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Jen Keith recommends Saga #19
From the series that brought us Lying Cat comes the next installment of the abundantly award-winning Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and fionastaples. If you haven’t been following along, it is my duty to direct you back to issue #1; you can thank me later. For those of you keeping up with your required reading, then you already know Saga #19 will be a comic treat.
Saga is your standard boy and girl meet, fall in love, betray their own species during an inter-planetary war, and run off to have what might be the cutest child that side of the universe. Narrating this space romp through lushly designed alien worlds and cultures is said cutest child, Hazel, whose impish personality shines through the re-telling of her own childhood. In Saga #19, we find our besotted heroes/haggard parents in domestic bliss – if you can call juggling a rigid mother-in-law, a messy house pet, and a live-in ghostly baby-sitter the calming, everyday life of domesticity. Work may be tough, but your kid is cute, your spouse is gorgeous, and hopefully no assassins and/or robot princes will end up on your front lawn today.
The aptly named Saga enraptures its audience with Brian K. Vaughan’s perfect balance of poignant and comedic writing and Fiona Staples’ rich, expressive artwork. If you’re all caught up on Saga and aching for more from these two wildly talented creators, Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man and Staples’ work in The Mystery Society will hopefully hold you for now.
As in every issue, Saga and its captivating cast continues the journey across the galaxy and into our hearts.
For fans of: sci-fi, diverse characters, POC leads, female leads, romance, action
Jen Keith is a Digital Editor at comiXology, comic creator, music addict, and shamelessly unapologetic Green Arrow enthusiast.
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Madeleine Lloyd-Davies recommends The Movement #12
This was a bittersweet read–I’m sorry to see this exciting new series end, but thrilled (and unsurprised) to see that the book held onto its vision until the end.
gailsimone has consistently committed to writing authentic, diverse characters, and this team proved to be the perfect vehicle to explore dynamics of power and class in a society where cops (and even superheroes!) are less easily classified as “good guys.” By targeting police corruption, and showing more interest in preserving their community than working with authorities, members of The Movement model a kind of activism that I’d love to see more of in comics.
In a final exchange with the team leader, a well-meaning policeman explains to the Movement’s leader that she probably wouldn’t be able to hack it with a legit superhero group like the Justice League: “you’re never going to change enough to fit in with them.” “Oh, I know,” she says with a smile. “That was never the plan. But sooner or later, Captain…they’re going to have to change to fit in with us.” I believe this is Gail Simone’s message to the titans of the mainstream publishing industry: scrappy comic book series like The Movement are coming for them, and they’re not planning to compromise.
Luckily for us, even though this particular series is coming to an end, Gail Simone isn’t going anywhere. You can read new issues from Red Sonja and Batgirl every month, but if you’re a fan of The Movement, I must insist that you start with her game-changing arc on Birds of Prey.
[Pick up The Movement #12 here!]
For fans of: superheroes, female leads, team books, diverse characters
Madeleine Lloyd-Davies, comiXology’s Production Director, has wanted to work in the comics industry since she was seven years old, sitting cross-legged on the floor in CVS and reading Jughead comics.
A comiXologist Recommends:
Kara Szamborski recommends Rat Queens #6 by kurtiswiebe & johnnyrocwell
In just six issues, Rat Queens has become everything I never knew I needed from a story. With the first story arc wrapped, it’s time to assess the damage—their world is wider than we thought, and Dee is actually [spoiler removed so you’re not spoiled, duh]. But there’s no time for the Queens to indulge in their morning after hangover; there are mushroom people to defeat!
If there is a group of characters who embody the hashtag mantra “sorry not sorry,” it’s the Queens. They fight, they party, and they curse a mean streak, but they love each other and their friendship feels real and interesting. Often compared to Skullkickers for its RPG roots, I’ve found the Rat Queens to be more reminiscent of gailsimone’s current run on Red Sonja for their unapologetic, barbarian behavior, and of Lumberjanes for the engaging action and snappy dialogue.
The Rat Queens are that one night stand you still think about, that bar crawl you’ll never forget (or remember), that punch you wish you’d thrown, that time you threw up in your purse after running from the cops. You know these girls; they’re like your friends after someone’s given them swords and a free rein. Betty just wants to see you smile, you wish Dee would enjoy the dang party already, we’re all running from something like Violet, we’re all angry at something like Hannah. You’d hate them if they ran your town, but you’d never, ever be bored. What are you waiting for? Step up and join the Queens.
For fans of: comedy, team books, female leads, diverse characters
Kara Szamborski supervises the International Production team at comiXology. She unironically loves the song “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies.