Saga #1 (2012)

Saga #1
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples

After his successes with Runaways and Y: The Last Man, BVK's return to comics was highly anticipated and Saga #1 does not disappoint. At or near the top of nearly every "Best Comics of 2012" list, BKV and artist Fiona Staples have provided their readers with a Shakespearean love story set in an Asimovian universe populated by characters more diverse and deadly than the Mos Eisley Cantina crowd.

Saga #1, Image Comics, Fiona Staples

Even before the issue hit the stands, a mild controversy bubbled regarding the cover (which is beautiful, by the way). A ram-horned male and winged female stand together, both with weapons in hand. The male's other hand is wrapped around the female, while her other hand is cradling a breastfeeding child. It is a striking image. The controversy stemmed not from the depiction of sword or gun, but the public display of breastfeeding. After all, this would be on shelves where children could see it (presumably many of whom have been breastfed themselves or witness to a younger sibling doing so). Go figure.

In fairness, this is not a comic for children (unless, like me, they are 12 year-olds trapped in a 40-something body). BVK is free and loose with the naughty words and Ms. Staples provides graphic evidence of their universe's naughty parts (once you see Issue #7, page 16, you can't unsee it). It is set in wartime, there is much copulation, and the love story is set in a world(s) besieged by fear, ignorance, and hatred. It's like Earth, only alieny.

Narrated in flashback, page one takes us back to mere moments before our narrator is born. The first four pages have been crushed on by comic-mamas everywhere for it's realistic depiction of childbirth. Page five makes with the breastfeeding again. All of this serves to show how different our new-parent protagonists are, and how little that matters (to them) in the big picture.

Marko and Alana narrowly escape the crossfire of a technology vs. magic battle and get to running. Running away from two worlds that despise them for playing nice with the enemy and want them dead as a result. All while learning the ins and outs of parenting a bi-species cherub, our neonatal narrator.

From here we are treated to a little history lesson, some robot sex, political intrigue with a dash of main character development, a soggy tromp through the sewers with a baby and a treasure map, the introduction of a moralistic assassin (which I love) and his truth-detecting feline sidekick (which I love even more), a baby-naming tease, and one last shot of the love between our favorite aliens surrounded by the kind of ominous threat we can be sure to expect in future issues.

See more of Fiona Staples brilliance here.

Staples does all of the artwork and colors and some of the lettering by herself. Digitally. One artist for an entire run ensures consistency. One outstanding artist doing all aspects of the art on every issue ensures a consistently beautiful book. Every issue (save #1) has a good ol' fashioned letters page. Issue #9, out last week, has a section in which Ms. Staples reveals her process for the book. Great insider stuff for those of us on the outside.

The double-sized #1 is the opening salvo of a story with infinite possibilities, a story worthy of its title (and I say this with the confidence of someone who has trusted in, and been rewarded by, BVK's storytelling before). We haven't even gotten to ghost babysitters, living rocket ships, disapproving in-laws, double-crossing government officials (sorry for the redundancy), half-naked spider-legged super-assassins, broken swords, broken vows, and navigating the family dynamic while navigating the galaxy. Check out the subsequent issues for that... and more.

Saga is smart. It's funny. It's titillating. It's horrific. It's sweet. It's revealing. It's pretty, and at times pretty disgusting (see Issue #7, page 16). It's only three bucks (per issue - the first trade collects six issues and retails for a ridiculously low $9.99). And, it doesn't have ads. It's everything I enjoy about comics. Get in while the gettin's good.

Re-Leaf Review:
5 horn-headed, wing-backed, bi-species babies (out of 5)