While I do believe in spoiler-free reviews, this issue is a bit hard to talk about without getting into specifics. So I tell you what — this review will be mostly spoiler-free, but some allusions will be made that could help you put two and two together, if you’re clever. So take that as a warning.
Still, I’d recommend just reading the issue first. Any comment I make won’t be particularly better than that.
Written by Brian K Vaughan
Illustrated by Fiona StaplesMarko and Alana’s long-lost babysitter Izabel finally returns to the fold, but at what cost?
This week in “Saga,” the book opens with a splash page of Marko in chains from the past, looking directly at the reader and saying “Please. Keep reading.” While this is quickly turned into a scene with his future wife the opening shot of the book is two-fold, in that it should be quickly obvious that Marko is indeed also talking to the reader. The reasons for this perhaps aren’t clear yet, but one thing is for sure: when your book opens with a character asking the readers to stay, no good can come from the events of this particular story.
(Well, unless you like ripped, shirtless men posing with sledgehammers for you. Then its aaallllll good.)
And, unsurprisingly, that sentiment stays true. “Saga” is always a great read, month in and month out, but it’s rare that the book does something that could in anyway create a visceral reaction. Usually a read of “Saga” ends with the thought, “Man, that was so good!” or something similar, in the way that you can always expect a book by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples to be so good. That’s just par for course. Yet, in a way, that’s also somewhat stagnant; a book can be consinstently great but never push things over the edge in a slightly new direction, and that’s what “Saga” #10 is all about.
So on the one hand, what “Saga” #10 is is a big, grand sci-fi book full of big, grand sci-fi ideas. This issue is bombastic in many ways, from its doom countdown to the colossal and chaotic ending. Dicussing any further verges into spoiler territory, but the largescale cinematic way in which the book ends solidifies its place in the sci-fi world. A lot of this book could somewhat exist in any genre, really, since a great deal of it has to do with romance and familial relationships, but its nice to see every now and then that Vaughan and Staples really have every intention to stay focused within the scope of science fiction, to embrace that genre and all it allows. The way they tie the book’s major themes together with it all just makes it that much more impressive.
On the other hand, “Saga” #10 is just a devastatingly smart issue, made that much more powerful on a re-read. There is certainly something to be said about the smoke and mirrors games that storytellers like to play, and Vaughan is certainly no stranger to pulling the rug out from under his readers. The strength of an issue like this comes from the fact that the readers could feel safe or comfortable, enough to not notice the writing on the wall until it is too late, at which point the fallout can only be met with what the Tumblr community refers to as “all the feels.” It seems that perhaps Vaughan and Staples may have known the book had grown to a place where fans felt they had their expectations under control, so they felt the only way to respond was to kick the reader in the shin. It’s fair play.
After all, a moment this powerful is really just a testament to the strength of the series, if not creator-owned comics as a whole. Let it not be said that most company-owned comics can’t really get away with This Kind of ending, because it never actually feels like it matters. Truth be told, it never really does; some aspects of life are too big for stories that will never end and creators who have to use a shared toybox, so they become cheap and pointless. That’s not the same here, as we get something along the lines with other recent powerful issues like “Chew” #30 and “The Walking Dead” #100, where the message is clear and the creative point is made, leaving the readers in a pit of despair as the book moves on to new pastures. And that’s the best thing possible.
Continued belowSee, it’s stories like this that make the long-term goals of a book like this matter. Nothing is forever, and that’s something that can be forgotten; when we’re given the subtle enough reminder of it, it enhances our feelings towards others. An issue like this reminds you why you want to read “Saga” at all and how it matters to you, because that emotion is put on a scale and weighed before your very eyes. If the issue hits home, then you know the book has done its job right and we’re all the better for it.
Needless to say, it’s not surprising that the book is as good as it is with Brian K Vaughan’s name on the cover. That’s just a given at this point. I’d bet that there’s a rule in the comic reader’s bible that says if Brian K Vaughan is writing a comic you need to buy it, because it’s an inescapable fact of comic reading life. If you want smart, clever, funny and emotional reads, then you pick up his work.
However, it is important to note that the true star of the series is Fiona Staples. Again, it’s not a surprise that Staples is doing amazing work because she’s an incredibly talented artist, but this issue is something else. It’s not that often we get two-page splashes, but this issue Staples really throws the gauntlet down. It’s one of the most dramatic and visually stunning issues it, with Staples completely encapsulating various genres throughout: the romantic opening is entirely in line with romance genre tropes, the action is tense and the camera work is perfect. And when you get to the big two-page sequence? Man. What a shot. Like something out of 2001 and Sunshine.
Staples is what makes every little thing of “Saga” work. From her impressive character design and the way she can manipulate their faces to the setting and environment and the creativity that goes into this universe’s design, Staples is the sun at which everything else in this solar system seems to revolve around. This issue is definitely a fine example of how well Staples and Vaughan work together creatively, because with so many little foibles and nuances placed in the issue to make it all go round you can’t help but note that this type of collaboration is why we love comics. You won’t find this kind of work in any other medium (unless Staples or “Saga” goes into animation, I suppose), and the smooth and effective storytelling here is the proof in the pudding. And that’s Fiona Staples for you.
This is a deceptive issue of a great book, and on some level it’s probably ok to call it “rude.” Maybe even “evil.” Yet it’s important that “Saga” be allowed to smack the readers around every now and then. It’s a consistently great read, sure, but consistency only gets you so far; every now and then you need to be shaken up, to have the book grab you and remind you why you read it, and it’s always best to have no advance warning of that. With Vaughan and Staples completely in sync, “Saga” is one of the best books being published today, no questions asked – and to even think about not reading it is a major folly. If it’s somehow not in your pullbox yet, you may want to re-think how you’re choosing your monthly reads.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – As if I’m going to give a 10.0 to an issue that ends like this. I mean, come on.
