Saga vol. 10
It took a while, but Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ much-loved series has finally made its return to kick off its second half. Four years may seem like a long time between volumes, but when you’re like me and have spent the last decade waiting for new volumes of “Berserk” and “Black Lagoon” it’s no big deal. There’s also the fact that while I’ve been enjoying “Saga” I’ve never been quite as passionate about it as most everyone else in its fanbase. Still, this latest volume offers enough profanity, surprises, jokes, and heart to make me glad that it’s back.
Some people, though, may be a little disappointed at the start as we pick up three years after the traumatic events at the end of vol. 9. When I say “those people” I mean anyone holding out hope that Marko’s death on the last page of that volume was less than permanent. The man who was Alana’s husband and Hazel’s father is definitely gone, but not forgotten. Hazel lets us know as much in the first few pages of vol. 10 as she runs through the streets trying to escape the shopkeeper she’s just stolen from. She does this by running straight into a soldier from Landfall with a bad attitude, and boy wouldn’t this be the best time for a suicide bomber to show up and provide a distraction!
If you’re wondering whether or not “Saga” has become any less political or less about the world we’re living in general, the answer is a resounding “NO!” Vaughn is still using the comic to work through his issues with the world, be they specific issues like cops being general dicks or how the socioeconomic environment forces people to commit crimes just to put food on the table. It’s the latter issue which is most relevant to this volume as Alana’s current line of work gets the attention of some actual space pirates.. However, their leader is sympathetic to her situation and offers the single mother a job that might be the answer to all of her problems.
You can see where things are going to go from here… if this story was in less talented hands. The majority of the fun in this volume comes from all of the little twists the story takes as it works its way to the end. Small things, like Hazel discovering her one true passion. Medium things, like seeing Alana’s new partner-in-crime, Bombazine, and finding out that he’s a really solid guy who appears to be hiding a truly awful past. Big things too, like what we get on this volume’s final pages.
What I’m finding that I want most from the media I consume these days is to be surprised. Sure, big honking game-changing twists are great, but also to just experience something and go, “Huh, I wasn’t expecting that.” That’s what this volume of “Saga” has to offer throughout its length, even when it’s working to some familiar ends. Even then I still find myself able to care about what Vaughan and Staples are doing in cases like Bombazine’s. I really want to emphasize just how likable this koala-faced doofus is, even as he’s introduced as the guy assuming the father-figure role in this family setup. Having said that, I’m also sure that I’m going to want to take a shower after finding out about his past because that’s just how the writer of this series rolls.
As for the artist, Staples’ work looks as good as it ever did. The world of “Saga” has been showing off a familiar-yet-alien style from the start as it distorts the look of our world just enough to make it all look interesting again. There’s also the stuff that shouldn’t work – like the look of the pirate ship – but does anyway because it’s appreciably weird while also making for a fun visual gag. Staples is also great with the expressions each character has, particularly in Hazel’s case as we get to see the girl’s exuberance at making new friends and discovering what could be her passion. There’s also the way she breaks down on the final pages, which is just plain heartbreaking.
I’ll even go so far as to say that what goes on in the final pages represents a more gripping cliffhanger than what we were served up at the end of vol. 9. We’ve had plenty of time to come to grips with Marko’s death, but what happens to Hazel, Alana, and the rest of their makeshift family is fraught with more questions about their immediate welfare. More than the shadowy threat represented by Landfall’s government introduced earlier. So yeah, it’s good to have “Saga” back and it’s hard to begrudge its creators for taking four years off when they deliver a volume that serves as a perfect reminder as to why you were enjoying the series in the first place.