Saga

<–Saga: Volume 7                                                                                                               Saga: Volume 9–>

*******Spoilers for all the prior volumes.*******

Title: Saga, Volume 8
Series Title: Saga
Authors: Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples
Date Added: July 2, 2017
Date Started: February 4, 2018
Date Finished: February 8, 2018
Reading Duration: 4 days
Genre: Graphic Novel/Comic, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Space Opera, LGBTQ+

Pages: 146
Publication Date: December 27, 2017
Publisher: Image Comics
Media: Paperback

After the traumatic events of the War for Phang, Hazel, her parents, and their surviving companions embark on a life-changing adventure at the westernmost edge of the universe.

You are anyone who has ever existed, and that makes you exactly like everyone who has ever existed. -Petrichor

It’s either bitter irony or cruel coincidence that I’m reviewing what could be considered the “pro-choice” volume of Saga.  Alana and (now) Earl Robot arrive in a place that’s literally called Abortion Town in order to get her a termination at eight months.  I should try not to be preachy, but fuck it tbh; it’s not like people listen to women anyway.  Chances are, anyone seeking a termination at eight months isn’t doing so because they suddenly decided against it.  It occurs in the wake of tragedy, and Alana’s plight mirrors so many.

Hazel catches us up to speed about a number of things (such as why Robot is taking Alana for her procedure and not Marko), including some background information about Landfall and its moon Wreath.  The planet (Landfall) is a sort of sci-fi wonderland whereas its moon is more fantasy based.  There may be some validity in suggesting the entire narrative is about the differences between sci-fi and fantasy and how Hazel is the synthesis showing they can coexist (I mean the race metaphor is really obvious, so I don’t see the need in pointing that out…though I suppose I just did ).

On their way to Abortion Town, Alana and Robot run into another mixed family of outlaws: full centaur mother, human father, and the son who has his head in the middle of the horse’s body.  Initially, I thought he was riding a horse with a skull for a head, but then the full picture came clear and creepy.   There’s no solidarity between outcasts, though, as the outlaws are vehemently pro-life.  You know…the type of people who’d kill someone to stop them from having an abortion, because that makes a whole lot of sense.

Vaughn and Staples decided to give this installment a happier ending than Volume 7, which was gutting.  The passage of years is shown by how Hazel grows up.  She looks to be about preteen now, which lets us know just how long her family has been living on the run.  The close of this was polar opposite to the previous.  Something gained versus something lost.

5 stars.

I pre-ordered, received, and already read Volume 9.  It will be a while before I review it since do so in order of what I finish, but I will say they seem to go every other with the soul crushing endings.  If you’ve read or are planning to read it, let me know in the comments.

<–Saga: Volume 7                                                                                                               Saga: Volume 9–>