Graphic Novel Review | Saga Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Series: Saga Vol. 1
Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Page count: 160

Genre: Fantasy | Sci-Fi 
Age bracket: Adult

Source: Purchased

This is how an idea becomes real.

From Goodreads:

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.  From New York Times bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina) and critically acclaimed artist Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, North 40), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.  This specially priced volume collects the first six issues of the smash-hit series The Onion A.V. Club calls "the emotional epic Hollywood wishes it could make." Collects Saga issues #1-6

  ~ • ~

Marko and Alana are on the run. Having fled her post as Private First Class to elope with Marko, a rival soldier and former prisoner in Landfall's detention center, Alana is now classed as a deserter and a wanted woman. With the addition of a newborn baby to their family, all Alana and Marko want is to find peace away from the galactic war that is raging between their respective rivalling planets of Landfall and its moon, Wreath, that is taking place on the planet Cleave.
With bounties on their heads and a reward for whoever captures their baby girl unharmed, the couple must outrun wickedly skilled Freelancers as well as their own people.

Did I just find my new favourite graphic novel?

After seeing just the cover artwork alone, I think I knew that I was bound to fall in love with Saga. Have you seen the artwork? If you haven't, then take a look at it in beautiful high-quality. Stunning, right? Well, the rest of the graphic novel is like that; simply beautiful work. Everything is vibrant and the colouring is gorgeous and just ugh, YES, I live for artwork like this.

Another thing I love : the characters. Never have I come across such sassy characters in a graphic novel; they're wonderful. Alana is gloriously sarcastic and comes across as being a badass - but you can tell that deep down she's a total softie when it comes to Marko and Hazel. And she has wings. Then there's Marko who wants to put his violent past behind him but would, if it came to down to it, kill for his family. Oh, Marko. I mean, just look at that face. 

I want my own Marko.

Then we've got numerous side-characters who are just as awesome. I can't even put into words how intrigued I am by Prince Robot IV. Like, WHAT ARE YOU??? There are so many weird and wacky creatures in Saga .. it's crazy and I love all these unique, diverse things. I want a Lying Cat, yes, I do.

After that ending, I'm so glad I've already purchased the next three volumes; I can't wait to read more, and hopefully I will enjoy them as much as I enjoyed Volume 1!

Now, I'd like to point out that this is definitely for mature readers. There's violence and sex galore. So, if you're not comfortable with - or not of an age for graphic content.. you've been warned.

From my very first day, I was pursued by men.

All of them tried to hurt me, but only one managed to break my heart.

3 comments adult, brian k. vaughan, fiona staples, graphic novel, rating 5, review, saga, saga volume 1

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Review | The Martian - Andy Weir

Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Release Date: February 13, 2014

Page count: 369

Genre: Sci-Fi 
Age bracket: Adult

Source: Purchased Ebook

I'm stranded on Mars.

From Goodreads:

I'm stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Earth. I'm in a Habitat designed to last 31 days. If the Oxygenator breaks down, I'll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I'll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches. I'll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I'll eventually run out of food and starve to death. So yeah. I'm screwed.

  ~ • ~

NASA crew Ares 3 are due to spend a 31-day mission on Mars. On Day 6, a severe dust storm sweeps through their camp, forcing them to abort their operation. In their haste to leave, Mark Watney is struck down by flying wreckage and thought of as dead; his crew are forced to leave his body and return to Earth. However, Mark is not dead - he's very much alive and only in need of stitches. Stuck in a Hab on the Martian plain of Acidalia Planitia with very few resources and no means to contact Earth, Mark must put all his training and skills as a botanist to the test in a desperate attempt to survive. 

I really wasn't expecting to like this just as much as I did. I had visions of spending the majority of this book bored; how are all 300+ pages documenting a man isolated and alone on Mars going to be entertaining? I was still intrigued, though, and still wanted to give it a go - and I'm glad I did. I assumed this was going to be a serious, heavy story, but it's far from that.

Written in the style of daily logs, Mark journals the main points of each Sol he spends on Mars. Mark has a very unique voice; even though he's in a dire situation, he is often light-hearted and jovial, which makes for an easy and surprisingly humorous read. 

The Martian was very interesting and enlightening. It shows Mark, who's an extremely intelligent man, putting what little resources he has to very good use. I mean, he grows potatoes in his Hab on Mars. He makes his own soil out of refuse; water by burning hydrogen and using the various Hab systems available to him. It's just so clever.
Each day, he continues to push himself to stretch out the use of the six-person-crew rations of gear and food, all the while creating new means for himself to attempt to survive the four long years until the next scheduled Ares mission is due to land.

Another interesting thing was that not all of the book is centered around Mark. We get glimpses into the working days of various staff members of NASA, such as the administrator, director, and head of PR, as they deal with the aftermath of Mark's "death". There are also insights into the media frenzy surrounding the whole fiasco, and the planning of the Ares 4 and other missions, so we get to see everything from two very different sides.

Now, while I really enjoyed this book, I spent a lot of the time completely confused. There's an abundance of science jargon, NASA/space-terms that I'm not familiar with, and a lot of chemistry and botany things that went completely straight over my head.

Obviously, this isn't the book's fault... I'm just not as well-educated as some people on these topics.
It's not you, it's me. However, this didn't detract from how much I enjoyed the story as a whole.

Overall, it was an entertaining and interesting read with likeable characters and an ending I found myself really satisfied with, and emotional about. If you're interested in space-travel and science, I think it'd definitely be worth giving The Martian a read!

Astronauts are inherently insane. And really noble.

Leave a Comment adult, andy weir, rating 4.5, review, sci-fi, the martian

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