Saga #3

Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Fiona Staples

Vaughan and Staples's new series Saga is one of the most exciting books to be published this year, and that's saying quite a lot, as the competition among new, creator-owned comics has been pretty fierce lately.

Much of the first two issues was given over to developing the universe of Marko and Alana, two lovers from opposite sides in a long-running war, and their relationship with one another, as they attempt to use a map to get themselves off the planet Cleave.  They had a run in with the freelancer The Stalk, who fled at the appearance of The Horrors, indigenous nasties.

As it turns out, the Horrors are really just ghosts of natives who have died on Cleave, and who stick around to protect it from outsiders.  One of these Horrors is a young woman named Izabel, who reminds me in many ways of Molly Hayes, a character Vaughan created for the Marvel series Runaways (maybe it's just the hat). 

Anyway, in order to perform a spell to heal himself from his wounds, Marko needs snow.  Izabel is willing to help Alana get some, but in return she wants to bond with newborn Hazel, so she will be able to leave the planet with the young family.  While all this is going on, we check in with another freelancer, The Will, and with Prince Robot IV, who is searching for Alana.

This series is an excellent read, and Staples's art is phenomenal.  I don't know if I like the ghost element, mostly because Izabel is dressed and speaks as if she came from our world, and I don't really like that blending taking place in fantasy and science fiction stories that take place in their own universes.  That's probably just me being picky though, because this comic is amazing.