt the family on behalf of the Robot Kingdom and Wreath, respectively.[7]

Issues

Title Issue # Release date
"Chapter One" 1 March 14, 2012
On a planet called Cleave, Alana gives birth to their daughter, Hazel, while fleeing from their people. Prince Robot IV and The Will are assigned to go after them.[7]
"Chapter Two" 2 April 11, 2012
Alana, Marko and Hazel make their way through the Endless Woods. The Will learns the identity of another freelancer on the hunt. Prince Robot IV arrives on Cleave to investigate.[27]
"Chapter Three" 3 May 16, 2012
After The Stalk's attack, Alana meets the feared "Horrors" of Cleave and is forced to consider a deal with one of them to save Marko. Prince Robot IV interrogates a prisoner.[28]
"Chapter Four" 4 June 20, 2012
Izabel uses magic to heal Marko while Alana doubts her marriage and relationship. Seeking a respite, The Will investigates the pleasures of Sextillion.[26]
"Chapter Five" 5 July 18, 2012
Alana and Marko are confronted by a group of Landfallian soldiers. Meanwhile, The Will deals with the consequences of rescuing a six-year-old sex slave from Sextillion.[29]
"Chapter Six" 6 August 15, 2012
Alana and Marko make it to the rocketship forest, where they are surprised by what they find there, and by those who confront them afterwards. Meanwhile, Prince Robot IV and The Will's paths intersect.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Zalben, Alex (March 5, 2012). "The 'Saga' Of Brian K. Vaughan: How He Went From Runaway Kids To Epic Fantasy". MTV Geek.
  2. ^ a b c d e "AICN COMICS REVIEWS: Brian K. Vaughan’s SAGA! FAIREST! UNCANNY X-MEN! AKA! & MORE!!!". Ain't it Cool News. March 14, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Richards, Ron (January 30, 2012). "ADVANCE REVIEW: SAGA #1 (Spoiler Free)". iFanboy.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Kit, Borys (March 14, 2012). "'Lost' Writer Brian K. Vaughan Debuts New Comic With Damon Lindelof and Friends". The Hollywood Reporter.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Uzumeri, David (March 14, 2012). "'Saga': Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Bring a Stellar Sci-Fi Comic Into the World". Comics Alliance.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Shane (February 26, 2012). "IMAGE EXPO: Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' "Saga" Panel". Comic Book Resources.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Vaughan, Brian K. (w), Staples, Fiona (a). "Chapter One" Saga, no. 1 (March 2012). Image Comics.
  8. ^ a b c Dietsch, T.J. (December 12, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: Brian K. Vaughan Starts His 'Saga'". Comic Book Resources.
  9. ^ a b c d Hayes, P.S. (March 13, 2012). "Comic Review: Saga #1". Geeks of Doom.
  10. ^ Renaud, Jeffrey (July 23, 2011). "CCI EXCLUSIVE: BKV Builds 'Saga' at Image". Comic Book Resources.
  11. ^ Rogers, Adam (April 24, 2007). "The 2007 Rave Awards: Print: The Storyteller". Wired
  12. ^ a b c d e Vaughan, Brian K. (w), Staples, Fiona (a). "Chapter Six" Saga, no. 6 (August 2012). Image Comics.
  13. ^ Armitage, Hugh (March 13, 2012). "Brian K Vaughan's 'Saga' launches". Digital Spy.
  14. ^ a b c Allen, Todd (March 12, 2012). "Advance Review: "Saga" By Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples". The Beat.
  15. ^ Dawidziak, Mark (January 19, 2009). "'Lost' writer Brian K. Vaughan is a Cleveland native". Cleveland.com.
  16. ^ "Brian K. Vaughan signs "Saga" #1 @ Midtown Comics Downtown". Comic Book Resources. March 15, 2012
  17. ^ Solan, Colin (March 14, 2012). "NYC – Saga Signing". Convention Scene.
  18. ^ "Comic Guests". New York Comic Con. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  19. ^ "THE START OF AN EPIC SAGA SELLS OUT: SAGA #1 gets a second printing". Comics Bulletin. March 13, 2012.
  20. ^ Armitage, Hugh (March 14, 2012). "'Saga' #1 sells out, goes to reprint". Digital Spy.
  21. ^ "THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM FOR SAGA AND THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS". Image Comics. March 21, 2012.
  22. ^ Collis, Clark (August 6, 2012). "Walking Dead' writer Robert Kirkman and 'Harry Potter' star Tom Felton to appear at New York Comic Con -- EXCLUSIVE". "PopWatch". Entertainment Weekly.
  23. ^ Serafino, Jason (March 16, 2012). "Review: 'Lost' Writer Brian K. Vaughan Combines Sci-Fi And Fantasy In Image Comics’ 'Saga'". Complex.
  24. ^ a b McElhatton, Greg (March 13, 2012). "Review: Saga #1". Comic Book Resources.
  25. ^ Evans, Alex (March 15, 2012). "Saga #1 – Review". Weekly Comic Book Review.
  26. ^ a b Vaughan, Brian K. (w), Staples, Fiona (a). "Chapter Four" Saga, no. 4 (June 2012). Image Comics.
  27. ^ Vaughan, Brian K. (w), Staples, Fiona (a). "Chapter Two" Saga, no. 2 (April 2012). Image Comics.
  28. ^ Vaughan, Brian K. (w), Staples, Fiona (a). "Chapter Three" Saga, no. 3 (May 2012). Image Comics.
  29. ^ Vaughan, Brian K. (w), Staples, Fiona (a). "Chapter Five" Saga, no. 5 (July 2012). Image Comics.
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