The second story arc since the latest hiatus of the beloved series Saga continues this week with Saga #64. Hazel continues to be the trusted narrator, but she’s a bit older and getting into danger alone. That’s in part due to her adopted brother Squire who appears to have some violent gifts she and even he, until recently, weren’t aware of. Expect to peer into some surprising souls in an issue largely driven by character acting.
Saga #64 juggles ongoing threats, the repercussions of actions, and some reinforcement if Alana is lucky enough. The issue opens with the winged man who wants to desperately snuff out Alana and Hazel, who is directed towards a familiar location that’ll bring cheers to audiences. Fiona Staples renders the villain with a dead-eyed glare that’s quite frightening. You’ll worry for the character he’s interrogating, and it continues to be true that he should not be trifled with.
The meatier part of the issue continues to follow Hazel and Squire, who are attempting a robbery to bring back their dead parents. Squire has been mute until the last issue, which seemingly was kind, but it appears his robot heritage may be coming out in puberty. Given how easy it was for him to blast the head off a creature in the last issue, it’s hard to say if this is a phase or a new part of him revealed. He’s violent, edgy, and a bit scary. He and Hazel must swallow some hard truths about the issue while putting themselves and the family in a challenging position.
Alana’s story shows she’ll do whatever it takes to help her kids. She’s off trying to acquire a new job and one that might get them off the planet. It’s a goal she’s had since the start of the story arc, and it’s a sign we’re nearing the end of the story arc too. Her scene introduces a traveling carnival plot that’ll likely take up the next story arc. We get a good sense of the owner and what his operation is all about. This scene also reminds us of Alana’s soldier days and the complicated nature of soldiers working anywhere in a galaxy trying to get by. Given her newfound peacefulness juxtaposed with the acts of Squire, the violence of their origins is coming into greater focus.
Squire has gone off the rails!
Credit: Image
A subplot with Petrichor gives us hope the heroes will have a fighting chance. This sequence is interesting as the characters never speak in English. Character expression by Staples is key here as we understand what they are generally saying. The scene has some weight since Petrichor has issues with her birth family and likely is estranged, but it feels overly long. Five pages of her sneaking in, interacting with a character, and getting a surprise from the welcome is all good, but it doesn’t add much.
From the very first panel to the last, Saga #64 is all about character acting. The shocking moments are characters acting in new and frightening ways or in ways dialogue helps very little to express. At its core, this series has always been about characters first, although this issue could use a little more of the action or shock value we all know and love from this series.
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