BOOK REVIEW: Saga, Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Saga, Volume 4

Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Series: Saga, #19-24
Published: 17 December 2014 by Image Comics
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comic
Format: Trade Paperback
Source: Purchased
Links: Goodreads, Publisher

Synopsis:

From the Eisner Award-winning duo of Brian K. Vaughan (The Private Eye, Pride of Baghdad) and Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, Thor), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. As they visit a strange new world and encounter even more adversaries, baby Hazel finally becomes a toddler, while her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana struggle to stay on their feet.

Rating:

Review and Discussion:

I'm not sure why, but I just didn't enjoy this volume as much as I have enjoyed the previous ones. This volume certainly had the charm of the others, but to me it lacked something vital that prevented me from enjoying it one hundred percent, but I can't quite put my finger on what that was.

Perhaps there are too many characters, too many interwoven plot lines, that I struggle to keep up and get lost along the way. Perhaps it was Alana and Marko's relationship struggles that made me reluctant to enjoy the rest of the story because I was so worried about the state of their marriage. I'm not entirely sure why I didn't love this volume, but I just struggled to fully engage.

There was a lot less action in this volume, which made it a bit slower to read. I guess that's the thing I love about the earlier volumes: the fast-paced, action-filled plot that keeps me going. That was somewhat lacking in this volume, and the action that we did see was kinda unnecessary or could have been avoided.

I also felt that this volume lacked much of the humour and wit that had been evident in previous volumes, and the characters felt a little strange. I felt like the Marko and Alana that I had gotten to know in previous volumes weren't here anymore, but rather carbon copies who lacked the same gusto as my favourite characters. I felt like they both made decisions that they would not have normally made, that they diverged so far from their characters that I struggled to recognise them. It was rather disappointing, but I'm hoping they can come back to themselves in later volumes.

Essentially, this volume felt like a "filler" volume, preparing character developments and plot lines for what is to come. It picked up a little in the final two chapters, leaving off with a cliffhanger at the end, so I am still keen to continue on with the series. I will just have to work on reforming my expectations for what is going to happen so that I can try and enjoy it as much as the earlier volumes.

I am planning to re-read Volumes 1-4 prior to the release of Volume 5 in October, and so maybe then, after having some time to let the series settle in my mind, I will be able to enjoy this volume more. But at this stage, it was the least enjoyable volume in the series so far.