Description
Saga is an epic space opera/fantasy comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, published monthly by the American company Image Comics. The series is heavily influenced by Star Wars, and is based on ideas Vaughan conceived both as a child and as a parent. It depicts a husband and wife, Alana and Marko, from long-warring extraterrestrial races, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their daughter, Hazel, who is born in the beginning of the series, and who occasionally narrates the series as an unseen adult.
The comic was described in solicitations as "Star Wars meets Game of Thrones", and by critics as evocative of both science fiction and fantasy epics such as The Lord of the Rings and classic works like Romeo and Juliet.[1][2][3] It is Vaughan's first creator-owned work to be published through Image Comics, and is the first time he employs narration in his comics writing.[4] Vaughan indicated that the entire series will span 108 issues.[5]
The first issue of Saga was published on March 14, 2012, to positive reviews and a sold-out first printing. It was published in trade paperback form in October 2012. It has also been a consistent sales success, with its collected editions outselling those of The Walking Dead, another successful Image comic.[6][7] The series went on hiatus after reaching its midpoint at issue 54 in July 2018. In October 2021, Vaughan announced that the series would return with its 55th issue in January 2022.
The series has been met with wide critical acclaim, and is one of the most celebrated comics being published in the United States.[8] It has also garnered numerous awards, including twelve Eisner and seventeen Harvey Awards between 2013 and 2017. The first trade paperback collection won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story. It has also been noted for its diverse portrayal of ethnicity, sexuality and gender social roles, and for its treatment of war
