Saga, Vol. 1

The best summary I can think of for this graphic novel is (with apologies to Shakespeare) “From forth the fatal loins of two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers make a life”. You flip through the pages and it looks like a space opera, and it is, but it in this first chapter of the series it focuses on the opera as much, if not moreso, than on the space. Which, I think, sets it above and beyond a lot of the other entries in the same genre.

At the heart of this tale of interstellar war, creepy alien bounty hunters, and royalty with televisions for heads is a surprisingly touching story about newleyweds struggling to discover themselves and their new roles as parents. Parenthood is something that mainstream comics usually handle quite poorly, so it's nice to see something in the medium that is actually respectful of the challenges and fears that parents face. Alana and Marko aren't perfect parents, but they want to be, and watching them struggle to keep their heads above water reminded me of my own experience of becoming a parent (even if my experience was without rocketship forests and lasergun battles).

Lastly, given that this is a graphic novel, it would be a shame to finish talking about it without mentioning the art. Fiona Staples does a masterful job here, portraying weird, alien things in ways that make them incredibly familiar and intimate. I'd never heard of her before this, but I'm definitely going to be checking out more of her work in the future.