‘Saga: Volume 2’ – Vaughan, Staples (Image)

 






Page Count: 152 Pages.

Another ‘shorter’ post for today… All of a sudden, work has become about handing over to the people who will stay on after I leave; kind of obvious really but the need to get it done has kicked up a notch.

On top of that, I’ve also got my two daughters coming round so today is going to be about juggling stuff and seeing how long I can keep it all in the air. Definitely a ‘short post day’ then, you understand ;o)

Last night felt like a good time then to pick up the next instalment of ‘Saga’ and keep moving forwards on what will hopefully be a full readthrough of the whole series. A nice short read for what ended up what felt like a short evening.

Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and alien monstrosities, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters something truly frightening: her grandparents!

Collects Issues #7-12

The ‘volume number’ is a real giveaway here ;o) It’s still very much early days in terms of our being introduced to the cast and the galaxy that they live in. Existing characters are fleshed out a little while a couple of new ones are introduced. I like the deliberate, slow pace employed here; I really got the feeling that Vaughan in particular is quite happy to let things play out properly and in their own time. And Staples’ artwork is just as good as it was in the first volume, giving us enough to identify with but leaving us in no doubt that this is very much an alien setting.

The only issue is that it doesn’t leave me with an awful lot, that’s new, to say about this volume. It really is just a continuation of events, from the preceding volume, with a little background on how Marko and Alana first met. There are some sweet moments (the aforementioned meeting) as well as moments that gave me a lot to think about. There is another birth, in this volume, that shows us that not all new life, in this universe, enjoys the same love and protection that Hazel gets from her parents. It’s awesomely drawn and there’s nothing like an alien ‘monster’, showing up in the middle of a fight, to make for some really dynamic panels from Fiona Staples. It’s also strangely touching though, at the same time, and a real message about the universe being completely unfair.

Like I said then, nothing really new happening then (at least, not yet) but on the whole, I was really pleased with how things went here; in particular how The Will manages to resolve a certain situation (far quicker than inspected) and the growing dynamic between the new family and the grandparents is worth sticking around for. Just a couple of questions though… What is the deal with all the porn that seems to be playing on Prince Robot’s monitor/face? And I’m really hoping that Lying Cat is ok (not a question, you know what I mean though).

Not a lot that’s different then but when it is all being delivered just as well as it was in the first volume, it remains just as much fun to read and continues to promise great things to come. Vaughan is great here at giving us the information we need while leaving enough vagueness to ensure that we keep on going. That’s why I bought Volume 3, I’ll let you know how it goes ;o)

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