Review: Saga #22

The family is tested.

REVIEW:

Boy, is that a teaser or what? After the first part of the story had Alana and Marko fleeing two armies that wanted them and their daughter dead. Now that they actually have to get down to being a family in more or less normal life, things have gotten hard. Alana is working as an actress and Marko is a stay-at-home dad. Alana has taken to using drugs to relieve the stress of work and home life and Marko has seen a burgeoning relationship with a dance teacher for Hazel that he met at a park.

The artwork holds back, keeping stuff mundane until the story needs something to be magnificent. The appearance of King Robot is magnificent, and the climax of this story are the two instances where Fionna Staples meshes beautifully with Vaughn’s story. The first page is one of the loveliest renderings of a cosmic fart that I’ve ever seen.

Storywise, I am really conflicted. I spent a long time getting to love this couple and now Vaughn has them fracturing as the glue that was holding them together, being chased by people that want them and their child dead, is no longer there. The end of Agent Duke’s conversation with Prince Robot IV parallels political problems running a monarchy with the relationship of two people that may not be suited to be together at all. “The whole point of having enemies abroad is getting to avoid the ones back home.”

Like I said, I’m conflicted. I love Alanna and Marko, but right now I don’t particularly like either one of them. They both cross a line that responsible parents never should approach. While that is the climax of this issue, Vaughn shows us that their enemy abroad is not gone as it’s about to cross their path again.

To say any more would be, as another Sci-Fi heroine would say, “Spoilers.”