So, I just picked up and devoured the latest volume of Saga, the fantastic comic series from writer Brian K. Vaughan and illustrator Fiona Staples.

Described (loosely) as a cross between Star Wars and Game of Thrones, Saga follows the lives of Alana and Marko, star crossed lovers from two warring races in a galaxy far far away.

They just want to be left alone to raise their daughter - but since she’s the first child to be born to parents from both races, and considered an abomination, the authorities are determined to stop them by any means necessary.

Along with them for the ride are a host of fantastical (but always entirely credible) characters: bounty hunters, robots with TVs for heads, and Lying Cat, a huge feline that only speaks when it knows someone is lying.

The artwork by Staples is luxurious, visceral and beautiful. And Vaughan imbues all his characters with wit, reason and emotion, so that no matter how alien the setting, we still believe in them.

If you haven’t come across it before, you should absolutely check it out. First published at the beginning of 2012, it’s now well into its stride, and the latest volume (#6) collects together issues 31 to 36 of the comic.