After a three-month hiatus, Saga returns this week, and it’s all about Gale. That’s the winged soldier seeking out Hazel and Alana so as to murder them. He’s quite violent and doesn’t play around, but as we see in Saga #66, he’s also got a bone to pick with Alana. Personally.
Saga #66 is a quicker read as it features two scenes, both featuring Gale. The opening scene is a flashback as we learn Gale knows Alana from back when they trained to become soldiers. This scene is key as it reveals grudges can sometimes stick and eventually turn into joy when the prospect of murder is on the table. The flashback is short but sweet, revealing how Alana doesn’t mess around and Gale takes rejection personally.
From there, the rest of the issue is focused on Gale closing in on Ghüs’ headquarters in the lighthouse. Essentially, in one scene, Gale infiltrates but underestimates Ghüs. It’s nice to check in with Ghüs and another character, the latter of which fills us in on some developments with their party since we last saw them. The big takeaway is that with work, anyone can forgive and move on. Of course, forgiveness doesn’t happen overnight, as we see when a fight breaks out. It’s a tense moment, especially with the ever-lovable Ghüs in the room. Please don’t kill him, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Please!
If Ghüs dies, we riot!
Credit: Image
Staples’ art is, as always, quite good. This issue is about measured pace and tension, and she succeeds splendidly. With so little transpiring–and the events of this issue take up maybe 10 minutes save for when a character is knocked out–the visuals do a lot of heavy lifting to keep us on the edge of our seats. While this issue lacks a big shocking moment, there are page turns that work quite well. With the interiors of the lighthouse cast in whites and grays, the issue doesn’t really pop, but feels quite toned down.
This issue is the epitome of writing-for-the-trade kind of comics. Not much happens, but it’s crafted by masters who know how to entertain you even in slower scenes. By the end of the issue, it feels more like a snack than a full-fledged meal.
Saga #66 is a good issue, although it goes by too quickly. With only two scenes, it feels a bit short, even if the tension and drama are high. Saga continues to be great and an example of master storytelling, whether that story is big or small.
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