Graphic Novel Review: Saga, Volume 3

by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples (Illustrator)
Publisher: Image Comics
Format: Paperback
Genre: Sci-Fi
Release Date: March 25th, 2014
Goodreads

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Reread Reviews: Volume 1 / Volume 2

This volume has some big moments, as the story expands and we get events that look like tiny steps forward, but in hindsight (aka having read past this point) we know are actually fairly significant. Hazel, the result of a union between two people on opposite sides in a galaxy spanning war, has more homes by the time she gets out of her toddler era than some people have in their lifetimes. In Volume 3, the family are hiding out in the home of a man who inspired the two soldiers to leave their pasts behind and try for something different.

We know, of course, that the bliss won’t last, but it never does for them anyway. Still, there is, as usual with this series, a few gut-wrenching moments, and we get a confrontation that has built up through Volumes 2 and 3. We also see two reporters, trying to dig into the story and finding difficulty at every turn. Oh, and we meet Alana’s ‘mom’, which makes for a scene that perfectly encapsulates this series: funny, light-on-the-surface but actually kind of sad and twisted if you think about it for too long.

The thing that keeps drawing me back to this series is you never quite know what you’re going to get. You might meet a character who, initially, comes across as a total arsehole with not a single decent bone in their body, only to later feel genuine dread as their life hangs in the balance, despite the fact they’re still chasing after Hazel and her parents. The way you view characters constantly changes as we see them evolve and grow, or even just learn more about them and their past.

We can have one page that’s just full of joy, only to have the next feel like it rips out your heart. It’s an honestly beautiful series with complicated characters that constantly asks you to question your own judgement and wait before you settle on how you feel about them. Overall, it’s just pretty damn great.