WeHa Book Club

*Spoiler Free Review*

Comic Books?! Those aren’t for serious readers! They’re effectively picture books with sound effects spelled out in zig-zag bubbles like “pow” and “wham”. Comic books are for kids and super dorks who aren’t capable of handling the deeper themes of serious novels.

Wrong! Okay, I’ll admit I had my reservations at first too. I was never quite so harsh as to dismiss the medium completely, but I never really considered it when I was looking for a new great book to pick up.

Luckily, I’ve got a couple friends who aren’t as close-minded as I apparently was who have given me some terrific recommendations in this department, and I’m going to attempt to pass that wisdom on to you. If it’s still not your thing, I totally get it. Just ignore these particular reviews. But I would recommend you at least give it one shot to see if it’s something you may be interested in moving forward.

And I’ve got just the recommendation for you! One of two comics I’ve given five stars too, Fiona Staple and Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga is an excellent place to start, especially if you’re new to comics. The panel storytelling allows for misdirect and foreshadowing in a way that the written word cannot.

As readers, we’re thrust into a war between a planet and its moon, named Landfall and Wreath, respectively. At the center of this conflict, two species with opposing ideologies are pitted against each other, one representing technology and progression who happen to have wings growing out of their backs and the other focusing on magic, lure and nature, notably with horns on their heads.

When two star-crossed lovers – one from each side of the warring factions – fall in love and have a mixed child, the validity of everything believed to be true is called into question.

Since a direct war on the home soil of either planet would cause both to spin out of orbit, the battles are fought remotely on other ‘third-party’ planets, which has inevitably led everyone else to choose loyalties. Throughout the series, we follow our cast of characters around the universe as one innocent child represents impossibly high stakes for all involved.

It’s excellent. Truly. Five stars. Check it out!

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Saga by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan