‘Saga: Volume 4’ and ‘Something is Killing the Children: Volume 4’
Just looking at the blog title here and there’s something quite pleasing (to me, anyway) about having two ‘Volume 4’s in the same title. Makes me feel like I’m actually making a little progress with the various series that I’m into and by extension, the TBR Pile. No! Don’t say anything, just leave me in blissful ignorance for a little longer… ;o)
Anyway…
Yesterday was a good day for getting called up about contract jobs (yes I know how that sounds, no I'm not changing it) and it was also a good day to put a little shine on my rusty old social skills. It wasn’t a good day for reading though… That’s becoming a little bit of a pattern and once again, I’m hoping to do something about that over the weekend. In the meantime, I did manage to find a little time for ‘Something is Killing the Children Volume 4’ and ‘Saga: Volume 4’ was already sitting patiently, waiting to be posted about, so… Lets get to it :o)
‘Saga: Volume 4’ – Vaughan, Staples (Image)
Page Count: 144 Pages
In this volume, Hazel is finally a toddler and just beginning to discover a wider world for herself; but for her parents, it’s the same round of flight and then hiding. And it may be beginning to finally take a toll.
Well, I’m officially further into ‘Saga’ now, than I’ve made it previously, and without giving too much away… Damn! That got very dark, very quickly. I mean, I should have seen it coming but even so… Vaughan and Staples are clearly not afraid to really push this family and see how they react. Not just Hazel’s family either, Prince Robot has his heart broken but comes out of it with a new sense of purpose and straight into a team-up that I don’t think any of us saw coming. It makes sense though and all being well, I won’t leave it too long before reading Volume 5 to find out where it all goes next.
You could say that apart from a couple of fairly major plot twists, Volume 4 isn’t doing a lot different from preceding volumes; certainly not in terms of its character development and the wry humour shown in how life goes on in a backdrop of interplanetary war. I’d reply… The series clearly doesn’t need to change course at this stage, it’s still consistently brilliant on all fronts. I’ve got a mountain of books to work my way through but I don’t think that will stop me sneaking another volume of ‘Saga’ in every now and then ;o)
‘Something is Killing the Children: Volume 4’ - Tynion IV, Dell’Edera, Muerto (Boom Studios)
Page Count: 144 Pages
Erica Slaughter went to hell and back in Archer’s Peak, but that may be nothing compared to the events that forged her at the House of Slaughter. What events brought Erica to the House of Slaughter? And what did she have to do to join the Order of St. George? Erica Slaughter’s origins are finally revealed in this volume of the Eisner Award-nominated series from GLAAD Award-winning author James Tynion IV (The Woods, Batman) and artist Werther Dell’Edera (Razorblades). Collects Something is Killing the Children #16-20.
I’ll be honest, I’m always a little wary of origin stories that arrive a few books into a series. I mean, it disrupts the flow of what is already happening and we know that whatever faces our lead, they are going to make it through to… the bit of the story that we’ve already read. (Middle-Aged) Rant over… ;o)
I’ll hold my hands up right away and admit that I was wrong, at least as far as this volume goes. The events of Archer’s Peak were the ideal way to introduce Erica Slaughter and now they’ve concluded, there’s a natural lull that’s the best time for a little backstory. And what a backstory Erica has… Again, I don’t want to give the story away (you should read it if you haven’t already) but Tynion doesn’t hold anything back from us. There is trauma in Erica’s life and we see exactly what put it there. And it’s not just the monster, a jarring introduction to the Order of St George is going to leave scars. It certainly explains some of Erica’s actions at the end of Volume 3.
Volume 4 may swim a little close to ‘we know what’s coming for…’ territory but was still all kinds of compelling reading in the meantime. Just what I needed after yesterday…
Anyway…
Yesterday was a good day for getting called up about contract jobs (yes I know how that sounds, no I'm not changing it) and it was also a good day to put a little shine on my rusty old social skills. It wasn’t a good day for reading though… That’s becoming a little bit of a pattern and once again, I’m hoping to do something about that over the weekend. In the meantime, I did manage to find a little time for ‘Something is Killing the Children Volume 4’ and ‘Saga: Volume 4’ was already sitting patiently, waiting to be posted about, so… Lets get to it :o)
‘Saga: Volume 4’ – Vaughan, Staples (Image)
Page Count: 144 Pages
In this volume, Hazel is finally a toddler and just beginning to discover a wider world for herself; but for her parents, it’s the same round of flight and then hiding. And it may be beginning to finally take a toll.
Well, I’m officially further into ‘Saga’ now, than I’ve made it previously, and without giving too much away… Damn! That got very dark, very quickly. I mean, I should have seen it coming but even so… Vaughan and Staples are clearly not afraid to really push this family and see how they react. Not just Hazel’s family either, Prince Robot has his heart broken but comes out of it with a new sense of purpose and straight into a team-up that I don’t think any of us saw coming. It makes sense though and all being well, I won’t leave it too long before reading Volume 5 to find out where it all goes next.
You could say that apart from a couple of fairly major plot twists, Volume 4 isn’t doing a lot different from preceding volumes; certainly not in terms of its character development and the wry humour shown in how life goes on in a backdrop of interplanetary war. I’d reply… The series clearly doesn’t need to change course at this stage, it’s still consistently brilliant on all fronts. I’ve got a mountain of books to work my way through but I don’t think that will stop me sneaking another volume of ‘Saga’ in every now and then ;o)
‘Something is Killing the Children: Volume 4’ - Tynion IV, Dell’Edera, Muerto (Boom Studios)
Page Count: 144 Pages
Erica Slaughter went to hell and back in Archer’s Peak, but that may be nothing compared to the events that forged her at the House of Slaughter. What events brought Erica to the House of Slaughter? And what did she have to do to join the Order of St. George? Erica Slaughter’s origins are finally revealed in this volume of the Eisner Award-nominated series from GLAAD Award-winning author James Tynion IV (The Woods, Batman) and artist Werther Dell’Edera (Razorblades). Collects Something is Killing the Children #16-20.
I’ll be honest, I’m always a little wary of origin stories that arrive a few books into a series. I mean, it disrupts the flow of what is already happening and we know that whatever faces our lead, they are going to make it through to… the bit of the story that we’ve already read. (Middle-Aged) Rant over… ;o)
I’ll hold my hands up right away and admit that I was wrong, at least as far as this volume goes. The events of Archer’s Peak were the ideal way to introduce Erica Slaughter and now they’ve concluded, there’s a natural lull that’s the best time for a little backstory. And what a backstory Erica has… Again, I don’t want to give the story away (you should read it if you haven’t already) but Tynion doesn’t hold anything back from us. There is trauma in Erica’s life and we see exactly what put it there. And it’s not just the monster, a jarring introduction to the Order of St George is going to leave scars. It certainly explains some of Erica’s actions at the end of Volume 3.
Volume 4 may swim a little close to ‘we know what’s coming for…’ territory but was still all kinds of compelling reading in the meantime. Just what I needed after yesterday…
Glad you made it through these at least. I can't imagine dealing with real life is much fun at the moment.
ReplyDeleteOne more day and then the weekend.