★★★★☆ The War for Phang

Saga, Volume 7

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples (Illustrator)

We begin Saga, Volume 7 with Marko, Alana, and Hazel all together again. They're in their rocket tree, trying to head back to Quietus, where they left Prince Robot IV's child, Squire. Prince Robot IV is with them, and he's at least as creepy as usual. Hazel's ghostly babysitter Izabel is with them, too, at least at night. Also with them is Petrichor from the detention colony. Hazel's grandmother Klara, alas, was left behind.

The rocket tree springs a fuel leak. To find fuel, they land on Phang, which has large reserves of the stuff of which rocket fuel is made. We have heard of Phang before. It is where Sophie came from. Sophie, if you've forgotten, is the slave girl who was sort-of adopted by The Will and Gwendolyn.

So, Marko, Alana, Hazel, Izabel, Petrichor, and Prince Robot IV land on Phang, intending only a quick pit stop. Things get complicated, of course.

We also catch up with Gwendolyn, Sophie, and The Will, who are far from the action on Phang. That also gets a little complicated.

I liked this one a lot. Compared to previous volumes of Saga, this one is relatively straightforward and easy to follow, with only two main plot lines. I'm not gonna claim I understand everything that's going on, but I think I got most of it, and that was a pleasant change.

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