Review: Saga Volume 9 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

The multiple Eisner Award-winning series returns with a spacefaring adventure about fake news and genuine terror. Get ready for the most shocking, most impactful SAGA storyline yet.

Collects SAGA #49-54

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
If you thought Volume 7 was stressful I'll warn you now that had nothing on Volume 9. I still haven't recovered from the horrendous ending of this one and I'm just praying things aren't really what they seemed because I can't bear it if that was really true!

After finally seeing all of our favourite characters reunited at the end of the previous book I was honestly hoping that things might go smoothly for a while but of course you know thats not going to happen in a series like this. I mean some things are going well, we have several happy couples who are making the most of their time together, Hazel is turning into quite the little warrior thanks to her training with Petrichor, Ghus is a brilliant babysitter and our reporter duo are working on the story of a lifetime. Meanwhile things are going really badly for The Will and there has been no sign of Sophie, Lying Cat or Gwendolyn since Volume 7 so we're not sure what's going on in their camp.

As much as I love these books I have to admit the body count has been a bit too high in the last few books for my taste, I'm starting to worry whether any of the characters I love are going to survive the series and frankly at the moment its not looking good. I'm still holding out hope that at least one character survives injuries received in this book though, I'm definitely not ready to say goodbye to them yet and the rest of this dysfunctional family needs them too much! Please don't break my heart like that!

It's exhausting looking after Hazel & Squire!

I love the way these two still make time for each other

Hazel is becoming quite the kickass warrior

and she still has the most wonderful conversations with Petrichor

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Review: Saga Volume 8 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

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.

Collects issues 43 through 48.

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
After the terrible events in the previous instalment I knew going into Volume 8 that the characters would be struggling in the aftermath. This is a really difficult time for Alana, Marco and to a certain extent Hazel too, but I felt that the authors handled the situation with sensitivity. The tone of this book is more somber than previous ones but it does still have its lighter moments too and I enjoyed getting to visit a new planet and meeting some of the weird and wonderful inhabitants.

Petrichor in particular really stood out in this book, there were some fantastic moments between her and Hazel that melted my heart a bit and I really appreciate how many positive messages this series has about important issues in the real world not just this fantasy one. I also enjoyed learning more about The Will's background and the person who is holding him captive.

The volume ends on a positive note when certain characters are finally reunited and I'm really curious to see how the group dynamics are going to change now that all the main players are back together at last.

Petrichor always makes me laugh "Is this some kind of kinky thrupple thing?" LOL

She dodged a bullet here though!

Worrying times

Well Hazel isn't wrong there!

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Review: Saga Volume 7 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

From the worldwide bestselling team of FIONA STAPLES and BRIAN K. VAUGHAN, “The War for Phang” is an epic, self-contained SAGA event! Finally reunited with her ever-expanding family, Hazel travels to a war-torn comet that Wreath and Landfall have been battling over for ages. New friendships are forged and others are lost forever in this action-packed volume about families, combat and the refugee experience.

Collects issues 37 through 42.

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
Now that Hazel is back with Alana and Marco you'd think things would finally start to get better for the little family, and they do to a certain extent. For a few months anyway. The unlikely group, including Prince IV and Petrichor, are in desperate need of more fuel for their ship so they make an unscheduled stop on a war torn comet that is rich on resources in spite of being the middle of a war zone. The family make some adorable new friends but it never seems to take long for their enemies to catch up with them and this time the consequences are disastrous.

Meanwhile The Will is still searching for Sophie and Lying Cat, Gwendolyn is making some questionable alliances, Hazel has a few anger issues, Alana and Marco are focused on keeping their growing family safe, Prince IV has an inappropriate crush and Petrichor seems to have more than one big secret.

I absolutely love this series but I'm warning you now Volume 7 is pretty hard hitting and quite upsetting to read in places. Yes, there's still the humour I've come to expect from these graphic novels but there were also moments that left me feeling like I'd been punched in the gut and I'm still not sure I've forgiven the authors for that! It just goes to show how invested I am in these characters though, I want things to go well for them so even when Hazel drops some pretty HUGE hints that major things are about to go down I don't want to believe her so I ignore the warnings and end up getting blindsided. I'm glad I already have copies of the next two volumes because I have a feeling I'm going to devour them over the next couple of days!

I was so happy to have the whole family together at last!

Hazel just gets cuter and cuter

They make friends with an adorable group of meerkats!

I still love Lying Cat and Sophie

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Review: Saga Volume 6 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

After a dramatic time jump, the three-time Eisner Award winner for Best Continuing Series continues to evolve, as Hazel begins the most exciting adventure of her life: kindergarten. Meanwhile, her starcrossed family learns hard lessons of their own.

Collecting: Saga 31-36

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
While Klara is trying to keep Hazel's mixed heritage a secret and keep them both safe while they're stuck in a prison / refugee camp Alana and Marco are determined to do whatever it takes to track down their missing daughter and get their family back together. At the same time The Will is searching for answers and a certain reporting duo are back on the hunt for the potential scoop of a lifetime.

This series just continues to get better and better, I loved seeing that Alana and Marco have worked through their differences and are back on the same page while they search for Hazel and Klara. Alana has always been willing to fight for her family and while Marco is still trying to avoid violence he's still pretty badass himself when he needs to be. Hazel is just getting cuter and cuter as she grows up and I loved the scenes with her and her teacher Noreen.

Things have really gone downhill for The Will, he's in a bad place mentally and physically and that really shows in the way he reacts to things going on around him. I have to say I was surprised that we didn't see anything of Lying Cat, Sophie and Gwendolyn in this volume and I found myself missing all three of them. I really want to The Will turn things around as the series continues and hopefully that will include seeing him reunite with his allies. There was a pretty huge revelation at the end that has me really relieved I already own the next 3 volumes, I have no idea how I let myself get so behind with this series but the bonus of being able to binge read the rest makes me happy!

Don't mess with Alana when she's on a mission!

Marco may be trying to avoid violence but nothing will stop him defending his family

Hazel's teacher Noreen talks a lot of sense

Poor The Will

I really love that the Saga series is full of little nuggets of wisdom like this one about diversity

Source: Purchased

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Review: Saga Volume 5 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

While Gwendolyn and Lying Cat risk everything to find a cure for The Will, Marko makes an uneasy alliance with Prince Robot IV to find their missing children, who are trapped on a strange world with terrifying new enemies.

Collects SAGA #25-30

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
While Alana, Hazel and Klara are still being held hostage by Dengo and busy trying to escape before he can sell them to the resistance Marco has come to an uneasy truce with Prince Robot IV so that they can search together for their missing family members. At the same time Gwendolyn, Sophie and Lying Cat are working with The Will's sister The Brand hoping to find a cure to save him.

Of course nothing in this series ever goes quite to plan so there is plenty of action, some surprise twists and not everyone makes it out alive. I have to say I liked this more than Volume 4 and was really pleased that the relationship drama between Alana and Marco has come to an end, of course they're completely separated at the beginning of the story but both are determined to find each other and reunite their family once and for all so everything else has been forgotten. I have to point out how badass Klara is and how adorable Hazel is here too!

I always really like the scenes with Lying Cat and I loved the addition of The Brand but their task with the dragons was more than a little disgusting! I think Ghus may just have stolen the show as my favourite new introduction though because he was adorable. The way things ended left me desperate to dive into the next volume so for once it's worked in my favour being so behind on a series and already having multiple new books to devour.

As always I'll leave this review with a few of my favourite scenes from Volume 5:

Things are always interesting with this group

Nobody should be messing with Klara if they know what's good for them

Isn't Ghus adorable?

Reunited at last - well at least some of the family is

I can't believe how big Hazel is getting by the end of this!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Saga Volume 4 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

From the Eisner Award-winning duo of Brian K. Vaughan (The Private Eye, Pride of Baghdad) and Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, Thor), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. As they visit a strange new world and encounter even more adversaries, baby Hazel finally becomes a toddler, while her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana struggle to stay on their feet.

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
After escaping from Quietus Alana and Marco just want to find somewhere safe to raise their daughter, now they're in hiding rather than running for their lives they're left to deal with all the normal family pressures of raising a toddler. Alana is working long hours in a job she hates trying to earn enough money to support them while Marco is a stay at home father who adores spending time with his daughter but misses his wife. Their relationship is strained and they both make some stupid decisions so it remains to be seen whether they can work through their issues. Meanwhile Prince Robot's baby is born and kidnapped, Gwendolyn, Sophie and Lying Cat are searching for a cure for The Will and his sister is out for vengeance.

I'm not going to lie I found this instalment of the Saga series hard to read at times. Marco and Alana both make some stupid choices and there were times I just wanted to shake some sense into the pair of them. Marco almost makes the ultimate mistake and my stomach was actually in knots when I was reading those scenes but that just goes to show how invested I am in this series and how much I care about the characters. Hazel is even more adorable now she's able to interact with her family and I love the family's new pet, Lying Cat and Sophie continue to be favourite characters and even Gwendolyn has grown on me over the last couple of volumes. I'm totally addicted to this series and can't wait to see where the adventure takes us next.

A few of my favourite scenes:

How cute is toddler Hazel!?

Things may be hard for the family but I love them when they're like this

A prince is born

Meet Friendo, the new family pet

This group is badass

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Review: Saga Volume 3 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

From the Hugo Award-winning duo of Brian K. Vaughan (The Private Eye, Y: The Last Man) and Fiona Staples (North 40, Red Sonja), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. Searching for their literary hero, new parents Marko and Alana travel to a cosmic lighthouse on the planet Quietus, while the couple's multiple pursuers finally close in on their targets.

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
There is so much to love about the Saga series, the artwork is stunning, the world is really creative and I've fallen in love with so many of the characters. In this volume Alana and Marco decide to track down their favourite author, D Oswald Heist, the man who wrote the romance novel that kickstarted their relationship. Alana hopes that Heist will have some kind of advice to offer them about how to proceed now that Hazel has been born and Marco is so lost after events in the previous book that he's just happy to have any kind of plan of action. Klara isn't about to let whats left of her family out of her sight and of course their ghostly babysitter Izabel is coming along for the ride.

I really enjoyed getting to meet Heist, his character gave the authors the opportunity to add lots of jokes about writers and little bits that bookworms will love like Alana going crazy when she sees Heist's library and the whole family hanging out reading together. Of course nothing is simple with this group so its not all rest and relaxation but you'll have to read the book for yourself to find out what else they get up to. We also follow The Will and his companions as they continue their search for our favourite fugitives. There are a couple of really sweet moments between Lying Cat and Slave Girl (who finally gets a proper name!) and I really enjoyed the developing relationship between The Will and Gwendolyn. This series has quickly become one of my favourites and I can't wait to read the next instalment!

As always I'll finish off my review with a couple of my favourite scenes:

I'm sure any book blogger can totally relate to this conversation

A bookworm's idea of heaven

Gwendolyn does not like being taken by surprise!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Saga Volume 2 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

From award-winning writer BRIAN K. VAUGHAN (Pride of Baghdad, Ex Machina) and critically acclaimed artist FIONA STAPLES (Mystery Society, Done to Death), SAGA is sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and horrific monsters, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters her strangest adventure yet... grandparents.

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
Picking up immediately after Volume 1 left off Volume 2 finds Marco and Alana still on the run with their baby daughter Hazel trying to avoid the assassins that have been chasing them. Of course Marco's parents have just turned up and they're not exactly happy to discover he's now married to one of their enemies so things are about to get really complicated for the little family.

This was a great follow up to the first Saga book, the story continues to be narrated by baby Hazel and I love her witty comments about her parents and the things that happen to them. We get a chance here to meet Marco as a child, to see first hand the beginning of the romance between Marco and Alana, The Will and Lying Cat launch a rescue attempt, Marco's angry and scorned ex is on the warpath and there's a very ugly and pretty terrifying naked giant with an incredibly large ball sac that I think I'm going to be seeing in my nightmares for years to come.

The artwork is just as stunning as I expected, the characters are becoming more and more interesting as we get to know them, there is plenty of humour along with lots of blood and gore and I can't wait to see where the series goes next.

A couple of my favourite scenes:

Marco and Alana's first meeting

...and their first kiss

Meeting the in-laws

Source: Purchased

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Review: Saga Volume 1 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

From award-winning writer BRIAN K. VAUGHAN (Y: The Last Man, television's Lost) and critically acclaimed artist FIONA STAPLES (Mystery Society, North 40), SAGA is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old world. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in the first volume of this sexy, subversive ongoing epic.

Saga Series:
Saga Volume 1
Saga Volume 2
Saga Volume 3
Saga Volume 4
Saga Volume 5
Saga Volume 6
Saga Volume 7
Saga Volume 8
Saga Volume 9

Visit Brian K Vaughan's website or Fiona Staples' website for more information

Review:
I don't normally read graphic novels but I was in the mood for something different and the Saga series came highly recommended by several friends so I took a chance on it. Let me just say it was so amazingly good that by the time I was 3 chapters in I had purchased the rest of the series!

So what can you look forward to in this book? A forbidden love story between aliens from two warring races, a hybrid baby that everyone wants to kill, assassins, alien brothels, cats that can tell if you're lying, people with TVs for heads, a tree shaped spaceship, ghost children, a freaky woman/spider hybrid and so much more.

The artwork is stunning, the dialogue is witty, the world is dark and the humour is even darker. This is definitely an adult series - it opens with a birth scene and goes on to include sex scenes and plenty of graphic violence - but it's brilliant and totally addictive. There is just so much creativity in this graphic novel and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

I'll leave you with a few images of some of my favourite characters just to give you an example of the artwork you'll find inside:

Marco, Alana & Hazel

Lying Cat and The Will

Isabel

Source: Purchased

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