“SAGA IS BACK, AND THERE’S A BABY ON THE COVER!” – Jason Enright, FBC Senior Contributor
Seriously, can we talk about how great this cover is with D. Oswald Heist and Hazel staring each other down? It’s creepy, touching, and awesome-looking all at the same time. Oswald is studying her so intently, and Hazel is utterly mesmerized. Also, it’s adorable as f—.
Like the start of every arc, Saga provides a beautiful recap by showing another angle to the story thus far. This one has me excited, because it sounds like our heroes are about to have another situation to deal with, though whether to their benefit or not is yet to be seen. This issue picks up momentum quickly, bringing me right back into the swing of things and desperately wanting more at the end of the issue. Plot lines are moved forward, and this issue contains the best entrance of a character ever. If by best, I mean worst, and if by worst, I mean best worst.
If you don’t know already, Saga has some of the best-written dialogue and best-drawn art in comics, and Issue #13 is no slouch in either of these departments. Overall, another solid entry in this ongoing Saga. Prepare for more adventures, people. It’s going to be one hell of a ride.
SPOILERS BELOW
You might want to read the issue first, because I want to talk about a few things going on in more detail.
First, whenever I think I have Saga figured out, it throws me another curve ball. Getting to see Landfall is great fun, and I can’t believe every animal has a set of wings for whatever reason, but what I really want to know is what is the green vest, neckerchief-wearing bear doing in the Landfall veterans’ line? The bear isn’t the only weirdness in this issue. We’ve got a camera lens that’s an actual eye, honeycomb suns, and those bone bug things are terrifying.
Saga isn’t afraid of change as demonstrated by Marko’s shiny, new beard. Right now, it seems like a beard of sadness rather than a beard of power. The new facial hair makes him look far older and frankly, more dad-like. Overall, I’m really digging the change. The same can’t be said with what happens to poor Klara this issue, and the lasting effect it will have on her going forward. There is no such thing as the status quo in this comic.
Alana deserves some mad props for being the sort of woman who can fight with one hand and carry her infant daughter with the other. Her action scenes are my favorite individual panels of the issue. There’s an intensity and a protectiveness that emanates from the page.
And, in all this time I haven’t talked about what’s up with The Will. Our team of bounty hunters are in a bad situation, but Saga #13 does some great character work between them as The Will deals with some larger issues and shows more of his humanity. I’m never quite sure what direction The Will and company are going to go or what surprises they’ll have in store for me, much like the series’ setting.
Five Hungry Bone Bugs out of Five
