Saga Appreciation

[matt levin]

I'm writing this here because I like Saga. And I'd like Saga readers to become Alex + Ada readers.

Alex + Ada (issue 7): I really like this. they’re bringing us to the edge of asking what it means to be human. I like the oblique angle: life is oblique, oblique and opaque. There're many examples of human life: the neighbor who panics just to know Ada's next door; Alex's buddy who sees Ada as only a fancy fantasy; Alex's grandmother who knows Ada's now far more than just 'a robot'. And Ada, now trying to pretend to be 'just a robot'.

A&A has got to be one of the quietest, subtlest comics I’ve read (and I go back many decades): could be just any girl, Ada, admiring how the bracelet looks on her wrist, but it is Ada, and she notices as well what the bracelet hides; just one quiet panel of a girl admiring jewelry, but it conveys a whole social and psychological under-current more.

A&A is one of the best world-building comics I’ve read: moreso even than Saga, certainly one of the best, but its multiple worlds whirl together somewhat higglety-pigglety. The world of Alex and Ada is orderly, is just there as they move through it revealed by Alex's and Ada's movement through it—a world of small changes, but significant changes, a very neatly complete world, a world easy to believe in.

[Batman Fan]

Issue 20 is out today according to Previews. Can't wait.

[bob fett]

While searching on Amazon,there's a deluxe hc coming out in Dec.It contains the first three volumes.

[Clea]

Wanted to pop over here and say that Saga is my hands-down favorite ongoing comic, and seriously one of the best comics stories that I've read in years.

[matt levin]

Clea, before you popback into those dark dimensions, I hope you will try two or three issues of Image's Alex+ Ada. As a Saga fan, I deeply appreciate the incredible world-building subtly put before us, and, even more importantly, the deep characterization given Alex and Ada. Please check into it-- I suspect you'll find it most enjoyable. Some say it's slow; I say, it's building and building and pulling its readers ever deeper into it...

[nebezial]

just saying... i freaking love this comic XD

[El Sombrero]

Was kind of bored while reading issue 26, which doesn't bode well as I thought 25 was a little underwhelming as well. All in all I think Saga has fallen off a bit. The first year was unstoppable, then the third and fourth arcs were a good deal slower moving but still had plenty of strong emotional moments and character development. We're a third through this new arc and I'm not really invested in any of the storylines that much.

I like seeing Gwendolyn and Sophie back, but this dragon hunt is quite dull so far. Marko looks to be hitting rock bottom, which should make for some interesting and powerful moments but is a little cliche and not that fun to read. The most interesting storyline is probably Dengo holding Hazel & Co. hostage with the new terrorist group, but so far they haven't really gone anywhere with that, and they better do a good job making the Revolution interesting since the series already has so many characters that need panel time.

Staples' art seems slightly less impressive this arc. It seems a bit less detailed and the colors are a bit more flat, with a thicker inking line. It still looks nice but I wonder if these are work-arounds to suit the Archie project.

I still like this comic but it's definitely starting to slip from its undisputed top spot IMO.

[Ragdoll]

I still like this comic but it's definitely starting to slip from its undisputed top spot IMO.

I wish I could disagree with you. I don't think it is boring as much as has lost the charm. And the charm comes from all the characters, together, on adventures. Now everyone is solo and miserable, when before they were always against miserable odds, but together, happy, and charmingly fun.
Also, I love toking up for new Saga and it has gotten way judgy about drugs lately. Like, I get being mad that your wife is doing drugs when she should be raising a kid, but who is he to judge a bunch of actors and army veterans for getting high?
spoilers:

Also, if he hadn't alienated the other drug user on board, he could've learned the correct dose to take and not OD'd like a %^&*ing loser.

end of spoilers

[Seedzington]

Starting Saga today... Apparently I'm in for a fun ride. Issue one really has me feeling for these characters.

[Seedzington]

And first Trade complete... This is so damn amazing. I'll be caught up ASAP.

[ysemaj]

Think I'm echoing many people's sentiment over this series. Saga used to be the comic that I would always look forward to, but recently many other comics have overtaken it in my enjoyability. I wouldn't say that this is because the other comics have become much better, just that Saga has become weaker in this new arc and the previous arc.

Whilst #27 was a step in the right direction, especially with the great development of Marko's character, it didn't advance the plot in any significant way, and this seems to be the case for the previous issues as well. I hope Vaughn has a plan to really step it up and re-unite some of the characters, but Hazel did mention it would be a long time before Marko saw them again so I am becoming increasingly skeptical about the future of the series and might just end up buying the trades instead of the single issues.

[Ragdoll]

Heh, my last post here was making fun of Marco for ODing. I was glad to hear that they just got a funky batch and that he didn't overdose like a loser.

[Seedzington]

Amazing.

[SloppyJoe]

So I'm finally caught up.

I have to say that the increasing.... despondency some of the older fans are feeling for Saga is so crazy to me.

I love every single thing about this series. The characters, art, dialogue, characters, world building, the freaking characters, pacing. This is everything that a comic should be and nothing I've read from Image (and Image is a pretty decent publisher right about now, to say the least) even begins to compare.

Marko laid out on the floor in #26 had me worried, but #27 fixed it in the most satisfying way.

This is why I love comic books... hell, this is why I love story-telling.

I await May with bated breath

[Ragdoll]

Whoa, Saga was actually good this month. Keep this direction going and maybe it'll regain its former glory.