Got SAGA? Lying.

Another sellout as multiple award-winning bestseller returns

Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ multiple Eisner and Hugo award-winning New York Times bestseller SAGA returned with the beginning of its fourth arc this week and has instantly sold out at the distribution level. To meet demand, Image Comics is sending SAGA #19 back to press for a one-time-only second printing.

“One of the greatest things about working with talent as inventive as Brian and Fiona is that Saga is never short on surprises,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “If it’s not the story itself, it’s the velocity this book sells at, and even after establishing itself as a sales juggernaut over the last 18 issues, Saga has once again exceeded our expectations. We went big on the overprint with this issue and still came up short. I’m stunned.”

The breakout series that has captivated critics and fans across the board and garnered much mainstream acclaim from coast to coast continues the story of star-crossed couple Alana and Marko, their young daughter Hazel, and the warring interplanetary forces that threaten their survival.

"Man, this is the best. I can't tell you how much Fiona and I appreciate the support readers and retailers have given our book," said Vaughan. "We'd hoped that taking a short break after each arc to let new readers get caught up on trades before picking up the monthly issues would help us gradually expand our audience, but we never dreamed our scheme would be this successful, so thanks again. Not to be greedy, but Robert Kirkman has vowed that if Saga ever outsells Walking Dead, he'll let me shave his beard and weave the clippings into my own personal hairpiece, so can we please make that happen?"

Staples added: "We're so grateful to all the readers who share Saga with their husbands, wives, friends, roommates, grandparents, and nieces and nephews of appropriate age. It's stunning to see that the word is still spreading. Massive thanks to retailers for getting the book into everyone's hands."

In this eagerly anticipated new issue the couple embark on new adventures—but not without adding a few more enemies on their trail.

Praise for SAGA:

“Mischievous, vulgar and gloriously inventive.” —TIME Magazine

“May it run for 1,000 issues.” —Rolling Stone Magazine

“A little bit Romeo & Juliet and a lot Star Wars.” —USA Today

“Staples and Vaughan, like L. Frank Baum or J.R.R. Tolkien, have brought to life a fantasy world so fully realized that nothing, no matter how incredible, seems out of place for a second.” —Library Journal

“Vaughan’s whip-snap dialogue is as smart, cutting, and well timed as ever, and his characters are both familiar enough to acclimate easily to and deep enough to stay interested in as their relationships bend, break, and mend.” —Booklist

“A beautiful, passionate, adventurous book.” —Tor.com

SAGA #19 has completely sold out at the distributor level, but may still be available in comic stores. It is currently available digitally on the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, as well as on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.

“Selling out is always kind of bittersweet, especially on a title as popular as Saga,” added Stephenson. “We want this book to be as widely available as possible, for as long as possible, but even with the third volume of the trade paperback outpacing the first two in sales and multiple Eisner nominations for the second year in a row, it’s clear we’re not getting as many copies to our retailer partners as they can sell.

“This book is a living, breathing phenomenon—its sales trajectory far surpasses that of The Walking Dead at the same point in its publishing history—and we are constantly looking for new ways to grow what is shaping up to be one of most wonderful and enthusiastic fan communities we’ve ever encountered. Given how much work Brian and Fiona are putting into making this one of the greatest series of all time and how easy it is to sell new readers on this incredible story, there’s really no reason Saga shouldn’t be every retailer’s highest ordered series.”

Image Comics is sending SAGA #19 back to press to satisfy customer demand, and this one-time-only second printing (Diamond Code APR148258) will be available on 6/25, the same day as SAGA #20.

SAGA #20 is available now for pre-order with APR140593.