Saga Volume 8
January 15, 2018 7:29 AM - by Brian K Vaughan - Subscribe
After the traumatic events of the War for Phang, Hazel, her parents, and their surviving companions embark on a life-changing adventure at the westernmost edge of the universe. Collects issues 43 through 48.
I don't know how I missed this thread until just now! Yes, it is a weird approach, and I felt like the scene with Marko and the wolf-midwife was a little preachy. I had a lot of feelings about Hazel and her ghost brother, and I'm eager to see what they do with Hazel and Squire next.
It seems like the fidget spinner joke shouldn't have landed, but I scream-laughed at it. A+ intergalactic "kids these days" content.
posted by torridly at 11:24 AM on February 12, 2018
It seems like the fidget spinner joke shouldn't have landed, but I scream-laughed at it. A+ intergalactic "kids these days" content.
posted by torridly at 11:24 AM on February 12, 2018
So I just found this thread when I'm going back and retagging some of my old posts, and hey, maybe I should get around to commenting.
I just read/reread this for a comic book club I'm in - the first time around I think I only read the first two issues. Part of me was frustrated that this was the abortion story we get - it's not an abortion they want, it's an abortion they have to have, the fetus is 100% dead and the Alana's life is 100% in danger - and there's still a lot of focus on whether or not they're going to go through with it. And yes, this has a lot to do with the current climate we're in, but I do wish there were more stories about women just not wanting to have a kid, and that being okay.
It's also a miscarriage story, and in that case I do think it works a lot better - the ghost-Kurti as a mourning of what might have been. The fact that those on wreath have a special ceremony and rituals around mourning the fetus also seems to be true to what we know about their culture. I was definitely a little leery about 'miscarriages make Alana special and give her magic powers', but it ended okay.
Poor Hazel, when she's saying goodbye to ghost-Kurti and listing all of the people who she's lost recently. It's weird to compare her to Squire, who isn't much younger than her but has ended up with a much more stable upbringing (except for the whole baby kidnapping thing). Hazel takes violence and death as part of life for granted, while Squire has a much more romantic view of things. Also, Ghus is best dad. (Marko picking up Ghus for a hug was also the best).
I also found it interesting that this volume was much more stratified in who it was paying attention to - instead of a few pages with group a, a few pages with group b, ect. we got three issues with the family, then an issue with The Will (which, eh), and then an issue with Ghus, Squire, and the reporters (and eventual family reunion). I think it worked when I read the volume, but I don't know how I would have felt if I was reading them issue by issue.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:24 PM on June 27, 2019
I just read/reread this for a comic book club I'm in - the first time around I think I only read the first two issues. Part of me was frustrated that this was the abortion story we get - it's not an abortion they want, it's an abortion they have to have, the fetus is 100% dead and the Alana's life is 100% in danger - and there's still a lot of focus on whether or not they're going to go through with it. And yes, this has a lot to do with the current climate we're in, but I do wish there were more stories about women just not wanting to have a kid, and that being okay.
It's also a miscarriage story, and in that case I do think it works a lot better - the ghost-Kurti as a mourning of what might have been. The fact that those on wreath have a special ceremony and rituals around mourning the fetus also seems to be true to what we know about their culture. I was definitely a little leery about 'miscarriages make Alana special and give her magic powers', but it ended okay.
Poor Hazel, when she's saying goodbye to ghost-Kurti and listing all of the people who she's lost recently. It's weird to compare her to Squire, who isn't much younger than her but has ended up with a much more stable upbringing (except for the whole baby kidnapping thing). Hazel takes violence and death as part of life for granted, while Squire has a much more romantic view of things. Also, Ghus is best dad. (Marko picking up Ghus for a hug was also the best).
I also found it interesting that this volume was much more stratified in who it was paying attention to - instead of a few pages with group a, a few pages with group b, ect. we got three issues with the family, then an issue with The Will (which, eh), and then an issue with Ghus, Squire, and the reporters (and eventual family reunion). I think it worked when I read the volume, but I don't know how I would have felt if I was reading them issue by issue.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:24 PM on June 27, 2019
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posted by emjaybee at 4:02 PM on January 20, 2018