Saga (Image Comics): Undervalued Issues and the Real Value of #1

Saga is a science-fiction/fantasy series published by Image Comics since March 2012, written by Brian K. Vaughan and drawn by Fiona Staples. It follows Alana and Marko, two soldiers from warring species (Landfall and Wreath) who flee the galactic conflict with their newborn daughter Hazel, who narrates the story. From its very first year, Saga swept the Eisner Awards — Best New Series, Best Continuing Series, Best Writer — and stacked up Harvey Awards: twelve Eisner Awards and seventeen Harvey Awards between 2013 and 2017. A record unmatched by any other modern independent series.

This guide sticks to the verifiable: real-time eBay medians (via our estimator, eBay.fr + eBay.com, June 2026) and prices documented by GoCollect or WorthPoint. One rule applies throughout: any median based on fewer than 15 listings is not cited as a reliable price reference — and most Saga issues other than #1 fall below that threshold. One important note: Saga has no film or TV adaptation as of 2026 — Brian K. Vaughan has consistently declined to adapt the series, viewing comics as the definitive medium for this story (Screen Rant). Value drivers are therefore critical acclaim, award history, and the scarcity of the #1 first print — not any upcoming screen release.

Saga #1: The eBay Median Trap and the Real Value of the First Print

Our estimator returns a median of 6 EUR across 46 listings for Saga #1. This figure meets the 15-listing threshold and is technically usable — but it is heavily diluted. The issue was reprinted at least five times, and all editions end up mixed together in eBay search results. Most listings at 3–5 EUR are later printings, identifiable by the color of the logo lettering on the cover (orange for the first print, white or red for subsequent ones). The raw median of 6 EUR does not reflect the value of an original first print copy.

For graded first-print copies, the documented data is clear: GoCollect placed the fair market value of a CGC 9.8 first print at approximately $450 in March 2026, versus $190 for the second print at the same grade — a 2.4x premium for the first print alone. Below 9.8, ungraded copies in strong condition trade qualitatively in the range of a few tens of euros depending on condition and printing, with no reliable eBay median available due to the mixed-edition problem.

Sources for graded values: GoCollect (March 2026), WorthPoint. The Diamond Retailer Summit variant was distributed at the Diamond Retailer Summit preceding C2E2 2012.

The Diamond Retailer Summit Variant: The Near-Impossible Grail

The Diamond Retailer Summit variant of Saga #1 is the most sought-after piece in the entire run. Distributed exclusively at the Diamond Retailer Summit in 2012 — a professional trade conference for comics retailers — it is estimated at approximately 500 copies, a figure consistently cited by specialist sources (recalledcomics.com, GoCollect, CGC Boards). CGC 9.8 copies have hit documented prices around $2,500, with closed WorthPoint listings reaching $3,199. The market is extremely thin: copies surface rarely on eBay or Heritage, making any statistical median impossible to establish. This is a grail piece, not a liquid investment.

Signed copies also exist (CGC SS, sometimes with a Fiona Staples sketch), which command even higher prices — but sales are too infrequent to cite reliable figures.

Other Issues in the Run: Why Values Stay Qualitative

Our estimator returns very low listing counts for other issues in the series: 8 listings for #2, 3 for #3, 5 for #6, 2 for #12 — all below the 15-listing threshold used to cite a reliable median. The occasional figures that do appear (often 15–17 EUR median) carry too much statistical noise to be quoted as reference prices.

That said, a few issues deserve qualitative mention. The #1 first print remains the series' absolute key. #12 gained unexpected notoriety in April 2013 when ComiXology — not Apple, as initially reported — briefly refused to sell it on iOS due to explicit content, before reversing the decision within days (Bleeding Cool, Washington Post). Brian K. Vaughan confirmed ComiXology made the call independently. This episode created no material scarcity but became a landmark moment in the series' editorial history and the broader debate around digital comics censorship.

Collector Strategy: What the Numbers Actually Justify

• Identify the printing before buying. The first print has orange logo lettering. If a seller doesn't specify, ask for photos of the title page interior: it should read "1st printing" with no reprint notation.
• Grade and printing both matter. The gap between $190 and $450 in CGC 9.8 between second and first print shows that edition identification is as important as grade. A first-print #1 in CGC 9.4 can be worth more than a second-print #1 in CGC 9.8.
• The raw eBay median is misleading here. Do not use the 6 EUR median to value a first-print copy: it reflects the mass market for later printings, not the collector's key issue.
• No adaptation catalyst on the horizon. Unlike The Walking Dead or Spawn, Saga has no screen adaptation and Vaughan has consistently declined offers. Value rests on the series' award record (12 Eisner Awards, 17 Harvey Awards, 2013–2017) and the scarcity of the first-print #1 — not on any foreseeable external driver.