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Saga #16 - Chapter Sixteen

4

Everything slowly starts to come together...

The Good

Reporters Upsher and Doff meet special agent Gale who gives them some interesting information about Alana. Gwendolyn and Sophie must find help for The Will who is bleeding out.

There's a lot going on in this issue, but once again, Upsher and Doff are becoming the best part of this book. Although their stint in this issue is brief, it's a great lead in to the rest of the issue. While the reader is very well acquainted with Alana, Marko, and crew, these two new characters and their quest have really given fans of this book a new reason to love it. The opening of the issue leads into something extremely interesting that may tie into the other character in the series.

Everything is wrapping up and we're finally caught-up, timeline wise, to issue #12. While I wasn't a fan of this originally- the idea of jumping backward- it actually worked out really well, and overall, it was a very interesting and different way to move the narrative forward. Writer Brian K Vaughan is writing one of the best books on the shelves, without a doubt.

Every month, Fiona Staples wows me with her art. In this issue, there's one particular page that really stands out. It's three panels, in black and white, featuring a kids story. The shading on this page is amazing. She hits many different shades and varieties of grey here, and it looks very different from the rest of her art. It's a bit of a shock when you see it, and it's a good thing. On top of everything else, that last page is so fantastic. Not only will it get the reader excited for the next issue, but it is some beautiful artwork.

The Bad

I've become increasingly attached to numerous characters in this series, and BKV keeps killing them off. If you read the last issue, then you know that The Will was stabbed in the neck by Sophie. While the Will isn't dead, yet, his future looks pretty dang grim.

I'm a bit down the middle-of-the-road with what is happening to Alana, Marko, and crew. They've all settled into Heist's place, and they're trying to live a normal life, get to know each other, and become this very new family unit. It's all good stuff except for the fact it's a bit slow, in comparison, to the other stories going on. It throws the pacing off just a tad. As it says in the book "not everything has to be action-packed," and that's true, but as a fan, I'm ready for this book to pick up a bit more.

The Verdict

SAGA is incredibly fantastic. This issue ties everything together that readers have been experiencing since issue #12. BKV really grabs the reader from the first page, and we'll all be wondering what's going to happen in the next issue since Prince Robot is on his way to Heist's house. If you're a fan of science-fiction and fantasy, then SAGA is a book that needs to be on your pull list. Overall, I highly recommend this issue.

10 Comments

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Fallschirmjager

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There's no way I'd drop Saga even if they put out a terrible issue (and this one wasn't)

It was a bit slower than usual and it didn't blow me away - which is rare.

Still easily one of the best books out right now

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ImagineMan16

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My favorite book on the shelves right now. This issue wasn't the highpoint of the series by any means, but even a weaker issue of Saga is leaps and bounds ahead of just about everything else.

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jdp180

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Edited By jdp180

So... Is Alana a spy or is Gale just bullshitting those reporters?

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pixelphreak

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im a huge fan of bkv and i have loved saga,, whilst im still buying them everytime i stopped reading at 14 ..and waiting to get a couple more before catching up.. I was getting increasingly uninstrested because of the frequent characters, and species being introduced so quickly, I feel its a little bit too rushed and trying too hard to fit too much in.. but again.. will do one big read through from 1-20 and reevaluate!

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Dud317

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@luisaraujo: You might want to read after issue 18 comes out. Based on the trades, I think the arcs are every six issues.

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Fenderxx

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Really exited for the next issue, they way this one ends off, also love the cover !

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owie

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owie  Moderator

Loved it...I've been liking the family time around the lighthouse. Last issue's game night was hilarious.

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derf_jenkins

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Quickly becoming my favorite all-time comic.