Saga #1 (March 2012, Image Comics) was ordered in approximately 37,641 copies in its first printing — a remarkably modest run for a series that would go on to win twelve Eisner Awards. Copies in true first-print condition trade well above their original $2.99 cover price. Our eBay estimator shows a median of €6 across 46 listings, but that figure blends all five printings and must not be read as the value of the first print alone. The Diamond Retailer Summit variant, limited to approximately 500 copies, reaches ~$2,500 in CGC 9.8.
Saga is an ongoing science-fiction and fantasy comic series published by Image Comics since March 2012. Written by Brian K. Vaughan and drawn by Fiona Staples, it follows Hazel — a child born to Alana (from the planet Landfall) and Marko (from its moon Wreath), two peoples locked in endless interstellar war. Issue #1 launched on March 14, 2012, at a $2.99 cover price and sold out of its initial stock before the official on-sale date.
This guide sticks to the verifiable: print-run data from Comichron (March 2012), prices documented by GoCollect and recalledcomics.com, and eBay medians from our estimator (eBay.fr + eBay.com, June 2026). One methodological note: any eBay median based on fewer than 15 listings is not cited as a price reference — the vast majority of Saga issues are too thinly represented on the secondary market. Saga is a 2012 series: there are no Golden Age, Silver Age, or Bronze Age key issues.
Saga #1 (March 2012): the under-ordered first print that created scarcity
According to Diamond distribution data compiled by Comichron, Saga #1 was ordered in approximately 37,641 copies in March 2012, ranking 40th in monthly sales. For a series destined to win twelve Eisner Awards and seventeen Harvey Awards between 2013 and 2017, that is a strikingly small initial order. Retailers, with no indication of the phenomenon to come, had placed cautious orders. The issue sold out before its official March 14, 2012 release date — an immediate signal that set off a rapid succession of additional printings.
Five printings were ultimately required to meet demand: the series had already moved more than 70,000 copies of its first issue by August 2012. That multiplication of editions is exactly what complicates reading raw eBay data today. Our estimator returns a median of €6 across 46 listings for Saga #1 — a volume large enough to cite, but the figure pools first, second, third, fourth, and fifth printings together, all of which sell for a few euros in reading copies. The first print is identified by its orange logo on a white background and the complete absence of any printing notation on the cover; in Near Mint condition, it is worth substantially more.
The Diamond Retailer Summit variant: the ~500-copy grail
The most sought-after piece in the entire run is the variant distributed at the Diamond Retailer Summit, estimated at approximately 500 copies. This special edition, reserved for retailers attending the C2E2 convention in Chicago, never entered standard retail distribution. In CGC 9.8, the documented fair market value sits around $2,500 according to GoCollect and recalledcomics.com, with recorded sales already exceeding $2,000 as far back as June 2018. Signed and sketched copies by Fiona Staples have reached higher still.
| Edition | Estimated print run | eBay data (all grades) | Documented value (CGC 9.8) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saga #1, 1st print (March 2012) | ~37,641 copies (Comichron) | Median €6 / 46 listings (all printings blended) | No documented public auction record — NM+: several hundred dollars |
| Saga #1, Diamond Retailer Summit variant | ~500 copies | Volume too low — not cited | ~$2,500 (GoCollect / recalledcomics.com) |
Sources: Comichron (March 2012), GoCollect, recalledcomics.com, mycomicscollection.com eBay estimator (June 2026).
Value drivers: Eisner wins, Hugo recognition, and no screen adaptation
Saga's collector value rests on fundamentals that are entirely its own — not on any film or television adaptation. Brian K. Vaughan explicitly designed the series to remain a comic and nothing else, stating he wanted to create something "too expensive to be TV and too dirty and grown-up to be a four-quadrant blockbuster." As of June 2026, Saga has no released film or television adaptation: despite public entreaties from creators such as Eric Kripke (The Boys), Vaughan and Staples have held firm. This is worth stating plainly for collectors: there is no screen catalyst behind the current valuations.
What drives prices is an extraordinary critical track record: twelve Eisner Awards between 2013 and 2017 spanning Best New Series, Best Continuing Series, Best Writer, and Best Painter/Multimedia Artist, seventeen Harvey Awards, and the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story. Add to that the Saga #12 incident: in April 2013, ComiXology — not Apple, as was initially and incorrectly reported — briefly pulled the issue from the iOS App Store over two panels depicting gay sexual content. The resulting media controversy significantly amplified the series' profile.
Which issues to watch?
Beyond #1, Saga issues are very thinly represented on the secondary market: our estimator returns fewer than 15 listings for every issue tested beyond the first (#2: 8 listings, #12: 2 listings). No eBay medians are therefore cited for those issues. For collectors, the priorities remain clear: the first-print #1 (orange logo, no printing notation on cover) and, for higher budgets, the Diamond Retailer Summit variant. Trade paperbacks (Saga Vol. 1) or hardcover editions remain the most accessible entry point into the series.
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