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rfmcdonaldAt Women Write About Comics, Nadia Bauman does her best to explain why Saga is such a hit graphic novel.
What is it? Go to the site to read.
During the last few years, I have read tons of books, and just a few of them had what I call a “magic wardrobe” effect.
You might have experienced it too: you open the book, time collapses, and you’re suddenly on the last page and the clock displays 4am. There is some distinctive type of story that transfers the reader to another world, where “normal” time and mundane worries (like early wake ups) don’t matter. My personal list of “magic wardrobe” readings is short; besides some works by King, Bujold, and Rowling, it includes only one comic book—Saga. And since the moment I swallowed Volume One, I didn’t stop asking myself, what’s so special about this graphic novel.
Everybody is crazy about Saga. It got three Eisner Awards, Hugo Awards for Best Graphic Story, six Harvey Awards and, by all reports, obvious, ultimate, universal, indisputable public acclamation. The timeline of the indie comics industry is now divided into “Before Saga” and “After Saga” epochs. But after reading dozens of praiseful articles and reviews, I didn’t find an answer—how come Saga conquered our hearts so easily?
Certainly, behind the ease of the story flow there’s a big and complex work. Saga is loaded with exceptional features, but what exactly makes it so dramatically distinguished from all others creator owned comics? Is it the unique world? There are thousands of well-designed sci-fi and fantasy universes in every media around. The meaningful look at parenting and family life? I don’t think this alone could buy such all-absorbing success among a diverse and variegated community of comic lovers. The colorful artwork with weird and vivid characters? Still not enough. An inventive idea to merge Shakespearian motives with the genre of space opera? C’mon, you can’t be serious! Lying Cat? Okay, this one looks good…
There must be something beyond all these virtues that reviewers praise. Something more powerful than the charm of a Star Wars like-universe, more compelling than the story of family life against the background of the intergalactic war, more eye-catching than a sex scene between a white dude and a giant female spider. Something essential, probably even subliminal. I recalled paranoid theories about The Lion King movie and ended up searching for hidden messages. It’s not likely that Saga has the word “sex” formed by clouds of dust somewhere between its panels—after all, we’re talking about the book with a love scene between… oh, I’ve already mentioned that.
Yet I did find the hidden message, which is big and important enough to glue our eyes to the series.
What is it? Go to the site to read.
