Comics
Review: ‘Saga’ #9
It’s that time of the month! Saga drops with another outstanding issue brought to you by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples, and Image Comics. “Saga” is easily my favourite series to drop this past year, every issue brings new elements, plot twists, and, best of all, world building. Anyone who has read an issue knows that BKV is next level when it comes to the all-encompassing world he’s created and Fiona works magic with the pencil. Issue #9 is just another example of their combined prowess.
WRITTEN BY: Brian K. Vaughan
ART BY: Fiona Staples
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
RELEASE DATE: January 16
PRICE: 2.99
Notorious bounty hunter extraordinaire The Will has been off the radar since the death of his lover and fellow hunter, The Stalk. Last issue brought him back into the fold as Marko’s ex-fiancé Gwendolyn sought out The Will’s agent to inquire about his lack of progress. Since the short hiatus, “Saga” has been following the storyline of Hazel’s parents and grandparents as they race across the galaxy in their tree/spaceship; this issue now expands on The Will and the new addition of Gwendolyn. The books pace is fairly steady with a decent amount of killing and the revisiting of The Will’s obsession with saving Slave Girl from her current occupation on Sextillion. This issue builds a rapport between The Will and Gwendolyn, foreshadowing a potential partnership between the pair as they seek revenge.
As always, BKV done an incredible job developing the plot of the story and keeping up the constant tension as events unfold throughout the book. The issue develops The Will’s character as he seeks the void left by The Stalk’s death while simultaneously familiarizes the reader with Gwendolyn’s character and her desire to kill Marko. This issue gives a pretty hefty ending as well.
Fiona Staples comes out guns blazing. Her art has such a realistic look even when depicting the types of fantastic creatures and environments the BKV thinks up. Fiona leaves nothing to the imagination, the art is R-rated as of late with nudity or ridiculous kill scenes.
Every issue makes me more and more excited for the next; if you haven’t picked up an issue of “Saga” yet, you’re out of your mind.
5/5 Skulls
Reviewed By -GreenBastard
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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