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''Saga'' is an epic space opera/fantasy comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, published monthly by American company Image Comics. The series is heavily influenced by ''Star Wars'' and is based on ideas Vaughan conceived both as a child and as a parent. It depicts a husband and wife from long-warring extraterrestrial races, Alana and Marko, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their daughter, Hazel, who is born in the beginning of the series, who occasionally narrates the series as an unseen adult. The comic was described in solicitations as "''Star Wars'' meets ''Game of Thrones''," and by critics as evocative of both science fiction and fantasy epics such as ''The Lord of the Rings'' and classic works like ''Romeo & Juliet''.〔Zalben, Alex (March 5, 2012). ("The 'Saga' Of Brian K. Vaughan: How He Went From Runaway Kids To Epic Fantasy" ). MTV Geek.〕〔("AICN COMICS REVIEWS: Brian K. Vaughan’s SAGA! FAIREST! UNCANNY X-MEN! AKA! & MORE!!!" ). Ain't it Cool News. March 14, 2012.〕〔Richards, Ron (January 30, 2012). ("ADVANCE REVIEW: SAGA #1 (Spoiler Free)" ). iFanboy.〕 It is Vaughan's first creator-owned work to be published through Image Comics, and represents the first time he employs narration in his comics writing. The first issue of ''Saga'' was published on March 14, 2012, to positive reviews and a sold-out first printing. It was published in trade paperback form in October 2012. The series won a number of Eisner Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and the first trade paperback collection won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story. ==Publication history== Writer Brian K. Vaughan conceived ''Saga'' in his childhood,〔Kit, Borys (March 14, 2012). ("'Lost' Writer Brian K. Vaughan Debuts New Comic With Damon Lindelof and Friends" ). ''The Hollywood Reporter''.〕〔Uzumeri, David (March 14, 2012). ("'Saga': Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Bring a Stellar Sci-Fi Comic Into the World" ). ComicsAlliance.〕 calling it "a fictional universe that I created when I was bored in math class. I just kept building it."〔Wolk, Douglas (August 5, 2013). "Masters of the Universe. The space story ''Saga'' is the comic world's big hit". ''Time''. p. 54.〕 He was inspired by such influences as ''Star Wars'',〔 ''Flash Gordon'' and children's books, and has also invoked the awe and wonder of first seeing the Silver Surfer, which seemed an "incredible and different" concept to him.〔Lewis, Shane (February 26, 2012). ("IMAGE EXPO: Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' "Saga" Panel" ). Comic Book Resources.〕 It was not until his wife became pregnant with his second daughter, however, that he conceived of the protagonists, the winged Alana and the horned Marko, two lovers from warring extraterrestrial races who struggle to survive with their newborn daughter, Hazel, who occasionally narrates the series. It was also at this point that the central theme that Vaughan wanted for the book emerged. Vaughan explains, "I wanted to write about parenthood, but I wanted to Trojan-horse it inside some sort of interesting genre story, to explore the overlap between artistic creation and the creation of a child."〔 Vaughan, who intended to return to writing a comics series following the 2010 conclusion of his previous series, ''Ex Machina'', and who notes that the publication of ''Saga'' #1 coincided with the birth of his daughter,〔 saw parallels between the caution advised by colleagues against launching a new book in the poor economy, and those who cautioned against bringing a new child into the world, observing:〔 Vaughan explained that the main characters' romance would be a major theme of the book.〔 Touching upon the juxtaposition of the book's mature subject matter with its ''Star Wars'' inspirations, Vaughan jokingly described the book as "''Star Wars'' for perverts."〔 The book was announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International,〔 and was billed as "''Star Wars'' meets ''A Game of Thrones''" in solicitations.〔Hayes, P.S. (March 13, 2012). ("Comic Review: Saga #1" ). Geeks of Doom.〕 ''Saga'' represents the first time Vaughan has employed narration in his comics writing, a decision influenced by the whimsical interaction between the text and images in the children's books he reads with his children, and by his desire to try something new that he felt would work well with ''Saga's'' narrator, Hazel.〔 It is also his first series to be published through Image Comics,〔Renaud, Jeffrey (July 23, 2011). ("CCI EXCLUSIVE: BKV Builds 'Saga' at Image" ). Comic Book Resources.〕 whom he selected as the series' publisher on the recommendation of writer Jay Faerber, who cited the creative freedom afforded by that publisher.〔 Vaughan elaborated on his selection of Image thus: Although Vaughan has written for television, and has endeavored to have his previous works adapted into film,〔Rogers, Adam (April 24, 2007). ("The 2007 Rave Awards: Print: The Storyteller" ). ''Wired''〕 he stresses that he developed ''Saga'' strictly to be a comic book, and not to be adapted to other media, explaining, "I wanted to do something that was way too expensive to be TV and too dirty and grown-up to be a four-quadrant blockbuster."〔 Vaughan has also indicated that he has an ending in mind for the series,〔 and that he plans five issues ahead,〔 having written the first six issues as the first story arc, which would have ended with the two main characters dying on the rocketship launch pad in issue 5 if the series had not been successful.〔 The series is illustrated by Fiona Staples,〔Armitage, Hugh (March 13, 2012). ("Brian K Vaughan's 'Saga' launches" ). Digital Spy.〕 who was introduced to Vaughan by their mutual friend, writer Steve Niles, with whom Staples worked on ''Mystery Society''.〔 Vaughan, who did not meet Staples in person until just before their panel at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, explained his selection of Staples by describing his reaction upon first seeing her work, saying, "Her artwork is incredible. () doesn't look like anyone else. She is very unique. When I opened up this file I was like, 'This is going to work! Staples is co-owner of ''Saga'',〔 and was given first billing on the cover of issue 31.〔Howard, Ben (December 1, 2015). ("The epic return of ‘Saga’ #31" ). PopOptiq.〕 In addition to designing all the characters,〔 vehicles and alien races in the story, she provides painted covers, and hand-letters Hazel's narration, using her own handwriting, which is the last thing she does after finishing the artwork on a page.〔〔〔Kepler, Adam W. (October 26, 2012). ("Graphic Books Best Sellers: Fiona Staples Talks About 'Saga'" ). ''The New York Times''.〕 Staples renders the characters in a pen-and-ink style line, while using all-color settings inspired by video games and Japanese animation.〔 At the 2012 Image Expo, Staples described her the process by which she produces the art as harkening back to animation cels, in which emphasis is placed on figures and backgrounds.〔Allen, Todd (March 12, 2012). ("Advance Review: "Saga" By Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples" ). The Beat.〕 Vaughan has stated that Staple's style has influenced the direction of the story.〔 The organic forms of most of the series' technology, for example, such as the main characters' wooden rocket ship, is derived from Staples' dislike of drawing mechanical objects.〔 To design the series' various planetary settings, Staples looks to the real world for inspiration and then exaggerates some elements of them. Some rooms on the planet Cleave, for example, were inspired by Cambodian architecture.〔 The book is priced at $2.99, and will remain at that price for the duration of its run, which Vaughan arranged as part of his contract with Image, along with the stipulation that it never be less than 22 pages long.〔〔 The first issue features 44 pages of story and no advertisements,〔〔 in both its print and digital versions.〔 At the end of each issue is an old-fashioned letters column called "To Be Continued", which prints readers letters submitted entirely through postal mail, as it does not provide an email address for this purpose. Vaughan usually handles the column himself, including responding to letters.〔Gilly, Casey (November 20, 2014). ("Brian K. Vaughan On the Expanding Universe of 'Saga'" ). Comic Book Resources.〕 The book's release was celebrated with a launch party at Los Angeles' Meltdown Comics, which featured a public conversation with Vaughan's former colleague, ''Lost'' co-creator Damon Lindelof,〔 who had hired Vaughan as a writer/producer on that series in 2007.〔Dawidziak, Mark (January 19, 2009). ("'Lost' writer Brian K. Vaughan is a Cleveland native" ). Cleveland.com.〕 Vaughan also promoted the book by appearing at signings at Midtown Comics in Manhattan〔("Brian K. Vaughan signs "Saga" #1 @ Midtown Comics Downtown" ). Comic Book Resources. March 15, 2012〕 and Bergen Street Comics in Brooklyn during the week of the first issue's release.〔Solan, Colin (March 14, 2012). ("NYC – Saga Signing" ). Convention Scene.〕 After the publication of issue 6 in August 2012, Vaughan announced that the series would take a two-month hiatus, after which the first six-issue story arc was published in trade paperback form in October for $9.99, before the series' return in November,〔 a practice that Vaughan and Staples would continue after each successive story arc and trade paperback publication.〔MacDonald, Heidi (August 14, 2012). ("INTERVIEW: Brian K. Vaughan on the first SAGA collection" ). Comics Beat.〕 That same month, Vaughan and Staples promoted the series by appearing together at the 2012 New York Comic Con, their first appearance together since the series' debut.〔〔("Comic Guests" ). New York Comic Con. Retrieved August 17, 2012.〕 Some retailers refused to display the trade paperback, because its cover (a reuse of the first issue's cover) depicts Alana breastfeeding Hazel.〔 In December 2014, Image published ''Saga Deluxe Edition'' Volume 1, a hardcover volume collecting the first 18 issues of the series, which comprise its first three story arcs. Because Vaughn sees ''Saga'' as a story about Hazel, he and Staples decided to have each new hardcover volume feature an original image of that character at a different stage of her life. Because the first volume covers her birth and infancy, its cover features a closeup of Hazel nursing from her mother's breast, set against the backdrop of Landfall and Wreath, which recalls the first issue's cover. Eric Stephenson warned Vaughn and Staples that some retailers and distributors would object to this cover image, thus limiting the series' audience, but after seeing Staples' rendition of the image, Stephenson decided that sales would not be a problem.〔〔McCabe, Joseph (January 1, 2015). ("The Top 5 Comic Reprint Collections of 2014" ). The Nerdist.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Saga (comic book)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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