There was a scene in John Irving's "The World According to Garp" where one of the support staff at a publishing company (cleaning, I think), exasperated, explained to one of the high mucky-mucks that what made a great book was "you couldn't put it down 'cause you didn't know WHAT was going to happen next!" You didn't have to LIKE it, but it had to grab you and not let you go!
"Saga, Volume 1", a graphic novel from the folks at Image, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, fit that description to a "T" - although I DID enjoy it, as well. Heroes have dark sides, villians have soft spots, and any one of them could end up dead on the next page.
This graphic novel is not for kids. The opening scene is a back-room childbirth, not as graphic as it could be, BUT far more than you'd see on television - even cable. Lots of "bad language". Some sex (yes, this really is a GRAPHIC novel!!) And violence, even implied or downright administered against kids. BUT it all fits together. (OK, I'm a bit more of a prude since I got my AARP card, and I could have done with the sex being done off-screen, but to each their own.)
If you want super-heroes in tights, taking on threats to our way of life - pick up a different book. If you want DRAMA, if you want ART, if you want something that shows how "comics" have evolved for the new millenium, pick up "Saga, Volume 1". Then, you probably will want to grab "Volume 2" when it comes out next summer.
I don't freely give out 5 stars, but this was so close to that mark that I decided to round up.
DISCLOSURE: This book was supplied to me free of charge. The distributors probably hoped for a review in return, and further hoped that it was a positive one, but no promises were made to write a review, let alone influence its tone or content.
"Saga, Volume 1", a graphic novel from the folks at Image, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, fit that description to a "T" - although I DID enjoy it, as well. Heroes have dark sides, villians have soft spots, and any one of them could end up dead on the next page.
This graphic novel is not for kids. The opening scene is a back-room childbirth, not as graphic as it could be, BUT far more than you'd see on television - even cable. Lots of "bad language". Some sex (yes, this really is a GRAPHIC novel!!) And violence, even implied or downright administered against kids. BUT it all fits together. (OK, I'm a bit more of a prude since I got my AARP card, and I could have done with the sex being done off-screen, but to each their own.)
If you want super-heroes in tights, taking on threats to our way of life - pick up a different book. If you want DRAMA, if you want ART, if you want something that shows how "comics" have evolved for the new millenium, pick up "Saga, Volume 1". Then, you probably will want to grab "Volume 2" when it comes out next summer.
I don't freely give out 5 stars, but this was so close to that mark that I decided to round up.
DISCLOSURE: This book was supplied to me free of charge. The distributors probably hoped for a review in return, and further hoped that it was a positive one, but no promises were made to write a review, let alone influence its tone or content.
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