Saga #7 Comic Review

Issue: Saga #7
Release Date: November 2012
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Art: Fiona Staples
Letters and Design: Fonografiks
Coordinator: Eric Stephenson
Publisher: Image Comics

Family togetherness isn’t all happiness and fun in this month’s issue of Saga. When Marko’s parents show up unexpectedly and meet their daughter-in-law and granddaughter for the first time, things are a bit strained. Then again, looking at Alana and Marko’s life thus far, nothing has been easy for them, so why should this?

Kicking off the issue, we get more backstory on what Marko’s dad was like and what he lived through. Growing up on Wreath, a moon that was in constant battle with the planet Landfall, Marko’s dad was taught stories of the bloody battles his people had to endure. Landfall’s people, winged soldiers who slaughtered many of Wreath’s population before the battle was moved off-site, are an ever-present image in the mind of Marko’s parents. You can imagine the strain these memories might cause when they meet the woman their only son has married and she turns out to be the image of their enemy.

Alana doesn’t take kindly to her new in-laws either. While she may be able to let the past histories of their people go, the fact that Marko’s mother banished Izabel upon her arrival is a sticking point for Alana. Don’t bust into their ship and make their babysitter disappear. It’s going to make them cranky. Marko doesn’t have time to mediate the tense situation that is quickly developing, but instead puts on a crash helm and opens a rift to go find Izabel. What he didn’t know was that his mother followed after him, which left Alana and her father-in-law alone to get to know one another. Let’s just say it wasn’t an easy conversation for either of them.

Marko finds out more from his mother on why they arrived and how they did so. Crash helms aren’t cheap and neither is travel, but after finding out Marko broke the family blade and being visited by The Will, Marko’s parents knew that their son was in danger and they had to do something about it. They sold their house and started their journey of rescue. That doesn’t mean his mother isn’t going to also get in some quick jabs about Marko’s choice of wife, though. Alana is not an easy choice for her to accept, especially the fact that they’ve already had a child together, but that’s a fight that will have to wait until later because there’s more pressing dangers out for them at the moment. A large, fat monster with no clothes and naked genitals is trying to flatten them with his bone-club. That’s an image I wish I could un-see because now I’m mentally scarred.

We turn back to Alana and Marko’s dad, first getting some Hazel narration to give glimpses into the family’s future. We flash to Prince Robot IV, Lying Cat, and The Will. These are the enemies, the threat to the family’s safety, and Hazel’s parents think they can just wait them out. I’m not sure that plan’s going to work, but we will have to wait and see how it turns out. For now, we’ve got some more immediate events unfolding. Marko’s dad reveals that he has less than a month to live and hasn’t even told his wife yet. He then proceeds to put a spell on Alana to make her incapacitated in order for him to grab Hazel and get a closer look at his granddaughter. It’s unclear whether he wants to harm her or bond with her, but considering she is the narrator of the story I have hope that it’s the latter. How this tense family situation is going to be resolved will have to wait until next time, but for now we’re left with the knowledge that it’s not going to be an easy road for any of them. May Alana, Marko, and Hazel continue to be safe as the universe continues to set its sights on them.

Rating: 4 / 5 Stars