SAGA from Image Comics 6 6

[D2]

On 1/26/2023 at 2:52 PM, LudaToke said:

I have been enjoying Saga since it came back.  The Compendium is the best way to take in the first half of the story.  There are zero hopes of this ever becoming a TV show after how Y: The Last Man and Paper Girls got cancelled after season 1.

I wouldn't say 0%.

I would say it's probably closer to 1%. 

Which is actually quite sad, as I truly loved reading Paper Girls. Paper Girls is a beautiful example of a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. 

I struggled with Y The Last Man. I wanted to like it, and it started out fairly strong, but everyone said it was fantastic, and I didn't feel the same.

Saga would be a great adaptation, though. If it stayed faithful...

[grendelbo]

I have a slabbed issue 1, the Compendium comprising issues 1-54 and issue 55.

I've been waiting a long time to be able to continue this story. Glad to pick this up over the weekend.

[Nschenks]

On 2/13/2023 at 11:02 AM, grendelbo said:

I have a slabbed issue 1, the Compendium comprising issues 1-54 and issue 55.

I've been waiting a long time to be able to continue this story. Glad to pick this up over the weekend.

Nice! I just sent my own #1 in to be slabbed and picked up Volume Ten last week as well (and issue 61 to stay current)! Rereading volumes 1-9 right now though as a "refresher" lol. Enjoy!

Edited February 14, 2023 by Nsschenks

[Point Five]

Is anyone still current with Saga? I trailed off after issue #63, and must admit I don't feel a burning desire to complete the arc.

In the larger sense I'd still like to see where the series goes though. I dunno... Maybe I'll switch to TPBs going forward.

 

[D2]

On 11/22/2023 at 9:42 PM, Point Five said:

Is anyone still current with Saga? I trailed off after issue #63, and must admit I don't feel a burning desire to complete the arc.

In the larger sense I'd still like to see where the series goes though. I dunno... Maybe I'll switch to TPBs going forward.

 

It got a lot better. I picked up the returning TPB, I think it’s 10? I also struggled in the first two issues, but by the end of the book I was enjoying the read. 

It hasn’t brought me the same joy and, simply, shock of how good it was, for the first 18 issues though. Saga will never be as it once was. Those first 18 issues were pure magic. 

60 to 65, were above average. What I come to expect from Saga. Better than most. Not better than it was. 

[Ryan.]

I read the first few issues after it returned from the break and found myself kind of slogging through to the end. I didn't bother to get the last couple issues. I've kind of generally lost interest in all fantasy and sci-fi stories lately so I assumed it was me. Loki season two, for example, is boring me to death. Now, based on yous guyses comments, perhaps Saga has just run its course. 

[aszumilo]

I think the long break kind of killed the momentum on this series.

[Point Five]

On 11/23/2023 at 1:11 PM, aszumilo said:

I think the long break kind of killed the momentum on this series.

There's that, and then there's what I think of as the Walking Dead problem... that a lot of favorite characters are now off the table, either because they died in Part 1 or because for whatever reason they're not currently part of the main narrative.

 

[WolverineX]

On 11/22/2023 at 9:42 PM, Point Five said:

Is anyone still current with Saga? I trailed off after issue #63, and must admit I don't feel a burning desire to complete the arc.

In the larger sense I'd still like to see where the series goes though. I dunno... Maybe I'll switch to TPBs going forward.

 

Fizzled out. this sure isn't Invincible.    Maybe I'm old but way too explicit sex for shock value as well.... Just got tired of it.

[sd2416]

Just buying it off of nostalgia and to keep the run going.  Havent read a floppy since it started back up after the long break.  

[Juno Beach]

Still my favourite ongoing comic and cannot wait for the next issue

[D2]

On 11/23/2023 at 2:41 PM, Point Five said:

There's that, and then there's what I think of as the Walking Dead problem... that a lot of favorite characters are now off the table, either because they died in Part 1 or because for whatever reason they're not currently part of the main narrative.

 

Favourite characters off the table. 
Yes. Excellent point. 

In truth, I got hooked into Saga because I loved Marko and Alana’a dynamic. They were real, and relatable.

I liked The Will at the beginning, a true anti-hero… and Izabel.

Saga was hitting on all cylinders. 

But they switched off of Marko and Alana’s relationship fairly quickly… and characters started dying off or changing as the story progressed… 

I will forever state how the first 18 issues of Saga were magical, lightning in a bottle. I can honestly say I haven’t read many runs like that which pulled me in so dramatically. Saga was my life.

Issue 19 was a pivotal change. It was just different, and it ended for me at issue 36.

Issue 37 onwards was, honestly, me reading and hoping for the glory days. They haven’t returned.

Edit: I also have to add this part, but will hide it for polite purposes.

Spoiler

I heavily disliked them killing off Izabel and hated killing off Marko. I understand that deaths help bring weight and gravity to our story but I didn’t feel that. Their deaths brought me anger and resentment because I don’t know what cause they died for. Hazel’s survival? Their deaths felt unnecessary, weak, and frustrating. They only pushed me away from the series. 

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by D2

[Cat]

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-boys-creator-eric-kripke-saga-adaptation-game-of-thrones-star-wars/

[LudaToke]

 Brian K. Vaughn has stated multiple times there is zero chance of this happening.  Especially now after what happened with Y: The Last Man and Paper Girls, I don't see it ever coming to the screen.

On 12/7/2023 at 7:48 AM, Cat said:

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-boys-creator-eric-kripke-saga-adaptation-game-of-thrones-star-wars/

 

[D2]

On 12/7/2023 at 10:18 PM, LudaToke said:

 Brian K. Vaughn has stated multiple times there is zero chance of this happening.  Especially now after what happened with Y: The Last Man and Paper Girls, I don't see it ever coming to the screen.

 

He hasn’t stated that recently though. 

I know you’d think that, with both failed properties that would be the final nail in the coffin, but I argue it’s the opposite. 

From all I’ve ever read, Brian K Vaughan has simply stated it’s not transferable, as in, the content would get watered down. A lot has happened in 6 years though, and now with streaming the powerhouse that it is, and adult content on the rise… 

…Don’t be so sure it won’t get adapted. I think Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples are just going to be more prudent about who they use to adapt it more now than ever. 

[LudaToke]

On 12/11/2023 at 5:23 PM, D2 said:

He hasn’t stated that recently though. 

I know you’d think that, with both failed properties that would be the final nail in the coffin, but I argue it’s the opposite. 

From all I’ve ever read, Brian K Vaughan has simply stated it’s not transferable, as in, the content would get watered down. A lot has happened in 6 years though, and now with streaming the powerhouse that it is, and adult content on the rise… 

…Don’t be so sure it won’t get adapted. I think Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples are just going to be more prudent about who they use to adapt it more now than ever. 

Streaming companies are hemorrhaging money now and dropping/cancelling projects to minimize their loses. Subscriptions are are on the decline along with the profitability of new shows. Saga would require a big budget to bring to the screen accurately. I don't see any streaming service approving a big budget for a show that wouldn't be known to people outside of comics.  I say all this being a Saga fan and wanting to see it come to the screen but I just don't think it will happen.   

Edited December 14, 2023 by LudaToke

[D2]

On 12/13/2023 at 9:50 PM, LudaToke said:

Streaming companies are hemorrhaging money now and dropping/cancelling projects to minimize their loses. Subscriptions are are on the decline along with the profitability of new shows. Saga would require a big budget to bring to the screen accurately. I don't see any streaming service approving a big budget for a show that wouldn't be known to people outside of comics.  I say all this being a Saga fan and wanting to see if come to the screen but I just don't think it will happen.   

You are right. I think your points are valid. 

I think if Paper Girls and Y The Last Man were smash hits, it would be a slam dunk, but… they both tanked after a season.

Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga would need a nut job of an executive producer to support a project of that magnitude while bleeding money. 

 

[Nschenks]

I believe BKV said something to the effect of he wouldn't consider selling the rights until after the story was finished. I could see this getting made one day, but probably not until after the run is over (still a long way to go, since I believe it's supposed to be around 120 issues). Maybe by then it'll be cheaper and more realistic to produce something like this, especially considering how far TV and movie production has come just in the last ten years.

[lightninglad]

I feel like it would benefit from an animated series first, similar to what Invincible has done.

Manga/Anime is all the rage with the current generation.  My kids have little interest in reading comics, but can’t get enough of black and white, right to left reading manga. Why? My observation is that EVERY mildly successful manga has an anime. The interest starts with the anime. And after years and years of slowly building that fan base, we’re on the cusp of a floodgate of English language live action adaptations.

So imagine if EVERY mildly successful Image title had an animated series. The production cost is cheaper and younger audiences are more inclined to watch than read. It would grow the fan base needed to support the cost on a live action. I really think that’s the main reason that American comics have lost so much ground to manga.

[D2]

Dear Saga,

It's been a wild ride. I just completed Volume 11 (Chapters 61 to 66) and I regret to say, I will be getting off at this stop.

I owe a lot to Saga. Saga, in fact, was the comic book series that brought me back into comics, after dropping the hobby when I was a teenager.
15 years later, I walked into a dingy comic book store at 9:30 at night on a random Tuesday to kill time until my pizza was ready. I bought an issue of Saga on the owner's recommendation.
11 years ago... 

I've said this many times, to friends, family, and even on this specific forum thread... Saga is awesome. I owe a lot to Saga. It reignited my drive to write. I'm not very good, but Brian K Vaughan's ability to create real, compelling characters with Fiona Staples' organic storytelling is a knockout combination that inspires me to keep pushing my creativity.

It also kept me reading comics. I still believe to this day that Saga issues (or rather, chapters) 1 to 18 is some of the best storytelling on paper. Period. If you gave anyone on the street the first 3 trades, you would have converted them into a comic reader, even if they don't appreciate comic books. It's that good.

Sadly, nothing this great lasts forever.

It wasn't a sharp drop off for me either. Saga didn't take a radical turn, jumping the shark or committing creative suicide.
I think, as is the point of "Saga", potentially, is that as readers connect emotionally to characters, and as those connections get severed through deaths or the changing of story tides, it emphasizes how critical it is to develop stronger bonds with the relationships that remain, or with new ones that are meant to be formed.

And this is my love letter to Saga.

Saga did something in a way that rarely ever happens for me, in any art form, cinema, literature, etc... Saga got me to feel, so much so that I wanted to live with these characters. I wanted to grow with them. I bonded with them. I bonded with Marko, Alana, Izabel, Hazel, Barr, The Will (at the beginning), and The Brand, to name a few.

Saga showed me how powerful those bonds can be and how much of a gift that is. In the flood of content that is shoved down our throats through television, movies, social media, video games... Saga stood out to me as a pure and beautiful experience.

As I attempt to write my own Saga, I am reminded how important it is to write characters that people feel, and want to stay feeling with. That is a gift.

I thank Saga for that.

I get off this ride because Saga is in a place now that isn't for me, and that's okay. I decided that I don't want to write about that side of the journey. I would like to instead, focus on the beauty that Saga was for me. 

I encourage anyone who has yet to read this epic tale to grab the first 18 issues and prove me wrong. I truly believe anyone who starts reading will stay glued to those pages, without regret. That is a journey I think I may revisit...