CBCC 81: Marko & Alana - Saga Volume 9

Goodbye, Marko & Alana. We're not ready. No other comic book couple has occupied as much space on our podcast as these two. Therefore, it's not terribly surprising that our final conversation discussing their epic romance is our BIGGEST EPISODE EVER!

You probably remember where you were when you first read Saga #54. And you probably remember exactly how its last few pages made you feel. Saga Volume 9 is a tough storyline to process, and we've had years to do it. We trudge through the comic, practically page-by-page, emotion-by-emotion. The conversation was...a lot, but also incredibly cathartic.

Thankfully, helping us grapple with sorrow is author Helen Russell and her book, "How to Be Sad: The Key to a Happier Life: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier, by Being Sad, Better." We can't fight sadness, and it's not good or bad. It's merely essential to our human experience. Embrace it.

Issues Covered in this Episode: Saga # 49 - 54, collected in trade paperback Volume 9. They were written by Brian K. Vaughan, fully illustrated by Fiona Staples, and lettered by Fonografiks. Image Comics originally published the issues between February 2018 and July 2018.

If you require catchup on our Saga series, please listen to our previous episodes discussing Marko & Alana: 

• Saga Volume 1
• Saga Volume 2
• Saga Volume 3
• Saga Volume 4
• Saga Volume 5
• Saga Volumes 6 & 7
• Saga Volume 8

Other relevant links discussed this week:

• The Saga #54 Reaction Twitter Thread
• "Why Saga #54 Hurts So Bad" by Zack Quaintance
• Grieving with Martian Manhunter
• Lisa on Capes on the Couch

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

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Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.