Saga by Brian K Vaughan



You ever hear of Brian K. Vaughn? No? Well if you haven't, then I think it's time you decide to give his name a try. Vaughn has done the great work of Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, and Runaways to great acclaim. But after taking some time off, Vaughn is back in the comic-ring with Saga, a sci-fi/fantasy story inspired by Star Wars and the birth of his second daughter. And what do you get? One of the most unique, epic, fresh, and odd comics on the market. I will try to keep it spoiler free.

SAGA VOL.1 collects the first issues, #1-6. A never-ending galactic war that has been happening between a planet by the name of Landfall, a planet filled with technologically advanced beings who have wings to fly, and its orbiting moon Wreath, a moon full of goat-like humans who are great warriors and wield magic. Alana (a being from Landfall), and Marko (a being from Wreath) do the unthinkable: they conceived a child named Hazel on a distant planet named Cleave. Both Alana and Marko forfeit their positions from their planets and decide to try to get away from the war effort. But both home planets find out about this and want them eliminated. Landfall has an agent from the Robot Kingdom, named Prince Robot IV (a humanoid-being with the head of a television set) go after them, while Wreath hires paid killers The Will (a morally complex being) and The Stalk to do the same. What will happen next?
Brian K. Vaughn wanted this book to match the title itself, in that it encompasses all aspects of a long and arduous space epic. It has drama, romance, humor, suspense, action, violence, charm, zany science fiction, abstract fantasy, the supernatural, politics, morals, sexuality, and just plain weird stuff. This book has it all. And it's only 6 issues in.
The actual story plot might not be the most original, but the narrative on character building is phenomenal. The story jumps between Alana and Marko's journey to escape Cleave, while there is the investigation of Prince Robot IV into the lovers, and The Will's complex exposition from hunting Alana and Marko or going to an orgy-filled planet. This would fumble for most writers doing this much at one time, but Vaughn holds it together, and does it a pace at which the book moves just right. Not too fast, not too slow. The story and character building work so well together, it succeeds at world building and creating an intrigue. And Vaughn creates enough status quo changing twist that you can't quite put down the book.
But the main theme and narrative here is parenthood, or more precisely: love. The main narrative is told from Hazel (most of the time), which describes her parents Alana and Marko with such written quirkiness and humanity; you can't help but feel for their plight and feel like their one of us. Even in a distant galaxy, these characters feel human, and Vaughn hits the nail just right.

But Vaughn can't take all of the credit. Fiona Staples draws thick character lines, while having water color-type backgrounds to bring attention, as well as make a odd, alien world come to life. But she stays on the emotional expressions the most, keeping in-line the characters mannerisms to the theme of parenthood. But Staples also does a commendable job at the more risqué content here to make it applicable to art form, and not gratuitous material (though I think there will be some who think otherwise). But overall, Staples art fits perfectly for this book.
Now if there are possible problems, they lie in the content. This is for mature readers only. This book has some strong language (you'll hear the occasional F-bomb), male and female nudity, sexual innuendos, and like mentioned before: Some weird imagery and concepts I can't list without giving things away. If you're not prepared for this, this might not be for you. But considering the material, as well as Vaughn purpose of using all aspects possible for this space epic, I think it works very well.

SAGA VOL.1 truly is the next big thing in comics that truly looks like it will live up to its title. Vaughn has said he wants to make this series be big and long, to really personify an epic space opera/drama worthy of the word, "saga". And if this keeps ups, we can expect another great chapter under Vaughn's career. And only $10, you have nothing to lose in trying out this book. Nothing. So get on it while it's still just starting, because it's going to be a long journey.

Forbidden Planet


The story is about a spacecraft sent to learn what exactly happened to a previous spacecraft and its' crew, which had been deployed many years prior, and has since not been heard from in some time. This current mission is under the command of Commander John J. Adams (Nielsen), and soon find themselves on approach to the destination planet of the now lost ship. On their arrival, they get an ominous message, from the planet, issued by a member of the original crew, Dr. Edward Morbius (Pidgeon). Despite his warnings, they land and are soon met by a robot named Robby, who escorts them to Morbius' rather posh abode. Here we learn all the members of that fated crew have been killed off, except for Morbius and his daughter (whom Morbius had when he procreated with another member of the original crew), Altaira (Francis), by some unseen, yet completely nasty, force, to which Morbius and his daughter seem immune. Not expecting to find any survivors, Commander Adams now has to change his plans to include trying to contact his superiors and receive further instructions on how to proceed, despite Morbuis' protests that they should leave as soon as possible, leaving him and his daughter behind so that he may continue his research. What is his research? Well, it seems that many hundreds of thousands of years ago, the planet was inhabited by a highly advanced race of being called the Krell, who mysteriously vanished seemingly overnight in comparison to their collective power, intelligence and abilities, and while their cities have long since gone, a great deal of their technology survived underneath the ground, and Morbius has managed to gain some understanding of these beings, even being able to pry bits of information and such in the 20 odd years that he's been here. This amazing discovery is certainly worth writing home about, and so Commander Adams begins having the men disassemble the ship to create a device powerful enough to send a message back to his superiors, and in the meantime, starts making time with Morbius' daughter, who's never seen a man outside of her father, and is uneducated in the ways of woo. Things seem to be progressing until an unseen late night attack on the ship damages some crucial elements needed for communication, so an electrified perimeter is set up to prevent the approach of any more unannounced and unwelcome visitors. We soon find out the fence works, as a huge beastie, normally invisible, now highlighted by the electrical current, tries to attack the ship, killing a few defenders. What exactly is the nature of this beast? Is it somehow connected to the Krell? Does Morbius know more than he's letting on? Will any get off this planet alive? What the heck were these Krell up to anyway?

Like life...


Yeah, boating is like life... sometimes it's harder!

Zombie walk!






I think like you... some peoples are totaly nuts and had a very bad taste for fashion-outing! lol! It was a zombie walk, in the streets of Melbourne, a terrific day for "ordinary" peoples, who see many many many crazy neighbors playing dead-like creatures! I love cosplay, but this time, it was freaky!!!

naaawww !

Mister Dark & Princess


These are my new orphans, hungry like tigers when I discover them in a box, I take'em to my appartment and share my so precious Chao tôm!!! We are three now, and it's a pretty good news!!!

Pictures by Wo


Tôi rất tự hào về những bức ảnh được chụp bởi Wo, một người bạn tuyệt vời đã đến với Hà Nội mà tôi đóng vết thương mà tôi đang bị khóa. Ông trở về nhà ngay bây giờ, để lại cho tôi một số kỷ niệm, một vài cái ôm, một số khoảnh khắc khó quên bất tận.

You see...


... Gorilla is the true king of all the animals, not this big sleeping cat !

Chimaira



Chimaira, a very very noisy band I discover and heared with Linda, in the amplifier bar, at Perth. It was cool, to get ou with my friend, men are very excited to discover two metal handbangers girls like us !

Week end at Perth



It was a sort of reconciliation with my friend Linda. We are disgusted by the same man, betrayed by him, and we found in us many common things. It was hard, in the first hour we met, but Linda is Linda, she's the most amazing and funny girl I know, and I slept at her home, slept... No! Because we talk for hours, and after that, we eat, scream and smile, during morning hours. It was cool, and I'm so proud to be her friend again!

So...



Even you're alone, keep the smile yougheart, life is surprising, she's beautiful and work well for those who keep their heart wide open! Happy christmas fellow chimps and gorillaz!

After that...



I'm not angry, I'm just sad, because I keep my eyes closed and let a wonderful girl go to another province, just for a boy not so cool. I'm single for now, single and in fact, happy, because true friends are always here, my blue dress trapped every men I want, my job is cool, so I'm happy! Metal tiger year... I'm comin' !!!

Shots from...




Guess where am I for this shots... Little clue on them... It was this summer ending, just after I broke with my boy, for many reasons and the not-so-least, for keeping a true friendship. This journey was good for me, and for my tan!

Xsmas alone...


So, I was stuck in Adelaide for christmas, far away of my family and my friends, I find a restaurant and discover this awesome recipe of oysters with cheese! For a couple of minutes, I die happy, but after that... ressucitized! lol

que jeu taime!!!


It's the title of a french song you don't like so much, but me I love her!

Begining of something great



Be in couple, I forgot what do you feel when you're in couple, it's a cool, warmy and very pleasant feeling. I'm happy to be with you and I hope we can build all this damn things we talk about last night, in this huge room full of our friends, under this very strange light.

carriageworks, redfern, sydney, june 2009

Meeting with...




She's gorgeous, she's funny and very wise to, this is a girl I hope I can point like a friend. I love this girl, she's the one of my dearest Soren, I know her for a moment but not really, and I discover really her recently, during a very cool night with friends of both. She's sweet, full of life, her smile is so cute. She's my friend Linda!!!

Pimp my dress !!!




Also called "Men trapper", my blue dress with me in... Yooosh! It's a lethal weapon of men hearts destruction! lol! This night into the party of Berenice, with many handsome boys and sadly, no one for me and my blue dress!!!



Olympic game!


Question! Why duck fishing is not yet classified in the olympinc games??? It's pretty hard and I think the orange are the most difficult to take!!!

shhhhhhhhhhttt !


Be quiet, chimps and gorillaz... I read!

Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!


It's my pleasure, oysters with fried beacon, and of course a fistful of vegetables!

I'ml riding my bike...


... with my shiny gloves!!! lol! I love that, riding for hours (so, for thirty minutes... but when you love, time doesn't count!), feeling the wind in my hairs, looking for people who prefer to drive their cars and waiting for a fluidest traffic, I love that, it's a taste of freedom, and it's good for health!

I'm back !


Hi, Chimps & Gorillaz! I'm back with excellent news (so, excellent for me!); I take the job, those in the bio grocery, the boss is very funny and his wife is pretty pretty cool! For a moment, I think it's for me and I never spit on easy money! Driiiiiiink !

I'm a tiny mouse...

... But I don't go back in my hole! No matter the dumb and the nasty, I'm here for a long long time and if I'm just a little minnie-mouse (look at my ears!!!), I'm proud to be the daughter of my mummy and my daddy!!!
(And for you this morning, who can't appreciate my asian skin, a big fuck you!!!)

Huge artist I and dad loved!!! This is also an handsome man, very talentuous, his name?

Keziah Jones!

Is there anything better?

On the other side of this blueness, is there anything better? Sometime I think about my future and I can't see me here... Tell me, if you're a stranger, how is your country?

SMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE !!!!


Nope... Life is not so hard! we are the youngest on this planet and we have the right to do funny thangs!!! Keep the smile Friends and Gorillaz !!!

New flavor for my B&J !!!



Listen everybody in the world... This is my B&J !!! You see me? I eat all the IWP I see on earth, and nobody can stop me!!! I love the Ben & Jerry's creamy delice!!!