Note: Some spoilers within for previous issues in this series.

Saga tells the continuing story of the little family of (the late) Marko and his wife Alana - a mixed-race couple - and their daughter Hazel. The family struggled to stay together in spite of a war between their two races.

Alana is from the planet Landfall, where inhabitants have wings on their backs, and Marko was from its moon, Wreath, where all people have horns on their heads. The two defied all convention (and propaganda, viz: those people have horns on their heads!) and fell in love. Hazel was born with both horns and wings, and it is Hazel who narrates the story.

Marko and Alana just wanted to find a way to be safe and happy and live in peace, but it wasn’t possible. The three of them were pursued throughout the galaxy by a number of beings trying to exploit them or kill them (or first one, then the other).

In Volume 9, however, both Marko and Sir Robert - once an enemy but eventually an ally - were murdered. It is now three years later, and Hazel and Sir Robert’s son Squire are being raised by Hazel’s mother and a male named Bombazine, or “Bomba” for short. Squire hasn’t spoken a word since his father’s death, but they all get along fine.

Currently, they are all on a pirate ship where Alana has just returned from making a drug deal for the Skipper. Hazel and Squire have been playing in the band formed by some of the Skipper’s crew, but the band had a falling out. Hazel asks her mom if “Drums” (Dranken) and “Guitar” (Miss Hectare) can come with them so they can find a new place to live and new band members. Bomba announces the trade will even out as he is staying with the Skipper, having been blackmailed into doing so. He doesn’t explain to Alana as he doesn’t want her to know why. She tells Bomba here kids revere him, but he is unfazed, and insults her so she will leave.

The comic ends with a cliffhanger, as Squire (whom Hazel calls “Brobot”) tells Hazel (via a sign he posts on his CRT screen face) a secret.

Evaluation: This is an outstanding “saga” whether you like graphic novels or not. This is not by any means a series for kids but it is nevertheless a story strongly supportive of families - both the kind you are born with, and the kind you make as you go through life.

Note: If you are new to the series, be sure to read the books in order! ( )