Bark at the Ghouls

Why do I always wait so long to read the best things and instead read so many of the not-so-great things? Saga Volume 1 is one of the best things. The artwork is beautiful, the dialogue is snarky, the characters are stunningly gorgeous and it is jam packed with action, blood-shed and weird imagery. There is nothing not to love here in this beautifully unhinged space opera. Nothing!

Marko and Alana are warriors who are not supposed to be together. They are from different worlds that are at war with one another. Alana was supposed to be guarding Marko but instead they fell in love and ran off together. The story opens as Alana’s giving birth to their daughter who narrates the story. It’s gory and it’s earthy and super funny. The two species shouldn’t be able to breed but together they create a bewinged, behorned beautiful baby girl and their enemies want her baaaad and pay some frightful freelancers to track them down. 

The artwork is something else. There is a freelancer who is absolutely terrifying. I wish I had never seen what she hides beneath her voluminous skirt because I cannot get that image out of my head. And the lying cat is a thing of beauty. Who wouldn’t want to have such a beast as a companion?! But it’s the writing that makes it all work. The characters, even the villains, all have their own POV and little story vignettes on their journey to capture our young lovers and they aren’t completely horrible people. I love that. Alana and Marko’s back and forth is another of the great things about this installment. Alana is by far the stronger personality of the two, while he’s pretty sweet natured and easy going and together they’re so damn perfect it almost makes me weep. 

I just bought volume 2 brand spanking new immediately after finishing this one and moments after I said I would buy no more physical books until I finished up a few. Yeah, maybe that lying cat wouldn’t be such a good idea for me after all. . .

Isn't it lovely though?!

 (l