Jay here! I have always been into comics. As an adult, I don't read them as much now as I did when I was younger; but when I was kid, I read and collected them religiously. I was more of a Marvel fan than DC, though I did read a lot of Batman. X-Men, Spider-Man, Daredevil, The Punisher, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer and The Avengers were all my favorites. Between those pages I learned much about right and wrong. A few days ago, Matt wrote a great column on the stereotypes that were prevalent in fairy-tales. He made a compelling case for the lessons that these children's stories teach young ones, and I think comics play a role in this too.
Take a comic like The Uncanny X-Men. It has a clearly defined message of tolerance and acceptance that any child reading it can pick up on. First released in 1963, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were obviously reflecting the climate of society in the height of the Civil Rights Era. Anyone can see that Professor Charles Xavier's dream of a world where mutated humans can co-exist with regular ones mirrors the very ideals of Martin Luther King Jr. While villain Magneto, who remains one of comics' most morally and ethically complex bad guys (if he really is a bad guy), could be said to be a reflection of the early principles that Malcolm X once believed. To the young mind first forming an idea of right and wrong, stories in comics -- like the X-Men -- sometimes play an important role in the development of identity.
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| Marvel's Uncanny X-Men is one of the best examples of comics that have something more to say about society in a way that children could relate to. |
Over the past decade, the comic book industry has been going through massive changes. The days of traveling to the local shop -- like I did when I was a kid -- to purchase the latest installment of your favorite series are giving way to the digital age where applications like Comixology reign. I am not going to be the guy who waxes nostalgically about the "good 'ol days" when you collected comic books in all their printed glory. I can appreciate that times are changing, and there is little I can do to stop it. Still valuing the simple pleasure of the printed page, I buy mine the old-fashioned way, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I have read my share on the glowing, backlit screen of my iPhone or laptop when convenience won me over. In my defense, I feel appropriately guilty afterwards.
The truth is I don't like the idea of the printed word dying with the advent of the downloadable book, magazine and comic book. Does that make me out of touch? Possibly so, but in the case of the comic in particular, I find myself downtrodden. My consternation is caused by all of the personal baggage I bring of happy memories traveling to the comic book shop and spending so much time leafing through back issues. Of storing all of my comics in their plastic sheaths, with white backing of course, and filing them away in a cardboard box in my bedroom. Do the children of the 21st century miss out on not being able to have these experiences, and instead get their heroes instantly transmitted to them on a screen or tablet?
Today, I went to a comic shop that is less than a mile from my house. Because it is pretty small, I had failed to notice it before, even though I have lived here for nearly two years. Two men were running the shop. Most likely at least one of them was the owner. The first thing I noticed was how sparsely decorated the shop was compared to the many I have browsed throughout my lifetime. There were hardly any posters on the wall and the "New Release" section had a very limited selection. All the comics I bought were marked up $2 to $3. I didn't mind, though, feeling that I'd rather pay more for them here in a brick and mortar store than give my money to Comixology or, gasp, Amazon.com. To me it clearly spelled out that this was a business in trouble. Everything was neatly organized and looked untouched. The stores I shopped at when I was younger looked often like a tornado had hit them. I thought to myself, Is this the last gasp of a dying culture?
I went to that shop with intent, and this is supposed to be a review of the comic I went there to buy. I was looking for copies of a series that I had recently discovered that I needed to get caught up on . . . . .
Saga, the latest opus from writer, Brian K. Vaughn and artist, Fiona Staples, published by Image Comics.
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| Is this a sight that's soon to be extinct? |
I went to that shop with intent, and this is supposed to be a review of the comic I went there to buy. I was looking for copies of a series that I had recently discovered that I needed to get caught up on . . . . .
Saga, the latest opus from writer, Brian K. Vaughn and artist, Fiona Staples, published by Image Comics.
Saga is a space epic/love story set in a different galaxy where the worlds of Landfall and Wreath have been embroiled in a war that has lasted for as long as anyone can remember. Landfall is one of the most technologically-advanced civilizations in the universe, and Wreath is one of its moons -- its people more traditional and capable of some forms of magic. Because the destruction of either of these worlds would mean the end of the other, the two governments "outsourced" their war to all of the other planets known to them where their eternal conflict can be fought by other races and not threaten the mostly peaceful existence they have on their home worlds.
In the middle of this never ending conflict is lovers, Alana and Marko, who hail from opposing sides of the war. She from Landfall and he from Wreath. Marko was a prisoner of war under Alana's guard when, inspired by a novel both read that promotes pacifism, she frees him from his bonds and runs off with him. Soon, Alana is pregnant with Marko's baby and, in the first scene of the comic, gives birth to Hazel, the first child of both races in known history. Hazel is our narrator, and as the story progresses, she provides thoughtful context to her parent's history.
They are joined by a group of loyal companions, including Izabel, the ghost of a teenage girl killed by a land mine on her home planet of Cleave. There is also Marko's parents Klara and Barr, who track down the couple out of concern for their son and the danger he is in.
Meanwhile, the governments of both worlds are not too happy about this union, so they send representatives to eliminate them and bring the baby back. Landfall sends the deceptively dangerous Prince Robot IV, of the Robot Kingdom. Before he can return home to his bride and unborn child, he must wipe out any trace of the new parents. And also on their trail is a "Freelancer" named The Will, along with his pet Lying Cat -- a large blue feline who hisses "lying" every time she hears one. The Will is a great character archetype -- a mercenary with conscious who has a very definable moral code. He later is joined by Gwendolyn, a native of Wreath who was once engaged to Marko and has a more personal interest in catching up with her former lover.
Vaughn has said that the idea for Saga has been in his head since he was a child. It is only after becoming a parent himself that he found the inspiration to meld the imaginations from his childhood with his experiences as a husband and new father. The story he is crafting is epic in scope. It plays out over many worlds with numerous unique characters. But set against this backdrop is a more intimate story of two people who truly love each other and their very real struggles with being parents. It grounds this fantastical story in a reality the reader can recognize and identify with.
Vaughn made a name for himself with his previous series Y: The Last Man, Runaways and Ex Machina. Y: The Last Man is particularly great with it's sprawling dystopian story about Yorick and his Capuchin monkey, Ampersand -- the only male survivors of the eradication of all men on the planet. Vaughn also made an even greater name for himself writing on seasons 3 through 5 of the hit television show, Lost (in my opinion the best years of the show). Now, along with his work on Saga, he also serves as executive producer on the Stephen King novel-based television show, Under the Dome, which will enter its second season this summer.
Then there's Fiona Staples' gorgeous art. So simple yet so effective, her work in this book has provided imagery that often makes you stop when you turn the page. Her pictures confront you with bright colors combined with crude pencil strokes that heighten the comic into something more than just purely graphic art. There are so many frames that I looked at and thought, "Wow, I haven't seen anything like that in a comic book before." I haven't had a chance to check out her previous work on books like DV8: Gods and Monsters and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, but I'm sure I will. She is probably the most talented comic book artist working today, creating characters and images that already seem iconic.
Saga has breathed new life into the medium and people are starting to take note. Image Comics has ushered in another renaissance for comics with a series like this, and it makes me happy to know that writers like Brian K. Vaughn, who have found success in television and movies, have stayed true to their roots and still want to tell their stories on the page. It gives me hope for the industry as it continues to struggle to find what its place will be in today's pop culture landscape.
For now, I highly recommend you go out and pick up issue #1 of this fantastic series. If you can't find a store to buy it in, go online and order a copy. Or, if you have to download it, hell, I won't blame you. Maybe you'll like it enough to track down some physical copies and continue the saga the way it was meant to be . . . . in a comic book.
They are joined by a group of loyal companions, including Izabel, the ghost of a teenage girl killed by a land mine on her home planet of Cleave. There is also Marko's parents Klara and Barr, who track down the couple out of concern for their son and the danger he is in.
Meanwhile, the governments of both worlds are not too happy about this union, so they send representatives to eliminate them and bring the baby back. Landfall sends the deceptively dangerous Prince Robot IV, of the Robot Kingdom. Before he can return home to his bride and unborn child, he must wipe out any trace of the new parents. And also on their trail is a "Freelancer" named The Will, along with his pet Lying Cat -- a large blue feline who hisses "lying" every time she hears one. The Will is a great character archetype -- a mercenary with conscious who has a very definable moral code. He later is joined by Gwendolyn, a native of Wreath who was once engaged to Marko and has a more personal interest in catching up with her former lover.
Vaughn has said that the idea for Saga has been in his head since he was a child. It is only after becoming a parent himself that he found the inspiration to meld the imaginations from his childhood with his experiences as a husband and new father. The story he is crafting is epic in scope. It plays out over many worlds with numerous unique characters. But set against this backdrop is a more intimate story of two people who truly love each other and their very real struggles with being parents. It grounds this fantastical story in a reality the reader can recognize and identify with.
Vaughn made a name for himself with his previous series Y: The Last Man, Runaways and Ex Machina. Y: The Last Man is particularly great with it's sprawling dystopian story about Yorick and his Capuchin monkey, Ampersand -- the only male survivors of the eradication of all men on the planet. Vaughn also made an even greater name for himself writing on seasons 3 through 5 of the hit television show, Lost (in my opinion the best years of the show). Now, along with his work on Saga, he also serves as executive producer on the Stephen King novel-based television show, Under the Dome, which will enter its second season this summer.
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| Make sure to not pass up Brian K. Vaughn's previous opus, Y: The Last Man |
Then there's Fiona Staples' gorgeous art. So simple yet so effective, her work in this book has provided imagery that often makes you stop when you turn the page. Her pictures confront you with bright colors combined with crude pencil strokes that heighten the comic into something more than just purely graphic art. There are so many frames that I looked at and thought, "Wow, I haven't seen anything like that in a comic book before." I haven't had a chance to check out her previous work on books like DV8: Gods and Monsters and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, but I'm sure I will. She is probably the most talented comic book artist working today, creating characters and images that already seem iconic.
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| Fiona Staples has made a name for herself as one the best artists working in comics today. |
Saga has breathed new life into the medium and people are starting to take note. Image Comics has ushered in another renaissance for comics with a series like this, and it makes me happy to know that writers like Brian K. Vaughn, who have found success in television and movies, have stayed true to their roots and still want to tell their stories on the page. It gives me hope for the industry as it continues to struggle to find what its place will be in today's pop culture landscape.
For now, I highly recommend you go out and pick up issue #1 of this fantastic series. If you can't find a store to buy it in, go online and order a copy. Or, if you have to download it, hell, I won't blame you. Maybe you'll like it enough to track down some physical copies and continue the saga the way it was meant to be . . . . in a comic book.
