Saga Vol 2 gives us issues 7 through 12 of the ongoing Saga... saga written by Brian K. Vaughan and drawn by Fiona Staples.

And this is very much an ongoing book so we come in mid-story and we go out mid-story. If you can, get Vol 1 first, but either way read Saga.

Beyond simply being one of the best comics published today, Saga is a Space Fantasy (think Star Wars) on a galactic scale. We have magic, we have technology, we have robot bounty hunters (who happen to be royalty). There's guys with wings. There's guys with horns. There's naked giants with warty scrotums (I am not kidding).

I should probably mention that this is a book for mature readers, not children. It doesn't shy away from life in all its vulgarity. There is nakedness and some of it is entirely gratuitous. There's also curse words and a few scenes of explicit gay porn. I'm sure someone's been upset by it.

On the more serious side there's also war by galactic proxy and a very genuine and moving love story at the heart of the book. Marko and Alana are your classic Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story lovers from the wrong side. Only so far without the suicides. And they have a young baby, Hazel.

Of course both sides of this ugly war can't be having that. It ruins all their propaganda and might actually end the war. So they've sent bounty hunters to kill all involved.

In these issues, Marko's ex is chasing the lovers down and she has a bit of a grudge. Meanwhile his parents have already found them and now there's an awkward encounter. Oh and a planet turns out to be a giant egg.

It's hard to really describe all that's going on because it's so huge and out there. And yet at the same time Vaughan keeps things grounded because Marko and Alana's relationship with each other and their baby is entirely credible. And the secondary characters have a solid feel to them to. They each have their own angles and issues that they're working through.

Fiona Staple's art is just beautiful too (well not the warty scrotum) and each of the races she's called on to portray looks unique. Indeed the individuals of that race look unique. That's not easy to pull off.

It's gorgeous. It's clever. You should read it.