Comics

5 Skull Review: ‘Saga’ #21

Published

10 years ago

July 28, 2014

For several issues now Marko and Alana have been safe from the many different factions that have been hunting them. As things quiet down the couple is faced with the challenges that naturally arise in relationships. Meanwhile Price Robot IV receives some terrible news satiates some of that famous “Saga” bloodlust. This issue is one of the most down to earth, melancholy books in the series, and as good as its ever been.

WRITTEN BY: Brian K. Vaughan

ART BY: Fiona Staples

PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: July 23, 2014

Reviewed by Epic Switzer

Now that the dust has settled and our heroes have found a place to lay low, Vaughan is really getting into the nitty gritty of relationships. Invocative of the last seen in “The Graduate”, Marko and Alana fell in love amongst bursting bombshells and the constant threat of discovery. They’re relationship was always dangerous, forbidden, and a metaphor for the excitement of our own youthful affairs. Now that they have escaped certain death, there isn’t a simple happily-ever-after to tack on. The honeymoon phase is over and Marko and Alana are now coping with the banality of normal life. It is a pretty bold direction for this sci/fi adventure book to take but I’m finding it to be both socially relevant and rewarding.

The central conflict for both Marko and Alana has been building over several issue and in this issue they are both just slightly south of crossing that line. Alana is coping with her unfulfilling job by using, which as you might expect is a big part of the entertainment industry culture. Marko, who rarely sees his wife, is facing the temptation of another woman who is actively filling his needs. If you didn’t know I was describing Saga right now you might assume this is any of a variety of true to life dramas, and that cultural commonality is something I think Vaughan is purposely emphasizing in this arc. As always, he gets the point across quite poignantly in the only scene where Marco and Alana are together.

Across the galaxy, Prince Robot IV is having a pity party fuck-a-thon on planet Sextillion after being cracked in the head and failing to apprehend his targets while simultaneously missing the birth of his son and the death of his wife. He’s pissed, and yet another character exhibiting self destructive behavior as a coping mechanism. There’s always a lot to dig into in this book. I can’t wait until everything comes to a head on Gardenia. It will be interesting to see how Marko and Alana handle things together on their next adventure.

Fiona Staples is absolutely incredible, but you already knew that.

Epic Switzer AKA Eric is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles. His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality. He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.com.

Related Topics:Brian K Vaughn Fiona Staples Image Comics Saga

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.