Saga itself is great, of course, but this doesn't feel like one of its greater installments, though it has a lot of nice moments. The world of Saga is pretty complicated at this point—which is one of its strengths—but that means it does not benefit from the fact that my reading has been stretched out across over seven years! Who are all these side characters? I look forward to my inevitable reread when it's completed, but for now I mostly grok the story of Alana and Hazel, which I enjoy but is continually being interrupted.

At this stage I think I'm almost reading this to see what fresh hell can be enacted on the characters by the author. In the last one they lost their home and now they have to try to get off the planet they're on, stay alive and at least do something to progress their lives. Meanwhile The Will is engaging in some politics to get his revenge and meanwhile there is someone trying to obliterate all memory of one of the lost.

Gritty SF with a lot of nudity. ( )

Once the highest-priority of reads, this series may no longer be at the top of its game, but it remains a solid and dependable performer. The characters all say and do interesting things in the moment, even if I have lost the thread of where it is all leading. ( )

Fiona Staples & Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga Volume Eleven collects issues 61-66 of Saga illustrated by Staples and written by Vaughan. This volume picks up following the Will’s return to the Robot Kingdom. Meanwhile Alana, Hazel, and Squire are living on the run as Alana works at an Amazon-like warehouse. Hazel uses a glamour to hide her true nature and looks after her step-brother, Squire. Alana is trying to find a way off world as Landfall and Wreath’s war has reached their temporary haven. Petrichor continues to plan revenge on the Will for killing Prince Robot IV. And Agent Gale searches for Upsher as a way to find Alana.

The volume has some fun character moments, particularly with Hazel and Squire. Petichor gets a moment of reconciliation with her family while gathering supplies for her revenge quest. Otherwise, the story mostly feels like a transitional volume moving the characters to their next big event. Despite that, followers of Saga will enjoy the character moments, especially after such heavy emotion in the previous volume. This volume also includes some of Staples’ earliest character sketches as a bonus page. ( )

now we're talking! this series has been tied (with Marjorie Liu's very different Monstress) for best graphic novel series in my estimation for a long time now. however, i was disappointed in the first volume of the recent revival, which seemed a bit tepid and nearly fell off my must-have list. but hey, this one brings back so many of its original characters, plays with them in new and ingenious ways, and generally entranced me anew. now i can hardly wait for more. ( )