To end 2017, what better than a small review of a book from a genre I never thought I would read?

From Lipsyy : I started doing ‘lazy Saturday reviews’ as a way of getting reviews done in just 30 mins, and they proved to be quite popular. They are quick and snappy, and concentrate less on the plot (or content) and writing and more on my overall feelings about said book. They generally end up being a bit of a rant. My fave!

Title: Saga (Vol 1 and 2)
Scenario and graphics : Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Date of publication: France: 2012
Number of pages: 185
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: Vol 1: 186 / Vol 2 144
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

Note: I am reviewing Saga in English after having read the volumes in French, therefore I can’t really discuss the translation, as I haven’t had a chance to check the original version.

Saga, or the weirdest thing I’ve ever read!

Branching out and leaving your favorite genres brings surprises, but oh my, I was not prepared for this!

I came across this comics thanks to a presentation by two of my fellow sufferers in the Publishing program, and I was curious. There’s no other word for it. They managed a miracle, I’d never been interested in comics!

As I am a newbie, I don’t know the rules of the genre and will keep this review light and without a three-page analysis of the whys and hows!

First of all, the drawings. Wow! Beautiful and too realistic at times! Leaving the creation of the world in your head to images instead of your own imagination was a new feeling. for me. I certainly would not have thought of certain scenes the way they were described and put in the comics, my innocent mind preventing any too-much-info creations of my brain. Still, it worked! I have purposefully chosen not to add pictures to this post because it takes away the pleasure of discovering why they talk about hemorrhoids. Yes, you read this right. But I enjoyed it. Blame my superpower to appreciate all kinds of humor!

Each part reflected and fit the scenario. In addition to top-notch images, you get a well-crafted, clever, and seriously funny plot, or should I say plots in plural. Saga is indeed crowded with many characters, each of them being linked to one another. I grew attached to some of them, despised others, couldn’t care less about a few, laughed so much with others. There’s a character for everyone in Saga. The treasure of this series dwells in the amazing web of events happening, mixing themes we find in our culture and time, with the strangest creatures, everything wrapped in different kinds of humor. Yes, some things are very down-to-earth and won’t make you smile, but there are so many levels of fun, and you can’t stay indifferent to the dialogues. They carry the story, they bring meaning to a comics that could have lost its interest without those one-liners to die for!

A fun trip to the world of comic books, to where I shall return in 2018!