The absolute key issue of Saga is the #1 first print (March 2012, Image Comics), with Diamond orders of only ~37,641 copies according to Comichron — a dramatic under-order for a series that went through five printings in weeks. The Diamond Retailer Summit variant (~500 copies) is the series' grail: a signed CGC 9.8 with a Fiona Staples sketch has been documented at nearly $2,800. Here are the real sleeper issues of Saga, what they fetch on eBay, and why caution is essential when the data is thin.
Saga is an independent space-opera written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, published by Image Comics since March 2012. The series follows Hazel — the off-panel narrator — whose parents Alana and Marko belong to two permanently warring species, Landfall and Wreath. Consistently graphic and consistently under-ordered, the series won twelve Eisner Awards and seventeen Harvey Awards between 2013 and 2017, plus a Hugo in 2013. It has received no film or television adaptation: Brian K. Vaughan has explicitly resisted adaptation, viewing the comic as the finished form of the work.
This guide sticks to the verifiable: eBay medians from our estimator (eBay.fr + eBay.com, June 2026) and documented facts. Strict methodology rule: any median based on fewer than 15 active listings is not cited as a reliable price reference — Saga's eBay liquidity is very thin outside of issue #1 across all editions, and raw figures would be misleading. Saga launched in 2012: there are no Golden Age, Silver Age, or Bronze Age key issues.
Key issues in Saga: what the data actually shows (June 2026)
Preliminary warning: the vast majority of Saga issues show fewer than 15 active eBay listings. The table below indicates real volumes; only #1 across all editions clears the reliability threshold.
| Issue | Significance / reason to watch | eBay data (June 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Saga #1, 1st print (March 2012) | 1st app. Alana, Marko, Hazel, The Will, Lying Cat; ~37,641 copies in 1st print | Median €6 · 46 listings (all editions combined — diluted by later reprints) |
| Saga #1 Diamond Retailer Summit variant (~500 copies) | Ultra-rare edition distributed to attending retailers only; the series' absolute grail | No current active listings — documented price: ~$2,800 (CGC 9.8 signed + Staples sketch, WorthPoint) |
| Saga #12 (2013) | Temporarily pulled by Comixology (adult content controversy) — strong editorial notoriety | 2 listings — volume insufficient for a reliable median |
| Saga #4 (2012) | 1st appearance of The Stalk (bounty hunter) | 3 listings — volume insufficient |
| Saga #2–#7 (2012) | Complete first arc — very thin liquidity | 2 to 8 listings depending on the issue — insufficient for reliable medians |
Record sources: WorthPoint, recalledcomics.com, Comichron (Diamond March 2012 orders). eBay medians: our estimator, June 2026.
Saga #1: the under-print that changes everything
Released on March 14, 2012, Saga #1 is one of the most severely under-ordered debut issues in modern Image Comics history. Retailers, cautious about a brand-new series — even one written by Brian K. Vaughan, author of Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina — placed Diamond orders of approximately 37,641 copies according to Comichron. The issue sold out before its official release date; Image Comics rushed through five successive printings, with the third arriving in stores as early as April 25, 2012.
Our estimator returns a median of €6 across 46 listings for this issue combining all editions — a figure that folds in later reprints, which are far more common. That raw median does not reflect the value of an identified first print (no "Second Printing" or later notation on the cover, original barcode without overprint). The CGC market for the first printing is qualitatively active, but public sale data remains sparse. The scarcity is genuine; high-grade first-print values significantly exceed the all-editions eBay median.
The Diamond Retailer Summit variant: the real grail
Distributed exclusively to retailers attending a Diamond summit (a trade convention), the Saga #1 Diamond Retailer Summit variant was limited to approximately 500 copies — a figure documented by multiple specialist sources including recalledcomics.com. It is the rarest item in the entire series. A CGC 9.8 Signature Series copy signed by Fiona Staples with an original sketch sold for close to $2,800 (WorthPoint); unsigned CGC 9.8 copies have been reported around $2,000 per GoCollect and ComixPriceGuide. These copies almost never surface on mainstream eBay: monitor specialist auction houses, ComicLink, or Heritage Auctions instead.
Saga #12: the Comixology incident
In April 2013, Saga #12 was briefly made unavailable on Comixology — and not by Apple's App Store, contrary to what was initially reported. The digital comics platform had overly conservatively interpreted Apple's content rules regarding two panels depicting sexual acts between men. Brian K. Vaughan publicly expressed his frustration; Comixology quickly acknowledged its own responsibility and restored access to the issue the same day. The episode generated massive media coverage and reignited the debate around digital censorship of adult comics.
In terms of collectibility, this editorial notoriety makes #12 an issue with a story — but our estimator returns only 2 active eBay listings for this issue. That is well below the 15-listing threshold needed to quote a reliable median. The issue remains very thinly traded: qualitative assessment only.
Other sleeper issues: character first appearances
Saga #1 concentrates most of the series' major first appearances: Alana, Marko, Hazel (as narrator), The Will, and Lying Cat are all introduced in the opening issue. Issue #4 (2012) marks the first appearance of The Stalk, a bounty hunter whose striking visual design by Fiona Staples became one of the series' most recognizable images. Our estimator returns only 3 listings for #4: no reliable eBay median is available — qualitative assessment only.
Issues #2 through #7 (the series' first arc) form a coherent set for the collector targeting first prints. Their eBay volumes are consistently below 15 listings as of June 2026: there is a presence, but not true liquidity. Genuine scarcity exists, but it cannot be quantified from the available eBay data.
Collector strategy: what the data actually lets us say
- The #1 first print is the only readable eBay data point — but it is diluted by reprints in the overall median. Learn to identify the first print before buying.
- The Diamond Retailer Summit variant is a specialist's grail, off ordinary eBay, to monitor through dedicated auction platforms.
- #12 is notable for its editorial history, not for a verifiable eBay price: 2 active listings support no market conclusion.
- No screen adaptation. Unlike Walking Dead or Invincible, Saga has received no film or TV adaptation to date — Brian K. Vaughan has explicitly resisted it. Value drivers are the Eisner Awards, critical reputation, and the under-printed #1, not any adaptation effect.
- Check liquidity before any purchase. On a series this thinly represented on eBay, listed prices can be very disconnected from the real market.
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