Welcome back, True Believers! We’ve got a lot to talk about today, so let’s get right into it. First, if you haven’t checked out my review of American Vampire Book 1 or Part 1 of my top 10 favorite X-Men stories, do yourself (and me) a favor and do so. American Vampire was an awesome read, and all the X-Men stories I have listed are worth reading. Part 2 will follow next week with my 5 favorites, and it was really hard to narrow it down. I almost did a top 15, but that seemed like overkill.
I picked up a few new ones this week, but one really stood out: Saga #1. The debut issue from Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man) and Fiona Staples. The Internet has all over this book. IGN’s Joey Esposito has called it “The book to pick up this week”, and “if you consider yourself to be a comic book fan, you owe it yourself to give it a shot”. And while I’m not a fan of hyperbole, I learned long ago that if the guys at my local comic store tell me to pick something, it’s generally in my best interest to do so. And, as usual, they were right. Saga is a wonderfully written and beautiful book.
Saga takes place in a world that’s part science fiction, part fantasy. There are mystical beasts and characters and swords, but there are also robots and guns and factories. Saga thrusts you into the world and lets you pick up on it as the story progresses. This would be counter-intuitive if it wasn’t so well done. As more of the world is revealed, the more interesting it becomes. The story follows two lovers, Alana and Marko, and starts with the birth of their child, Hazel, who appears to be the one telling the story. As the first book in a brand new series, it really has to hook you in order get a long-time reader and sell books. At least for now, I am hooked. The story is interesting and the art is beautiful. I can’t wait for the next book. Do yourself a favor and get this one.
This week I also picked up Wolverine and the X-Men #7 and X-Men Legacy #263. Wolverine and the X-Men finished up the Brood invasion and Wolverine and Quire in space arcs, and it’s a really fun, VERY fast paced issue. There are a great deal of little character moments. Even the bamfs and Krakoa have their moments. The stars of the issue, however, are Kitty and Broo. This arc has reinforced what most of us knew all along: Kitty Pryde is a badass, and you don’t want to mess with her. I’m not really sure what to say about Broo, other than I love him and that he grows a great deal in this story. Definitely my favorite new character. Legacy #263 concludes the arc with Exodus and does a really great job of balancing action and drama. An overall great issue.
That’s it for this week. Watch next week for my top 5 favorite X-Men stories, and remember, we draw closer and closer to Avengers VS X-Men. Until next week, True Believers!
