There are many, many ways that authors and creators portray the issues and problems of our world through their work. Comic books are a very common and effective way of doing so. Through pictures and storylines the creator is able to cast a world in their image that is very reflective of how they see the real world. This is no different for the SAGA comics, in which a whole galaxy is torn apart by endless war, killing, and horrible relations between the different creatures that inhabit it. It seems as though every time a person turns on the news there is a new international conflict, a brutal crime has taken place, or race relations are taking another hit. In so many ways the Galaxy that is depicted in the comic is similar to our own world. In our world it sometimes seems like war will never stop and relations between different kinds of people will never improve. That is the real underlying theme or message that the comic is attempting to convey to the reader. The SAGA comic, through its use of imagery, dark coloring, and the storyline of war and terror throughout its world is in many ways is representative of the world we all live in today, especially the aspect of war and conflicts of race, however the couple in focus prove that no matter how great these problems are, they can be defeated by looking for the similarities in each other, rather than continuously fighting over the differences. This is extremely significant because if we as humans want to fight these problems, we must first learn how to do so and this comic gives us a perfect example. 

The SAGA story starts off with the introduction of a young couple who have just given birth to their first child. What should strike the reader about the comic at first are a few things. First is that the coloring is in a lot of ways very dark and dull, which is because the environment that the story takes place in is a very dark and sad place. But what also is very interesting is the fact that the man and woman are of two different species, as the man has horns and the woman has wings. This presents a very interesting dynamic right off the bat and suggests that maybe these two were not supposed to be together in their world. This fact is very real in our world as well; there are still plenty of people who hold prejudiced views and expect others to share those views as well. But what is also clear is that they have an unconditional love for their child and appreciate the fact that it has wings and horns. It is very clear that they are quite different from another in cultural ways as well as they argue over religious rituals for the baby. So what the reader is experiencing at this point is two very different creatures of two different races and religions that have an unyielding love for one another and their child. The fact that these two people of different species can hold such a strong bond is significant in our world as it does not matter how different people may seem, they can still share a love as strong as Alana and Marko. This is one dynamic of the comic that is very reflective of our world, in the fact that two different kinds of people can hold fundamental differences and be different in almost every way but can still hold a strong relationship when putting those differences aside, and the dark coloring and images of the two people go a long way in explaining that dynamic.

 What is also evident in the first few moments of the comic is that this family is on the run, which is clear based on the fact that they are giving birth in an abandoned building; not an ideal place to officially start a family. But why, and from who? Well it is evident that they have broken some kind of law and that Marko is rebelling by not being a soldier anymore. But a soldier for what army, and why are they fighting? This is never completely explained, and I think there is a reason for that. The creator is trying to portray war in a very dark way, and that there is never a truly good reason for war. It is so clear that these creatures are supposed to hate each other and be at war with one another that when they are supposed to be taken into custody by their respective people instead choose to battle each other and forget what they were even doing there in the first place. This is another way that the comic world is the same as our own. We as people are so consumed with hate for one another we forget what we were fighting for in the first place. Take for example, the Israeli and Palestinian conflict which has plagued the world of deadly war for literally hundreds of years. The pictures of explosions and gunfire in the comic at this point are relevant to the story to portray the degree of violence in the world that the story takes place, and the violence that takes place in the comic is very similar to the violence in reality. The clear need for violence in this society is depicted through the images of violence and the dialogue between the characters and it makes me think very deeply of how this world is similar to the one we live in.

    The fact that the true leaders of these peoples are not the ones that are fighting and battling is reflective of what goes on in our society. At the midway point of the comic the reader is introduced to what seems to be a planet leader, the woman with the single horn. The way she is depicted or drawn is very telling of the status that she has. She is dressed in all white, seems very majestic in ways, and really lights up the page when she is there. This is significant because it is clear that she is maybe a glorious character that is supposed to represent and be trusted by her people. It is also representative of the way average people see their leaders, as pure and righteous people who always try to do what’s best for the world, but too often this is just untrue. She is a leader of her planet but yet does not endure any of the pain or suffering that the people of her planet have to. This is very similar to what happens when countries go to war in our world. The real suffering is those of civilians and soldiers, not the people sitting behind a desk who declare 

war in the first place. The exact same people that are supposed to be trusted and are supposed to represent the best in the people they are in control of. This single character, and the way she is shown and the power that she has is in my opinion one of the most significant and telling aspects of this comic as it relates to real world issues. 

    The last aspect of this story that in my opinion is very significant in portraying the problems of our world is the fact the two main characters, Alana and Marko must make a choice between the love of each other and family, and fight with their people. They ultimately choose each other but pay the ultimate price in doing so. Their love is forbidden by their people for no reason other than the fact that they are different from one another. This is a fact that is often too present in our world as well. The way they are illustrated highlights these differences. They are on the run throughout the story but never seem to waver in their love. The images get darker in color as they are on the run and that maybe suggests the misery that they may face in the future. That is also evident in the sub plot of the story that is Hazel, the daughter telling her story. She says “...but thanks to these two, at least I get to grow old, not everybody does.”(SAGA), this highlights the sacrifices and trials they had to endure in order to ensure a safer life for their child. In my opinion this is suggesting of how to handle hate and violence in reality. To love every person as if they are your own family, and in doing so making the world a better and safer place.

To combat the horrible consequences of hatred for people simply because they are different from you, it only takes one person to set an example. This is perfectly shown in the comic, as Alana and Marko present a glimmer of hope in this dark universe. Their love is inspiring, and the reader gets the sense that their relationship and their child can present their world with a light that has never been exposed. This kind of hope is similar to what we have seen from brave and inspiring individuals throughout our history. People like Martin Luther King Jr., and Gandhi have improved the relationships between different groups of people through love and compassion. They are the perfect example that all it takes is one person, one relationship to inspire hope to others. They have striking similarities to Alana and Marko in the fact that they were born in a society that is wrecked by relations of people of different relations yet improved those societies by loving and having compassion for all people. Alana and Marko are really no different, they love each other and although they have their problems, that love is strong enough to defeat anything thrown their way. This is truly the only way that problems as big as these can be defeated, by sharing common bonds with each other and truly having compassion for one another even with the differences between groups. The example that Alana and Marko set seems to be one that will change their universe, just as the examples that MLK and Gandhi set changed ours.    

 This is a story of war, of love and of hate. The darkness of the colors and the detailed and seemingly insignificant imagery used go a great way in portraying these underlying themes. It is in my opinion that this comic offers some solutions to very real and relevant problems that plague our global community. Race relations, war, and violence are all very prevalent in the world we live in and these dark subjects are portrayed that way in the comic. But what is also true in the comic and in reality is that love can triumph these dark times, and hate filled people just as the love these two have in the story ensures a brighter future for their daughter. It is in my opinion that through dark and detailed imagery, and a violent story line that this comic is supposed to represent the problems all to present in our world, but these problems can be defeated if we look for the similarities of compassion and love in each other, rather than senselessly fighting over the differences.
