I am a big fan of Brian K. Vaughan, and was interested to see him try something new; sadly, it seems, the 'something new' involved abandoning his previous habit of methodical, precise plots and solid characters. That isn't to say that Saga is irrevocably a failure; only, the first book was, pacing-wise, a huge mess. Characters appear in and out of focus with little information, too many flashbacks, and narration that did more to obscure, confuse, and over-stimulate than it did to elucidate.

The worst failure, I think, is the addition of the narrator. Without spoiling anything, I'll say that their inclusion makes the story confusing and disjointed, adding a new perspective to a story already overladen with perspectives, and it compounds that sin by making their perspective tantamount to the survival of certain characters who are often in peril. Which is to say, basically, it takes all the suspense out of scenes which would, otherwise, be suspenseful. The narration doesn't explain things we need to know, either; it disappears in truly confusing scenes where narration would be welcome. It only adds a saccharine and unnecessary comment in twee font; it adds nothing thematically or narratively, and it stalls and slows scenes that could otherwise be gripping and fast-paced.

By the final quarter of the book, things calm down, perhaps due to BKV running out of characters to randomly introduce with no warning or foreshadowing. The story's disparate elements finally come into their own, and that's the story I'll pick up the next volume for.

As for this volume, I only wish BKV had a better editor or collaborator, someone to take him aside and tell him to pace himself. There are so many elements in this story. I don't know why, if you're so interested in splashy shocking cliffhangers (as Saga clearly is), you'd introduce all your elements and players at once, with no tension or surprise.