Let’s get this out of the way—for me, Saga, taken as a whole, is the greatest graphic novel in comic history. Yes, that’s a bold statement. No, I don’t read nearly enough graphic novels to justify making such a bold statement. Yes, I know Saga comes out as individual comic books, but I’ve always read it in the collected volumes, so for me, and I suspect many readers, each volume is a graphic novel.

Nevertheless, I stand by what I said. This is science fiction/fantasy as expansive and creative as any being written, or drawn, today.

Brian K. Vaughan’s storytelling bravado, his expansive world building, his reckless willingness to say fuck it, let’s see what happens if we take the story here, and most of all his beautifully complex, deeply layered characters—all of it adds up to a piece of work unlike anything else I’ve ever read.

Fiona Staples artwork complements Vaughan’s words in miraculous ways. She’s able to express insanely complicated ideas in a detailed, painterly way without ever sacrificing the heart of the story. Every page is a marvel of design and execution working in perfect harmony.

Volume 10 encompasses chapters 55 through 60. Staples and Vaughn took a long-deserved three-year break after the shattering loss that capped chapter 54. I imagine they needed to recharge their batteries, and in truth, my own emotional battery was pretty depleted by what they did to me. That’s the thing. They’re not afraid to make you deeply invested in a character and then dispatch them with ruthless efficiency.

Volume 10 finds Alana, Hazel, and Robot three years on, still reeling from the loss, still processing the trauma. But they are nothing if not survivors, and they are involved in new, sometimes harrowing adventures, with a new cast of characters, plus there are old, formidable enemies that haven’t forgotten them. Alana may not always make the best decisions as a mom (something she herself questions here), but she is fiercely loyal to her children, and will do anything, literally anything, to protect them. Saga often revolves around the idea of found family, and that’s the case here.

Staples and Vaughn together are, for me, the most formidable duo working in comics today. If you haven’t dipped into the Saga saga, please give it a try. Start at the beginning, and prepare to get lost.