Saga: the most scintillating space opera since Star Wars

There’s nothing like an interstellar war and a cast of dozens of memorable characters to get your imagination whirring. Saga, an ongoing monthly comic series published by Image, written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, is one of those serials that grips you right from the start and simply does not let up.

The premise centres around Alana and Marko, members of different races on opposing sides of a lengthy galactic war, who fall in love and have a child together named Hazel. Both opposing regimes become aware of the child, and recognizing that Hazel is a dangerous symbol of unity compromising the conflict, send all manner of hired guns and trained assassins to attempt to destroy the new family.

The cast of characters is enormous. As Alana and Marko attempt to find a safe haven, they come across monitor-headed robotic royalty, a spectral babysitter, a bounty hunter with a conscience, a jilted fiancée, a drunk but subversive author and a vicious cat that can tell when someone is lying, to name a few.

Vaughan’s writing is energetic and vivid, dealing with themes such as magic vs. technology, the meaninglessness of war, as well as the normalization of love (and sex) across all divides. Coupled with Staples’ expressive and often erotic imagery, this series is truly a tour-de-force, and one meant strictly for adult audiences.

Saga Deluxe Edition Volume One, collecting the first 18 issues of the comic, is an absolute treasure for new readers and established fans alike. It contains informative bonus material, delving into the creative process of comic creation from concept to script to art, and is a real collector’s item.

Need an epic space fantasy fix until Star Wars: Episode VII arrives in December? Saga may be the droid you’re looking for.