"Saga" Discuss Everything *Spoilers*

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

A few questions to get us started:


1. What did you think of the world?
2. What did you think of the characters?
3. What worked or didn't for you?
4. Overall thoughts?

[a.g.e. montagner]

"There are only three forms of high art: the symphony, the illustrated children's book and the board game."

Anybody else reading along?
I burned through the equivalent of the first two volumes (ep. 1-12) and I am now halfway through the third, or near the end of Book One.

[Banshee]

I read it a few months ago and I have a very unpopular opinion. I just don't get the hype.

I really dislike very graphic, gory media of any visual kind, so there was a very small chance I would like it in the first place. There was nothing positive for me to make up for it. I disliked the characters (the female MC planning to mutilate her newborn daughter for religious reasons? - yikes!) and didn't think the story was particularly original - it was a bloody Romeo and Juliet in space.

I kept scrolling through all the raving comments after I finished the graphic novel and felt like an alien with outlying opinions. I apologise, if I sound too harsh - I'm happy for all the people that found enjoyment in reading this.

[Silvana]

I enjoyed it when I read it a few years back. A very strong start to the series that is still ongoing. Love the worldbuiilding - especially the tv heads :)) I think it would make a good Appletv series.

Still rereading so might give more thoughts later.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

The artwork is fantastic!

[a.g.e. montagner]

I disliked the art of the double-sized first issue, which looks to me like little more than a digital sketchbook; but luckily the quality soon improved, and I can see why Staples is appreciated.

(everybody who knows me knows that I love detailed drawings, but following dozens of artists has taught me what a nightmare it is to keep up a schedule);
(although, actually, is Saga on a regular schedule?).

[Silvana]

Finished my reread!

1. What did you think of the world? Pretty cool, mix of magic and well, space. Lots of crazy violent stuff but ig if you already read lots of SFF then you'd be jaded. *sigh*
2. What did you think of the characters?
Loved them! Marko and Alana were fun, The Will was an interesting one (and to some extent, Prince Robot IV), but my faves would be the Lying Cat and Izabel.
3. What worked or didn't for you?
idk I am still enjoying the world. I liked the Hazel's narration. I am sad though that the author fridged the Stalk.
4. Overall thoughts?
As I said in my first review: Now I understand the hype.

[a.g.e. montagner]

I dunno if anyone is familiar with the original Image Comics.
(view spoiler)[Let's say it could only appeal to teenage boys, and even that only for a short while, considering their disastrous breaches of schedule. Except for Erik Larsen: he's been doing his thing ever since. (hide spoiler)]

There's since been a restyling, or perhaps more than one, and I think Saga is a flagship of the new course: stand-alone series, regular artistic team, contemporary storytelling, cutting-edge look. Mature themes, but a totally different vibe from the Vertigo (or Dark Horse, for that matter) titles that my generation grew up on.

Yeah, I can see the hype as well.
Speaking of which: how do you stop after one volume? The cliffhangers at the end of each episode always kill me, and I'm sailing towards the end of Book Two (30+ episodes)... But yeah, I signed up for the long haul beforehand.

[Anna]

You stop when you run out. Or in my case, when they went on hiatus. I haven't picked it back up after that and I'm not sure I will. You know what you did, Brian <_<

[a.g.e. montagner]

Do I want to know at which point did you stop?

[Anna]

After volume 9 (or book 3) is when there was a several year hiatus.

[a.g.e. montagner]

3½ years, according to wikipedia.
Apparently that was the "midpoint" of the series, so I guess we're looking at three more Books, or 18 total volumes.