The defining key of Saga is the #1 first print (March 2012, Image Comics): the initial print run was just 37,641 copies according to Comichron, it sold out quickly and ran to five printings. The Diamond Retailer Summit variant, limited to approximately 500 copies, peaked at around $4,000–$5,000 in CGC 9.8; the market has since pulled back significantly. Our eBay estimator shows a blended median of €6 across 46 listings for issue #1 — but that figure is heavily contaminated by reprints and does not reflect the value of the original first print.
Saga is an ongoing science-fiction/fantasy comics series published by Image Comics since March 2012, written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples. It follows Hazel, a child narrator born to Alana and Marko — soldiers from two warring races, Landfall and Wreath. The series won twelve Eisner Awards and seventeen Harvey Awards between 2013 and 2017, including Best Continuing Series, Best Writer, and Best New Series in 2013, and has established itself as one of the most critically acclaimed American comics of the modern era.
This guide sticks to the verifiable: eBay medians from our estimator (eBay.fr + eBay.com, June 2026) and records documented by specialist sources. Any median based on fewer than 15 listings is not cited as a price reference — which applies to virtually every issue in the series except #1. One critical note: Saga has no film or television adaptation as of 2026; value drivers are critical acclaim, Eisner wins and the under-printed first issue, not a screen catalyst.
Saga key issue ranking (eBay data and documented records, June 2026)
Saga issues are very thinly represented on eBay outside of #1. For all issues listed below with insufficient volume, only records documented in specialist sources are referenced.
| Issue | Significance | eBay data (all grades) | Documented data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saga #1, Diamond Retailer Summit variant (~500 copies) | Series grail — confidential print run, retailers only | Not represented on eBay | Peak documented ~$4,000–$5,000 (CGC 9.8); GoCollect FMV March 2026: ~$2,500 |
| Saga #1, 1st print (March 2012) | 1st appearance of Hazel, Alana, Marko — series key issue #1 | Median not cited as 1st print — contaminated by reprints (46 total listings, blended median €6) | Print run: ~37,641 copies (Comichron); 5 printings in total |
| Saga #12 (2013) | Issue temporarily pulled by Comixology over explicit content | 2 listings — insufficient volume | Editorial notoriety; no documented high-grade sale record |
Sources: Comichron (March 2012), GoCollect, WorthPoint, CGC Comics Boards, recalledcomics.com.
Saga #1 first print: the only true key in the series
Published on 14 March 2012, Saga #1 is the series' defining key. Image Comics had no indication of the phenomenon to come: the first print run was limited to 37,641 copies according to Comichron data — a modest figure for a series that would sweep the Eisner Awards from 2013 onward. The issue sold out rapidly and was reprinted five times. Those five printings make correct identification essential: the first print carries no "Second Printing" notation on the cover or indicia and has printing-specific colour and logo characteristics.
Our eBay estimator returns a blended median of €6 across 46 listings for this issue. That figure is pulled sharply downward by second, third, fourth, and fifth printings circulating on the secondary market at a few euros each. It must never be read as the value of a genuine first print. In CGC 9.8, an authenticated first print commands substantially more according to specialist sources, though no major auction house record comparable to Walking Dead #1 has been publicly documented for Saga. The market for high-grade copies is real but thin.
The Diamond Retailer Summit variant: the series grail
Distributed exclusively to invited retailers at the Diamond Comic Distributors summit, the so-called "RRP" (Retailer Incentive Edition) of Saga #1 is estimated at approximately 500 copies — less than 1.5% of the regular first-print run. That extreme scarcity drove it to considerable prices: documented sources including WorthPoint and CGC collector boards record CGC 9.8 sales reaching between $4,000 and $5,000 at market peak. The value has since pulled back: GoCollect placed the fair market value at approximately $2,500 for an unslabbed CGC 9.8 copy as of March 2026. Volatility is significant and well-documented.
The absence of any screen adaptation is a material factor here. The most durable modern-age grails — Walking Dead #1, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 — typically benefit from a media catalyst that sustains demand beyond the collector community. Saga has no such lever: Brian K. Vaughan has repeatedly resisted adaptation, stating the series was "made to be a comic." As of 2026, no film or television project has been confirmed. Demand rests entirely on the comics collecting community, not a wider audience of viewers drawn in by a screen property.
Saga #12 (2013): editorial notoriety, near-zero liquidity
In April 2013, Comixology temporarily removed Saga #12 from its platform following a misinterpretation of its own content policies. Crucially, it was Comixology's own decision, not an Apple directive — a fact Comixology's CEO confirmed publicly after initial press coverage misattributed the removal to Apple. The issue was restored shortly after. The episode gives #12 a degree of editorial notoriety and historical interest within the run, but our estimator returns just 2 listings on eBay: volume is far too low for a reliable median, and no documented high-grade sale record exists for this issue. Treat it as a niche historical item within an existing collection, not a standalone investment target.
Liquidity, risks and what cannot be stated with confidence
Investing in Saga requires understanding several real constraints. First, secondary-market liquidity is very low: outside of #1, virtually every issue generates fewer than 15 active eBay listings, making reliable median valuation impossible and meaning a resale can take weeks or more. Second, the market has demonstrated significant volatility: the Diamond Retailer Summit variant lost the majority of its peak value without any external negative catalyst. Third, the series is still ongoing — it went on extended hiatus in 2018 before resuming in 2022, and future issues could redistribute collector interest.
This guide does not constitute investment advice. Comics are collectibles whose value depends on condition, authenticity, market demand, and unpredictable events such as screen adaptations, creator news, or shifting collector trends. Past performance does not predict future returns.
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