Watch out for Sexy Alana everybody, she’s crazy! She sure is sexy though, for a comic book character. But we’ll get to that in a moment, just know that this issue of Saga points out how comics aren’t just for kids anymore. As if we needed such an example. The ongoing story pauses for an issue as everybody reacts to the galaxy-shifting events of last issue, but not in the ways you might expect. The chapter begins with sex and ends with a death, in true Saga fashion.

Saga #11

Saga is in a good place right now. All of the characters are together, there’s drama, action and family. And when it wants to pack an emotional wallop, Saga can do just that. Though I must say, this character went too soon.

Comic Rating: 4/5: Good.

There was one major misstep in this issue, and I’ll get to it in the synopsis. Otherwise, this was a fine chapter. It’s an action-heavy issue, so there isn’t a lot of time to just stand around talking, unfortunately. Those are becoming my favorite scenes. Everyone is in a hurry, the dialogue is quick, and basically we’re just moving on from one moment in space to the next. I imagine the story is going to pick up a lot with the next issue, but right now, there are a few things Saga needs to deal with, and it deals with them well. Not as shocking or powerful as the cliffhanger ending of last issue, but strong nonetheless.

I also want to say how fantastic Hazel’s narration is in this comic. The whole future Hazel recounting the story of her childhood thing is working like gangbusters. It adds such a subtle, emotional punch to even the simplest scenes. Writer Brian K. Vaughn uses that narration like a master craftsman at work.

Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!

All of the recent issues have started with a flashback, and this one is no different. We saw the first time Marko and Alana met. We saw their first kiss and how she helped him escape. And now we get to see…Hazel’s conception.

Yep, Vaughn and Fiona Staples give us a full-on sex scene as the two get freaky while on the run from Landfall authorities. And this isn’t passionate love making. This is the kind of hardcore stuff where Alana has to hold on to Marko’s horns for balance. I bet you never thought they could be used that way. But Sexy Alana figured it out. She’s a crazy person, as regular Alana explains, she’s “obsessed with her nipples and uses the word ‘dick’ unironically.”

Alana is arguing with Marko because, well…I think we all know how babies are accidentally made. She’s freaked out because being on the run from the law is the last place they should bring a baby.

This comic brought to you by the letters ‘X’, ‘X’ and ‘X’

And that’s how we got Hazel.

Back in the present, everyone is reeling from the giant space fetus after it blasted The Will’s ship with black goo. Now the fetus is sucking the spaceship tree back into its gaping maw, so Marko and his mom rush down to the engine room to try and give it some more juice to get away. Izabel looks out the window at The Will’s ship, feeling sorry for the people on board because being sucked out into space is no way to die.

Awww, poor Lying Cat…

But wait!

He makes the save!

Huzzah! The Will leaps out into space, somehow surviving in the vacuum, and rescues Lying Cat! Hooray! He uses his extendo-lance to get back to his ship, Gwen uses magic to seal the hole, and they take off to safety.

Down in the engine room, Klara insists that Marko use the crash helmets to get himself and his daughter to safety. She says she and his father will be fine as long as Marko is safe. Marko takes the crash helmets and thanks his mother, then tosses them into the engine. They’ll provide the extra boost they were looking for to get away from the space fetus. Unfortunately, the strain is too much for the spaceship tree and it starts breaking apart.

Barr to the rescue!

Barr is a romantic

Barr uses magic to hold the ship together with strands of…magic, I guess. And it works! The ship is able to hold together and escape the pull of the space fetus! They’re home free!

Except…not all of them…

Oh no…

Over on the other ship, everyone is fine and licking their wounds. Even Lying Cat is OK. Last issue’s cliffhanger was just a tease. And they may have let Marko and his family get away, but now they know to look for the spaceship tree. The Will is back on the hunt.

But that doesn’t matter right now.

Marko and Klara return from the engine room…

Klara rushes to her husband’s side, but Marko stands still, his face impassive. In that moment, he thinks back to his childhood, to a time when his father taught him to ride a giant toy grasshopper thing. At least I think that’s what we’re seeing. For some insane reason, the entire flashback is done in a foreign language without subtitles. You can still kind of tell what’s happening with just the visuals, but there is a lot of dialogue between young Marko and his dad. It’s very distracting. I don’t know about you, but when I read comics, I focus on the words. I can’t read these words, but that’s where I focus anywhere. So I’m forced to deal with what is essentially gibberish while I’m trying to feel the full impact of this memory.

It would have been more effective without any dialogue at all. Or in English.

Eventually Marko snaps back to reality and he goes to join his mother, asking Alana and Izabel for some time alone. Hazel’s narration returns and she says that they cremated her grandfather the next morning in the belly of the ship. She says she still has a scrap left from the little orange baby outfit Barr made for her.

So long, Barr, you were awesome.

I’m sad to see Barr go because I think it’s just too soon in the series. We only met him maybe five issues ago, and he has been absolutely stellar so far. I know he said he was dying early on, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon. Heck, it’s only been a few hours since he arrived on the ship in the first place. Barr was awesome and I’m sad to see him go.

But, like I said, having that entire flashback in a foreign language really damaged the emotional impact. Rather than being sad for Marko’s loss, I was left trying to figure out gibberish. Poor choice, in my opinion. This should have been a hugely emotional scene. Barr’s death came suddenly and with little warning, and Barr was cool enough for the reader to really feel the loss. But I think Vaughn fumbled the moment. At least Hazel’s narration to close out the issue really captures the reader back and ends the issue on a solid moment.

I’m also glad Lying Cat survived.

I would say this was a successful wrap-up of this part of the story. The spaceship tree is taking off to continue on its destination, Marko’s mom is going to settle in and The Will and Gwendolyn are far enough away that they probably won’t find the family again for a few more issues. I look forward to seeing what Vaughn has in store for us next. I also wonder if this is where the flashbacks will stop, considering he took us from when Marko and Alana met to when they conceived their daughter. Personally, I’d like to see a little more of the rest of the war. Marko and Alana are wanted for a reason, perhaps we could see a bit more of how their family is effecting the universe, if at all yet. Somehow both Wreath and Landfall knew that they were having a baby, and hate the very idea enough to send Freelancers after them. Maybe we could see them meet some soldiers and start negatively or positively effecting morale or something. I dunno.

Personally, I hope next issue is just everybody sitting down and talking. That’s what I really want to see.