Review - Saga #5

Sometimes a series is just so good you run out of superlatives to describe it. That's where Saga from Image Comics is with the fifth issue.

It's written by Brian K. Vaughan, with art by Fiona Staples and letters by Fonografiks.

This issue featured just about all the main players at various states of their lives. Marko and Alana are making their way off the planet with Hazel in tow. Marko is given time to shine as a warrior, showcasing some great fighting ability and tactics in the heat of the moment; the heat that almost overtakes him.

The Will seeks The Stalk's assistance in getting a young girl away from her brothel, but is faced with Mama Sun, her owner. Finally, Prince Robot IV is investigating a disturbance that ends in bloodshed.

Saying anything else about the story would ruin the surprise, so you'll just have to check it out to find out how all that plays out.

Vaughan's work is phenomenal. Saga is a series that is vastly imaginative and deserving of all the praise being heaped on it. He imbues his characters with such life that they could easily be real and all of them have very clear motivations.

The story is woven together so tightly because of those motivations that there's not a wasted page, panel or speech bubble. There's a universal thread uniting all of them and it's so enjoyable to quietly track the thread as you read along to find where it goes.

There's a lot to like about the story, but Staples' truly creative interpretation of Vaughan's script is equally as powerful. These are characters with TVs for heads, female-spider hybrids and a man with goat horns.

Staples' work is truly visionary and that's not overstating it. She really imbues each character with so much emotion that it's ever present throughout.

Seriously, if you're not reading Saga, you should be. It's one of the best titles on the shelves now and the duo of Vaughan and Staples are absolutely killing it. The series is five issues in and shows no signs of slowing down whatsoever.

Saga #5 is in stores July 18 with interiors below.






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