Review: Saga Vol. 3

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Nina Perez in Featured, Saga // 0 Comments

Instead of reviewing the next full volumes as a whole - as I covered the first two volumes - I will review each issue in the volume separately, but in one post. When I catch up to current issues (which should be within the week), I’ll begin covering each new issue the day after it is released.

Issue #13:

The story neither side wants out - the love story of Alana and Marko - is about to be just that as one of Alana’s wounded comrades has contacted the tabloids. Meanwhile, it’s been several weeks since Marko’s father died and his mother is not convinced heading to the home of Alana’s favorite author is the smartest move. Also, she read the book and she thinks he’s full of shit, as is Alana for seducing her son with such garbage. As we know from volume 2, Prince Robert IV is right on their asses.

The Will and Gwendolyn are having little luck getting someone out to fix his aircraft. Until then, they’re stuck on the planet where they crashed with Lying Cat and Slave Girl, who The Will has renamed Sophie after his dead lover appeared to him in a dream. She suggested he get out of the business and settle down with Gwen and Sophie.

Alana and family finally arrive on Quietus and meet D. Oswald Heist in all his piss-stained drawers glory - after battling bug bones.

Issue #14:

While the two tabloid reporters (Upsher and Doff) interview Alana’s stepmom - who happens to be Alana’s age - about the possibility that Alana was not captured, Alana and the family are preparing to spend the night on Quietus. Oswald owes them at least that much after vomiting on the baby. She’s cold at first, but Marko’s mother eventually opens up to being there after she and Oswald bond over losing their spouses.

The Will is making preparations to remain where he has crashed and tells Gwen she can leave with Lying Cat and Sophie if she wants. He has no interest in hunting Alana and Marko. She tries to appeal to his quest for vengeance for The Stalk, but it doesn’t work. Gwen accuses him of being a quitter. The whole time they’re arguing, The Will is hallucinating that The Stalk is whispering in his ear, urging him to kiss Gwen. He finally does and it goes just about as you’d expect.

One of The Will’s informants calls to report he has spotted The Stalk’s ship, which is being fueled up by Prince Robert IV at that very moment. Will The Will give in after all and chance down the man who killed his love? Also, the informant overheard Prince Robert talking about going to Quietus - that has to be of interest to Gwen.

The best moment in this issue came when Sophie says that she’s dirty inside because of all the things she did as a sex slave and Lying Cat cuts her off with, “Lies.”

Issue #15:

This issue went from being laugh out loud funny to intense in just a few pages. And I loved it.

Upsher and Doff have tracked down Countess Robot X, Alana’s former superior in the military. She had Alana sent to Cleave after she hesitated when ordered to drop a bomb on civilians. She did it. But the fact that she hesitated was enough to have her disciplined. As they’re getting this info, Upsher is shot by a sniper. He doesn’t regret a thing, though, as he views Alana’s story as a huge get.

Alana and Marko have been on Quietus for five days - two full days before we know Prince Robot IV arrives. Marko is doing much better than when we last saw him. He’s laughing and playing a board game with his mother, Klara, and Oswald. But when a task in the board game causes Oswald and Klara to “psych out” their opponents, Marko and Alana begin to question their future. How can they raise a child on the run?

The Will has his spaceship repaired and despite The Stalk whispering in his ear that he should settle down, he tells Gwen he hasn’t given up on helping her. Gwen goes off to find Sophie, and The Will gets a call from the company who sent the repairmen .They returned to the offices high off a hallucinogen. They warn The Will to be careful, but it’s too late. Young Sophie has be hallucinating her mother, and now The Stalk. And stabs The Will in the throat.

Issue #16:

So much goodness in one issue!

“Your kind is fine at showing the horror of war, but you stink at capturing the grace.” - Klara

Upsher and Doff are still at it, interviewing a government spy, Agent Gale, about a photo of Alana where she’s sporting a Wreath wedding ring. He gives them a story about Alana being a cover agent, deep undercover. Then he makes veiled threats about outed their homosexual relationship. When they leave, he immediately calls in a hit on the two. With The Will not returning calls, the agency sends out The Brand

Turns out Oswald and Klara’s big idea - that has to be suggested in a way that Marko and Alana will believe it was their idea - was to get the couple to think joining a traveling acting troupe would best way they could earn a living and evade capture.

Meanwhile, when Gwen uses Lying Cat to verify that she is not really seeing the woman who took her virginity, she immediately vomits up the local fruit she ate and goes in search of The Will and Sophie. She finds Sophie about to break The Will’s neck, finishing what she started when she stabbed him in it. Lying Cat attacks, but Gwen stops him from seriously hurting Sophie. She says the only chance The Will has of surviving is to go to Marko, who can perform a healing spell.

They arrive on Quietus shortly after Prince Robot IV does. And we know how that turned out

Issue #17:

Just as our young journalists in love are contemplating the possibility that Alana and Marko have gone to Quietus to meet Oswald, The Brand - the freelancer sent to kill them - shoots them with poison darts. The poison will only kill Upsher and Doff if they speak a word about Alana to anyone outside of the room. Seems The Brand has a soft sport for journalists. I like this because it forces them to really consider if it’s worth putting their lives on the line to tell this truth.

On Quietus, Klara wants to go downstairs and save Oswald from being tortured by Prince Robot IV. Alana and Marko argue they have too much to lose, plus Oswald told them to stay hidden. Downstairs, Robot finds Oswald’s latest manuscript, ‘The Opposite of War.’ He assumes it’s anti-war propaganda and demands to know what the opposite of war is. Oswald forces him to think about what went through his mind right before he was sure to die. The answer is images of Robot and his comrades all engaging in an orgy. The opposite of war isn’t peace, which is just a lull in the action, but fucking.

Klara slips away, downstairs, where she confronts Robot. She’s shot, but then Oswald shoots Robot. Gwen rushes in with Lying Cat and immediately attacks and kills Oswald, which causes Klara to fire upon her almost daughter-in-law. Lying Cat doesn’t like this so he attacks Klara. And Prince Robot IV is slowly rebooting.

Fuck.

Issue #18:

This issue was sad as hell, but a great way to end the Quietus arc.

Gwen leaves Lying Cat to guard Klara while she goes in search of Marko. While she’s gone, Isabel uses Lying Cat’s commitment to the truth and doing what’s right to get him to leave Klara alone. When Robot IV finally awakens, he’s on the fritz. Isabel is able to talk him into carrying Klara out of the burning lighthouse and then to go away before he starts to function properly.

Entire volume rating.

Gwen confronts Marko and demands a spell to save The Will’s life. But the spell only works on their kind. When Alana and Gwen being to argue, Marko pushes Alana, who’s holding Hazel, off the top of the lighthouse. He’d rather see them dead than tortured or arrested. Gwen rages that Marko broke her heart. Alana informs her she’ll live, as she flies into view, holding Hazel and a gun to Gwen’s back. Alana had the power within her all along! They all escape Quietus.

Months have passed and Upsher and Doff are offered a story to report on the missing Prince Robot IV. He hasn’t been seen and his baby is due any day now. Upsher wants to take it and figures it would be a roundabout way to cover Alana and Marko without activating the poison. Doff doesn’t think it’s worth it and declines.

The Will is in the hospital with little hope that he’ll ever fully recover. Gwen, Sophie, and Lying Cat watch from a nearby rooftop as The Will receives a visitor: the freelancer, The Brand, who also happens to be The Will’s sister.

Our fugitive family is still on the run, staying a short time in many places. And as kids are want to do: Hazel grew into a toddler.