Saga Volume Three

Saga Volume Three

Issues #13-18

Publisher: Image Comics, Inc

Story: Brian K. Vaughan

Art: Fiona Staples

Rated: M/Mature

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Price: $14.99

This part of the Saga story is action packed and informative. Most of it takes place during the events of the last part of volume two. Many of the side characters get their moments to shine, and in the process become much more well developed characters. The new characters added in these six issues get the full treatment, and by the end seem like characters that we've been reading all along.

The trouble is, almost this entire book takes place during a time period that was covered previously; this means that there is still relatively no forward motion in the main story. The reader sees new creatures, brought to life by the wonderful Fiona Staples, new worlds and the dangers they bring, and a few new characters, but what is the next step in Alana, Marko, and Hazel's life? The character development is great, believe me, I enjoy seeing real personalities and motivations played out on the page for us, and I know there is something happening next. I just need to see a little more of it than what's been shown thus far.

Maybe the reason I feel this way is that I really like what I'm reading. I'm invested in these characters and where they go and how they get there. That has been accomplished, now it's time to find out where that takes us. It seems like nitpicking, even to myself. Even if the remaining books consist of our intrepid heroes sitting around playing board games, I'd probably still read it. It is that well-done and I am that interested, but it's called Saga, and a saga implies a grand, sweeping story. That's the part I'm waiting for.

Conclusion: Despite the absence of elements advancing the overall story much; the new characters introduced in this volume, and the insights gained concerning previously introduced characters, keep this volume moving forward at an easy pace. Both Vaughan's knack for dialogue and Staples amazing artwork make this a joy to read.

Rating: 8/10