ADVANCE REVIEW Saga #3

Brian K. Vaughn’s and Fiona Staples’ brilliant series Saga continues.  While it’s not as engaging and all around perfect as the first issue, it’s still leaps and bounds better than most books on the market today.

Vaughn’s script deals with the Marko being mortally wounded last issue.  It gives some time for the reader acquainted with Alana.  Vaughn gives her a lot of character work, giving the reader a sense of who she is as a mother.  While it takes up a small part of the issue, it speaks leaps and bounds to how deep a character Vaughn has created.  The plot doesn’t move along much, which isn’t a bad thing.  Vaughn has always had a talent at writing relationships and human interactions, and the final reveal will give Vaughn plenty of great material to work with.  Marko and Alana aren’t the only focus of this issue though, showing the Stalk and the Will.  While they don’t appear much, it makes this universe feel bigger.  The ever expanding cast is given plenty of time.  Vaughn did a great job of balancing a huge cast in Y: the Last Man.  I expect that once the first arc is over, we won’t see some of the lesser characters as often.

I can already see this book being one of the worst to review, as it’s hard to say great things month in and month out and make it seem like I’m not just phoning in the review.  A thesaurus is going to be needed soon.

Vaughn gives more hints and teases to this new universe.  Having the characters only give slight explanations to what they are seeing and the history of these things engages the reader, as the reader knowns next to nothing about what they are reading.  Thus, the reader is learning along with the character, which makes for a great read.  Many books and movies try this method, but mostly fail.  Vaughn’s universe is much like Star Wars, where it feels lived in, and the reader doesn’t care as much that they don’t know every little detail about what is going on.  I already see a few similarities to Y: the Last Man, like the two heroes traveling and not necessarily knowing where they are going.  While not a bad thing, part of me does hope that Vaughn isn’t going to use the same formula again.  But if it’s going to be this entertaining every issue, I don’t care.

Fiona Staples pencils are as stellar as they have been.  Characters have a great amount of personality in their face.  Alana’s unpleasant look when receiving advice for taking care for her baby is one great panel in particular.  Staples balances creepy and childish well, something that doesn’t seem possible to balance when talking about a kid who isn’t a super villain or possessed.  One thing that I have noticed across these few issues is how the amount of humanity that Staples gives to the robotic species.  While they lack quite a bit in movement and facial features, Staples has them react through motions and the angles of the panel.

If you have been undecided with reading this book, just do it.  An original Brian K. Vaughn series doesn’t come around much, and they are always a blast to read.

Saga #3 gets 5/5.

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MrComicBook

Senior Writer, Entertainment Reviewer & Editor at ComicBookTherapy

Kevin Finnigan is long time comic fan. He studied American History in college, wanting to become a teacher. As you can see, it didn't work out. He reads books by all the big publishers, and dabbles in indie publishers as well.

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