Thursday, November 15, 2018

Graphic Novel Reviews: Saga & Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Title: Saga, Vol. 1
Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples 
Publication Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Image Comics
Pages: 176
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When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults. 

Saga has been on my radar for years. Is there anyone who doesn't know about this book? I wasn't sure what to expect, but I came away feeling like this was a bit too weird for me.

This is the story of two soldiers in love who run from the war together to raise their newborn baby... and it's strange. They're being hunted by multiple people and one of them seems to be a computer screen on a person's body. I don't know guys, my imagination just isn't big enough.

The main characters themselves are very likable and sympathetic. I loved them together and the lengths they went to in order to stay together with their child. The plot was fine, but there was somehow a lot of it while nothing much really happened. The main characters ran, people ran after them. Rinse and repeat. I do have to say, I didn't really get the "sexy" part of the blurb in this volume, apart from a couple nude alien creatures.

My favorite thing about Saga besides the characters was the artwork, which was stunning! Overall, this was an okay read for me. There were parts that I found interesting and I can certainly see why so many people love it, I just don't think I'll be continuing it anytime soon.




Title: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol. 1
Author: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Artist: Robert Hack 
Publication Date: August 16, 2016
Publisher: Archie Comics
Pages: 160
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On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress Sabrina Spellman finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family's past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda. Archie Comics' latest horror sensation starts here! For TEEN+ readers. Compiles the first six issues of the ongoing comic book series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. 

I picked up Chilling Adventures of Sabrina after watching the first episode of the show and finding it really fascinating. It's easy to see the similarities between the two, but there are definitely quite a few noticeable differences. I won't go into them, but suffice it to say I found the first volume of the comic to be quite a bit more gruesome than the first episode of the Netflix show.

Sabrina is a teenage witch who has been raised by her aunts and must make the decision whether to become a full witch, which is quite the intense process. She also has a boyfriend who she loves, even if he loves her through questionable means. I didn't really get a great feel for Sabrina and her romantic relationship, but I definitely loved her internal struggles as she tried to make a decision.

As I said before, this comic is DARK. It's definitely not what I would have expected, having been a die hard fan of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in the 90s. Madame Satan was terrifying and I can't wait to see what happens with her storyline.

I really enjoyed Sabrina a lot! It wasn't the Sabrina I know and love, but I'm definitely open to loving this one too. My main issue right now is not knowing whether to finish the comic before jumping back into the show! I definitely recommend this if you're a fan of horror or witchy comics.