Saga #47 review: Lanthe begins the torment of the Will
By Alex Widen
Former bounty hunter The Will is now at the mercy of a mysterious stranger in Saga #47. What ties does she have to his past?
Saga #47
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
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While Alana has surgery in the subtly named Abortion Town, what are the rest of the cast up to? The wayward space family gathered around Hazel may have stayed together, yet their are others in their lives far away. Chief among them is the “Freelancer” formerly known as the Will. Hired to kill Marko, Alana, and Hazel by the elites of Wreath, his attempts have only led to misery. His sister the Brand and lover the Stalk are both dead, and he’s drowning in both grief and drug addiction.
Image by Image Comics
Otherwise known as Billy, the Will is suddenly reliving moments from his youth. As a child, Billy was a fan of the spandex opera known as “the Circuit.” Yet his life with his sister Sophie was far from ideal. His father was apparently abusive, and prone to assaulting them with sticks. Yet his uncle was a Freelancer, who was ultimately hired to bring them back to their mother. One errant slap from the Will’s dad turns what had been a messy custody bout into an ax cleaving death.
Image by Image Comics
These Scenes Are Especially Relevant!
It seems like this isn’t the result of yet another drug-induced hallucination. The Will is the very real captive of a masked woman named Ianthe. She’s out for revenge, and is literally using a “magic VCR” to plug into the mind of the Will. Her aim is to find out who all of his loved ones are, so she can kill them off. Unfortunately, she quickly learns that the Will has already led such a dangerous life that nearly everyone he knows is already dead. Yet he has to relive a memory with the Stalk.
Image by Image Comics
Ianthe plays back a memory of the Will and the Stalk on a past Freelancer gig involving Roswell-esque aliens. Amid the slaughter and carnage, it was here that the Stalk made her attraction to the Will known beyond professionalism. It’s also here when the Will decided to get himself an animal companion, who are called “sidekicks” in Freelancer jargon. The Will’s desire to know whether or not people were telling him the truth led to him recruiting the infamous Lying Cat.
Image by Image Comics
Rather than be pleased with her revenge so far, Ianthe is frustrated at her poor luck. Ianthe even reveals the cause of her vengeance — Billy killed her fiance back in issue nine — yet it barely even registers for him. Yet when Ianthe finally gets to a memory with Marko’s ex Gwendolyn, she finally hits pay dirt. Out of all of the memories so far, she’s found someone that the Will cares for who isn’t dead yet. However, it’s the fact that Gwendolyn has about the wayward family which count.
Image by Image Comics
Seems Like This Plot Reaches Deep into the Past!
Ianthe is a diplomat, which means she has immunity for any crime she commits. Much as the Will makes a living trading violence, Ianthe does it with information. The rumor throughout the universe is that Wreath and Landfall are in cahoots with each other. The incident at Phang proves that’s at least occasionally true. Yet proof of a “half breed” such as Hazel will be invaluable to Ianthe. Can the Will escape torment of his own making, or could this shatter the universe?
Image by Image Comics
Brian K. Vaughan dips deep into the well for this one, referencing things from years prior. It further showcases how nothing in this series is wasted. Even the hapless minions who bite the dust have loved ones. One of the themes of the series is that wars have consequences among the living. The fiance that Ianthe speaks of was part of a band of henchmen from the planet Sextillion, which was involved in all things sexual. The Will liberated a slave girl from there on a whim, and slew them.
Image by Image Comics
For the most part, this is a bit of an aside to the general story, and setting up the next arc. The Will has operated on the outskirts of the cast for a while, as his life has spiraled downward. Despite being a ruthless bounty hunter, or “Freelancer,” he gained a troupe of allies. They did their best to save him when an injury rendered him comatose, a mission which ended his sister’s life. In the year’s since, Billy’s allowed himself to gain weight and be further weighed down by his traumas.
Image by Image Comics
Yet Another Triumph for Fiona Staples!
We consequently see more of Billy’s family, in particular his uncle. The Freelancer order of bounty hunters have sets of rules and gimmicks, and it is fun delving into them. Vaughan only reveals them bit by bit. The first angle is that all Freelancers give themselves a codename that begins with the word “the.” Secondly, they tend to be outfitted with one trademark weapon. Sidekicks are explained here, and Billy’s love for the “the Circuit” explains the superhero cape he wears often.
Image by Image Comics
Fiona Staples once again draws and colors a masterpiece here. The gimmick of the “magic VCR” is hilarious, right down to plugging into Billy’s skull. The reveal of Ianthe’s face could have been better, yet because her fiance’s design was revealed in issue nine, Staples was sort of stuck there. Ianthe’s costume is far more interesting, complete with a totally unique prism mask. While she makes threats of torture and murder, Ianthe goes about it in a gleeful, almost humorous way.
Image by Image Comics
No Issue Is below Average, Rather Some Have Different Purposes!
From the brutal battles to the harrowing childhood scenes, Staples brings it all together in a way which elevates an already fantastic script. Ianthe’s jellyfish spaceship is easily the visual highlight of the issue. It’s great to see the Stalk again, although at this point we see more of her in flashback than he did in “present action,” since she died so quickly in the series. Saga seriously has about as high a body count as Game of Thrones by this stage, with no sign of letting up. Only Hazel is safe.
Image by Image Comics
Next: See the birth of a bad romance in #46!
Hence, this is an “issue in progress” installment. It will have more meaning as the arc progresses and as Ianthe’s actions create aftereffects for others. Yet for the moment it stands as a side-trip through Billy’s memories. It showcases how long reaching Saga goes and that no character is ever forgotten. To a degree, I wonder if Ianthe seems a bit too transparent as an arc villain, much like the March did. Regardless, this is a simple yet effective done in one installment.