Saga Volume Two

Saga Volume Two

Issues #7-12

Publisher: Image Comics, Inc

Story: Brian K. Vaughan

Art: Fiona Staples

Rated: M/Mature

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Price: $14.99

As the story of Saga continues the most important scenes seemed to be the flashbacks. The reader gets important insight into how Alana and Marko ended up together, what changed their outlook on each other, and a little bit about how they got away from the war. A new person has joined the hunt for our heroes, and she has a serious ax to grind.

The story and art are both fantastic. Brian K. Vaughan's frame for the story works perfectly. Each part of the story has the feeling of a story that the narrator has told before, an old familiar tale that we're being told for the first time. The tone shifts and dramatic turns never seem jarring or out of place because the storyteller sets them up, foreshadowing and adding just enough humor to keep the heavy emotional stuff from bogging down the reader. Fiona Staples artwork is realistic enough to keep the story something the reader can relate to, without making the fantastic creatures seem too improbable. In the universe as it's depicted; all of the strange things we see seem right at home.

While this collection does give the reader valuable insight into the backstories of our characters, it doesn't seem to move the present-day narrative along very much. It's a trade off that works for an issue or two, but doesn't seem beneficial to a six issue run. Our heroes are still on the run, with the same possessions and abilities available to them, having gained one new member of their group. That doesn't make for a lot of forward momentum plot-wise. With the very ending of the collection this seems to be a small problem that will soon be rectified, in a situation that reminds me of a certain scene from Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

Conclusion: This trade paperback delves much deeper into the story's background. While the information passed on to the reader through flashbacks seems pivotal to the story, the seeming lack of forward movement with the plot left me feeling slightly unfulfilled by the end. It's still a solid entry into the story, with it's slight shortfall not damaging the entertainment that is delivered.

Rating: 7.75/10