Saga Volume 7 (Saga, #7)

by Brian K. Vaughan

[inlibrisveritas]

I think I'm done giving half stars upgrades to this series. It could be that I just finally have hit my limit for the bizarre need this series has for 'quirkiness' and I've finally quit shifting through the issues I have for the positives. It's a fine story about a family doing their damndest to stay together and alive, but outside of that, it's just...mediocre. It has a lot of the same things other series have, but it doesn't have the same polish. The art is stunning though.
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First of all, I am in the minority on this series. I have basically given this series a 3.5 consistently since the first volume, however, I find that I am tired of being lenient in my ratings and my opinions regarding the overall story. Since this series is so popular I feel the need to preface this with a little note: If you enjoy this series, good for you. My opinion does not affect yours nor makes it somehow less valid.

I have long maintained that Saga’s strength lay in the story of family and what they are willing to do in order to stay together and protect them. In some ways, this is still true, but I find that 7 volumes in that’s not really enough anymore. I do love that Marko and Alana will go above and beyond for their daughter and that we see them stumble in their relationship, but I guess at this point I’m starting to question if we are going to get the same set up in each volume. Basically, they move to a new place, they begin learning new things about themselves, find new friends, something goes horribly awry and they are forced to move on. During all of this, we get a little more info on the war and how it affects the galaxy as a whole, and a little-added depth to the side characters but not much else. The ideas floating around in this are pretty good, but I feel its kind of formulaic now.

I am also getting somewhat tired of the constant use of shock in order to propel the story. In some cases, it works and I get it’s purpose, given that the story needs to sell in single issues before the trade ever comes out. So I do understand the need for a ‘wtf’ moment at the end of each issue, but honestly in between those and the random panels of oddly placed genitalia it gets kind of old. Like you can’t shock me anymore after witnessing a dragon filate itself, and I don’t think anyone could ever explain to me why any of the panels similar to that one were ever needed in terms of story, character development, or world building. It doesn’t even add character to the book. It’s just random. In fact, in a larger expanse of the series, there are a lot of the ideas that are just random and don’t make a whole lot of sense. They are fun ideas, but the scope of the story is so focused that we don’t get any details whatsoever on them.

Overall I think I’m more fatigued by this series. It has a lot going for it, and it does something a lot of other series are not known for. I do appreciate Alana’s fierceness and the somewhat fucked up nature of their parenting, but I can read books focused on quirky families anywhere and I sort of require more than a few plotlines leads to motivate me to enjoy something. It is what it is I guess. I’m not sure if I’ll pick up volume 8, even if I can borrow a copy.