The Good
Marko, Alana, Hazel, and the rest of the team adjust to living with Dr Heist where they think they are safe. The Will has to make a decision on whether or not to pursue Marko and Alana. Also, what's going on with The Stalk?
The real winner of this issue is what's going on with Sophie (Slave Girl), The Will, and Gwendolyn. There's been a lot of wondering why The Stalk is still around, and why only The Will can see her. Things take a very weird turn towards the end.
The book opens up with a very cool scene featuring the two journalists, Upsher and Doff, speaking with Countess Robot X, who just killed a really big dragon on a runway. I am really digging Countess Robot X, and the story of Upsher and Doff trying to investigate what really happened with Marko and Alana. This leads to a pretty fantastic opening which lets the reader know just crazy the world these characters live in, including the war, can be.
Brian K Vaughan always does a great job with building on the world he and artist Fiona Staples created. We're always seeing new side stories and new characters that are just as intriguing as the rest. It's a book that keeps getting better and better.
Really loved the cover for this issue. Fiona Staples does a bang up job making an homage to all those cheesy romance novels from our world, as well as the one Dr Heist wrote in SAGA. She consistently turns out beautiful work, especially with the reveal page in issue #15. This is a book you should buy for the art alone. Luckily, the writing is just as good, so it's a double treat.
The ending to this issue is amazing. It's a great "WTF" moment. That's all that can be said about it without spoiling the issue.
The Bad
I wouldn't call this issue "filler," but it's definitely a transitional issue. It's not bad, but it does get a bit dull at moments. SAGA doesn't need to be a fly by the seat of your pants series, but this issue really focuses on the group trying to get to "normalcy," which, for the reader, feels a bit awkward and a tad forced. This series really works the best when the main characters are on the run.
The Verdict
SAGA continues to be one of the best on-going series in comic books. This issue really focuses more on everyone coming together as a family and trying to live their lives as normal as possible. It's a relatively large change in the dynamic of the series, since they've been mainly on the run, but it's still an incredibly good read. The side stories are really the best part of this particular issue though. The secondary characters are just as important and interesting as the primary, and that's what really sets this book apart from the others. If you're still not reading SAGA, then you need to start now. Overall, I highly recommend this issue and series.
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