It would not have surprised me if the Comic Book Police had shown up at my house anytime over the last few years to officially revoke my fan-boy status. Though I faithfully buy each monthly issue of Fables and snag copies of new Hellboy comics when they are released, the actual act of reading comic books is something I have not accomplished for some time.

I have been vaguely aware of the Saga series since its release, but was reminded of its existence once again when the Hugo finalists were released last week and Saga: Volume 2 was nominated for Best Graphic Story, the award the first volume won last year, and artist Fiona Staples made the ballot for Best Professional Artist. With that in the back of my mind I found myself staring at Volume 1 in my local comic shop last Wednesday night. Staring…then buying…then going home…

…and reading Volume 1 cover to cover.

This was followed by regret for not buying volumes 2 and 3 while at the shop (which by that time was closed), and a Thursday return trip to do just that. I tried to savor the next two volumes, stretching them out through Friday before finishing.

I am now caught up with the series, which returns with issue 19 at the end of May. Despite some artistic choices on the part of the creators that seem unnecessary to me, I freely admit to being hooked on this series.

Now comes the agony of the wait for more chapters.

It would be a gross oversimplification of the story to describe Saga as a series about star-crossed lovers ala Romeo and Juliet, but does provide a good foundation upon which to build. Alana and Marko are lovers who have recently married and are about to have a child.

The story itself is narrated by their child, Hazel, who is quick to point out to readers that she is not some child of prophecy, but is instead just another kid born in a mess of a world.

Alana and Marko are each members of opposite races who have long been at war with one another. So long, in fact, that in order to survive they have moved the war away from their own homes and instead fight on other planets throughout the galaxy. This makes them wildly popular with all the other races they encounter.

Unlike in Romeo and Juliet, it is more than a few warring family members who aim to keep the couple apart. Alana and Marko represent something dangerous to both sides in this conflict, so much so that there are several parties who want them dead and will chase them across the galaxy to make sure that happens before word of their traitorous union infects the general populace.

The choice of Hazel as narrator is an interesting one as it gives the reader some perspective of future events while at the same time the direction that the story takes remains a mystery. Brian K. Vaughan earns the description of “Star Wars meets Game of Thrones” in that readers would do well to not get overly attached to the players on this grand stage. It is fun to guess at the various influences that Vaughan tapped into when creating this world and these characters.

There is a lot to be impressed with when it comes to Saga, and it is not surprising that the first volume won a Hugo Award last year. Saga expertly blends both science fiction and fantasy elements in a way that doesn’t seemed forced. While the setting is quite clearly inspired by science fictional tropes, there are magic users on one side of the conflict as well, bringing in those fantasy dimensions.

One of the things that hooked me right away is the fact that Saga is at once incredibly bizarre while at the same time being so comfortably familiar. The familiarity is locked in with the main characters, their struggles, and their passion for one another. The bizarre…well, the bizarre is present on nearly every page of the story. From computer-monitor-headed humanoid robots to armless assassins to talking animals, there is so much strangeness present that you have to see it to fully comprehend the delightful wackiness of it all.

The strength of comic books as a storytelling medium is that the pictures that accompany the prose have the potential of conveying huge chunks of story. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Stapes take advantage of these opportunities with gleeful abandon. Theirs is a universe populated by a truly diverse mix of creatures and you are truly given the opportunity to be surprised by something visually unexpected every time you turn the page. Instead of being random, this very alien-ness adds to the story while also grounding it in the world that these two have built. I can only imagine that artist Fiona Staples had to be shaking her head in disbelief at times when she got scripts for what to draw next. These two must have a great deal of fun coming up with the panels for each comic.

I would be remiss in not pointing out that Saga is an adult comic, easily earning its Mature rating in every issue, which makes it hard to unequivocally recommend. There are storytelling choices, most often with the art, that seem wholly unnecessary to me. Most of these are of a sexual nature and they remind me of the things I am less than fond of in the Sandman series and some of Neil Gaiman’s fiction, for example. I sometimes wonder if these things are included in an effort to give “comic books” some legitimacy as adult literature. If so, I don’t find it necessary. I am certainly open to the idea that some of the visuals that do not seem to propel the story forward may actually do so at some point. I’ll reserve complete judgment until then. But understand that I recommend this story, which is a super-compelling story full of so much fun stuff, with some reservations.

Saga is peopled with interesting characters that you will engage with instantly, has complex, multi-dimensional villains, riffs off of all those things that make space opera a beloved style of science fictional storytelling, and is filled with some great jabs at current culture and some good-natured ribbing of writers.

Fiona Staples’ art is terrific. I love the way that she renders Alana, Marko and Hazel. I adore that little family. And Brian K. Vaughan is a writer I have enjoyed previously who is bringing his best work to bear here. All the other Best Graphic Story finalists have an uphill battle at this point for my Hugo vote.