By Zack Quaintance — Re-reading Saga has been a dual exercise in clarity and familiar feelings. The clarity comes with the reminders of what has happened in this story and why, both of which are liable to get lost when you read a comic monthly. The familiar feelings are a bigger surprise, in that I find myself being moved by this story in almost the exact same ways I was the first time through.

I’m always astounded at the power of certain stories to be so immersive that emotions remain unchanged even when intellectually I know exactly what’s coming. Anyway, for obvious reasons I’m bracing my tear ducts for next issue.

But let’s focus on Saga #53 first!

Saga #53 

Here it is, the official preview text for Saga #53, which first hit comic shops way back on June 27, 2018. 

Uh-oh.

I remember this text feeling like a guarantee that something bad would happen and someone would die, but, obviously, didn’t realize how entirely I was into this narrative. It’s also kind of a feint to distract a bit from what’s coming in the next issue, but I digress. Let’s look at the individual components. 

The Cover: The cover works well in tandem with the solicit text to all but guarantee doom for someone. I also think it’s visually stimulating, giving us a rare detail shot that will provide nice variety if you look at the Saga covers holistically as some point, or even just set your Saga issues out. That’s important for compulsive fans, of which comics have more than a few.

The First Page: This first page does that beloved Saga thing of juxtaposing the familiar — a new phone that doesn’t work the way you want it too, so much so that you just have to complain about it — with the fantastical — dude has giant wings, ahhhh! It also does some plot work, with the way he’s standing somehow looking casual while reminding us this fellow is a shady actor that poses a continued threat to everything we care about in this narrative.

The Summary: We start with the Landfallian intelligence agent, approaching Upsher and Doff’s editor in a parking garage with video of the duo engaged in physical intimacy, which is strictly forbidden on whatever planet they are from. The editor insists videos like that can be faked, to which the villain replies that one of the story’s key sources is dead. The key idea here is that the Landfall agent is very concerned this story will reveal that the two sides powering the forever war are working together. The Landfall agent’s story seems to win out, leaving the frumpy newspaper editor looking distressed and concerned. 

We cut to the planet where our family is lost, with Ghus in the woods with a weapon in search of Squire. He comes across Doff’s dead body, being picked at by scavenger animals. Ghus shoes the animals away before Petrichor joins him. They quickly realize Squire wouldn’t hurt anyone, with Petri realizing they’re no longer safe on the planet alone. Hazel and Upshur are on the beach by the spaceship, where they see signal fireworks go up. Before they can react, the sinister Ianthe approaches them. She has Squire with a gun to his head. 

We cut to The Will, who has his lance through Prince Robot IV and is responding to his offer to throw the family to him if he lets him live. As Robot begs for his life, he starts to show The Will his story, which begins with him as a little boy with his mother, who is terrible to him. Marko comes upon the pair as Prince Robot IV begs and again offers to show The Will “exactly how to capture Hazel…”

Back on the beach, Squire begs Upsher and Hazel to save him, a job they are unqualified for. Ianthe realizes who Hazel is, and gets bit by the opportunity bug that afflicts so many characters in this story. Ianthe tells Upsher she has murdered Doff. Alana flies down to the scene, and Ianthe shoots one of her wings off, thanks to Squire moving her arm at the last second in a way that presumably kept Alana from suffering a killing blow. Upsher then uncharacteristically goes after Ianthe, enraged that she murdered his lover. Upsher incapacitates Ianthe, who taunts him and begs for death.

Cut back to The Will, who is now holding Price Robot IV hostage as Marko looks on with his shield. In spite of his betrayal, Marko tries to save Prince Robot IV, telling The Will he had everyone else blast off as soon as he caught wind of someone unfamiliar on the planet. The Will makes clear that he wants to capture Marko and his family no matter what, because it will bring him back into good-standing in his bounty hunter profession. Marko says he’ll go peacefully if The Will spares Prince Robot IV. The Will says no and tears his head off. 

The Subtext: There is an absurd amount of plot packed into this one issue, which doesn’t leave much mental space for contemplating subtext. The major themes of our story are all here — the two sides collaborating on the forever war, sacrificing for family, and avoiding violence at all costs — but there’s just so much happening here that this section this month feels a bit superfluous to our analysis. 

The Art: The visual storytelling ability on display here is just staggering. Fiona Staples expertly paces this plot-heavy issue in a way that continues to feel engaging throughout. Weaving incredibly emotional and tense talking head scenes with clear action sequences in which it’s clear and easy to see what’s going on. There is one incredibly memorable splash page (the last one), but the real staggering talent on display in this issue has to do with how clear and concise this much plot is made by these visuals. 

The Foreshadowing: I mean, I don’t know if there’s really much here. Maybe the first sequence is a precursor to what happens with the media storyline, but for the most part here we get Marko sticking to his non-violence pact, with little to indicate he’s soon to break it.

Saga #53
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Letterer: Fonografiks
Publisher: Image Comics

The Saga Re-Read knows the worst is coming but still irrationally expects it to be different. Life, aye?

Check out previous installments of the Saga Re-Read.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.