Emma's Bookery

Saga, Vol 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples ~Goodreads~

Published by Image Comics 2016

Paperback edition 152 pages ~Book Depository~

After a dramatic time jump, the three-time Eisner Award winner for Best Continuing Series continues to evolve, as Hazel begins the most exciting adventure of her life: kindergarten. Meanwhile, her star-crossed family learns hard lessons of their own.

Saga has become one of those series where you couldn’t possibly think it could continue to be as amazing as it is. Excellently written and accompanied by the most beautiful illustrations, there really is very little you could slate about this series other than I wish I didn’t have to wait so long for the next volume.

In the previous volume (5) Saga took a dark turn and I was quite surprised the writer had taken that risk, I applaud him and thought it was well done. With Vol 6 things are rather more whimsical and less violent than we’re used to seeing in this series, and this could be because our protagonist Hazel is no longer a baby but a toddler starting kindergarten. However, Hazel is a little more observant and brighter than your average 4 year old and is starting to talk and observe the adult world with less innocence than a child should. Up until now she has been narrating Saga offstage as her adult self, and her wit and life insights are what make this volume so charming.

The plot centres around Hazel in what looks like a school, but what we quickly learn to be a detention facility on Landfall for “enemy noncombatants.” There are adults there to look after her, including Alana’s mother Klara and Lexis a former bounty hunter. Hazel develops one connection with her spider-like teacher who she reveals a dangerous secret to.
Meanwhile, Marko and Alana are reunited by their common cause of saving Hazel from Landfall. Like most adults do when they are trying to do the best for their kids, and so Marko and Alana form an alliance with an unlikely individual to gain access to Landfall.

Another narrative we become more familiar with is Doff and Upsher, the gay journalist couple who are pursuing their story of the star-crossed lovers and their rumored love child that would shake up both sides of the civil war.

This volume is fast-aced and addictively readable like it is always, and I breezed through it within an hour or so. Saying that I did have a sense of “was that it?” because nothing really conclusive happened. I was waiting for a huge cliff hanger that was going to send me a little crazy, but I certainly enjoyed discovering more about Hazel and her story. I just hope the next volume gives me more to scream and jump about.

If you haven’t started this series you really need to!