Saga Reading Order & Collections Guide
Every volume and compendium — the cheapest way to read Saga.
By Web Admin
Good news up front: Saga is one of the easiest reading orders in all of comics. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Image epic tells a single, linear story from start to (eventual) finish, so you simply read it in order. The only real decisions are which format to buy — individual volumes, chunky compendiums, or deluxe hardcovers — and how to budget for it. This guide covers all three, in order, with issue numbers and page counts so you know exactly what you are getting.
If you have not started yet and just want to know whether it is worth it, the short answer is yes — it is the book we most often hand to new readers. For the full case, see our Saga, Vol. 1 review. This guide is for readers who already know they are in and want the smartest way to read the whole thing.
The one rule: Saga is read in order
There is no complicated continuity, no side-stories, no alternate reading paths. Saga is narrated by Hazel — the daughter of soldiers from opposite sides of a galactic war — and it runs in a straight chronological line. Read Volume 1, then 2, then 3, and so on. That is the entire reading order. What follows is really a collections guide: how those volumes are packaged and which format saves you the most money.
The volumes: the standard way to read Saga
Each numbered trade paperback collects six consecutive issues and runs around US$10–15. This is the classic way to read it and the easiest to find. As of the current run, there are eleven volumes.
| Step | Volume | Collects | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saga, Vol. 1 | Issues #1–6 | Starting out — cheap and perfect |
| 2 | Saga, Vol. 2 | Issues #7–12 | Meeting the extended family |
| 3 | Saga, Vol. 3 | Issues #13–18 | The tabloid-journalist arc |
| 4 | Saga, Vol. 4 | Issues #19–24 | A quieter, family-focused chapter |
| 5 | Saga, Vol. 5 | Issues #25–30 | Rescue mission, rising stakes |
| 6 | Saga, Vol. 6 | Issues #31–36 | A time jump; Hazel grows up |
| 7 | Saga, Vol. 7 | Issues #37–42 | The abortion-clinic arc; heavy hitter |
| 8 | Saga, Vol. 8 | Issues #43–48 | Devastating turns |
| 9 | Saga, Vol. 9 | Issues #49–54 | The gut-punch mid-series finale |
| 10 | Saga, Vol. 10 | Issues #55–60 | The return after the hiatus |
| 11 | Saga, Vol. 11 | Issues #61–66 | The most recent chapter |
A quick, spoiler-free heads up: Volume 9 (issue #54) is where the series paused for a lengthy, planned hiatus before resuming with Volume 10. It ends on a wrenching note, so know going in that it is a chapter break, not the finish.
The compendiums: the cheapest way in
If you are confident you will love Saga — and most people are by the end of Volume 1 — the Saga Compendium One is the best-value option available. It collects issues #1–54 (the first nine volumes) in a single softcover of more than 1,300 pages, for roughly the cost of three or four individual trades. The trade-off is that it is a doorstop: heavy, less travel-friendly, and it lacks the deluxe extras. But for pure story-per-dollar, nothing beats it.
Our recommended path for most readers: buy Volume 1 first as a cheap, low-commitment test. If it hooks you (it will), buy Compendium One for issues #7–54, then pick up Volumes 10 and 11 individually to stay current.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonThe deluxe hardcovers: for the shelf and the art
Fiona Staples’ painted color work is the reason many people buy Saga in print, and the Deluxe Edition hardcovers show it off best. Each deluxe volume collects three standard trades (eighteen issues):
- Saga Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1 — collects issues #1–18 (standard volumes 1–3).
- Saga Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2 — collects issues #19–36 (standard volumes 4–6).
- Saga Deluxe Edition, Vol. 3 — collects issues #37–54 (standard volumes 7–9).
These are oversized, printed on heavier paper, and include sketch material and extras. They cost more per issue than the compendium, but for a series this beautiful, many collectors consider them the definitive way to own it. If you are the kind of reader who frames splash pages in your head, spend the extra here.
Which format should you buy?
- Just testing the waters? Buy Volume 1. It is about US$10 and self-contained enough to tell you if the series is for you.
- Know you love it and want maximum value? Compendium One, then Volumes 10–11.
- Want the best-looking edition for your shelf? The Deluxe hardcovers, plus current volumes as they release.
- Prefer digital? All volumes are available on Comixage-style apps and directly from Image; digital sales make it cheap to read the whole run on a tablet.
Reading order at a glance
Here is the whole series mapped to the format decision, so you can see the smartest path in one place:
- Volume 1 (issues #1–6) — buy this first as a cheap test. If you bounce off it, you are out about US$10; if you love it, you know the format.
- Compendium One (issues #1–54) — the value pick for the bulk of the run. If you skipped straight to it, you have covered nine volumes for the price of a few trades.
- Volume 10 and Volume 11 (issues #55–66) — the post-hiatus chapters, bought individually to stay current until a second compendium arrives.
- Future volumes — added in sequence as Vaughan and Staples release them.
That is genuinely all there is to it. No flowcharts, no “read these three issues in between” footnotes — just a straight line from Volume 1 to the latest release.
Is Saga finished? (Status check)
No — Saga is ongoing. Vaughan and Staples have said the series is planned as a long, complete story (they have described it as roughly at its midpoint) and it publishes in bursts of issues followed by breaks. That means new volumes continue to arrive, and the compendium line will likely expand to a “Compendium Two” down the road. If you are starting today, you have a huge, largely complete stretch to read and a living series to follow.
A note on content
Saga is for adults — full stop. It contains graphic violence, nudity and explicit sexual content from the very first issue. That is central to its honesty about war, bodies and parenthood, but it makes the series a poor gift for younger readers. Keep that in mind whether you are buying for yourself or someone else.
The verdict
The reading order is the easy part: read Volumes 1 through 11 in sequence. The real decision is format, and for most people the smartest play is Volume 1 to test, Compendium One for value, and current volumes to keep up. However you read it, you are in for one of the finest comics of the century. Explore more creator-owned greats in our best Image Comics guide, see where it ranks in our best graphic novels of all time, and browse the full Indie & Image hub.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I read Saga in?
Straight numerical order — Volume 1 through Volume 11. Saga tells one linear story with no side-arcs or alternate reading paths, so it is one of the simplest reading orders in comics.
What is the cheapest way to read Saga?
Saga Compendium One, which collects issues #1–54 (nine volumes) in a single softcover for roughly the price of three or four single trades. Pair it with individual Volumes 10 and 11 to stay current.
How many volumes of Saga are there?
Eleven collected volumes so far, each gathering six issues, with the series ongoing. There are also Deluxe hardcovers (three trades each) and Compendium One (nine trades).
Is Saga finished?
No. It is an ongoing series that publishes in bursts with planned hiatuses. The creators have described it as around its midpoint, so more volumes are still to come.
Not started yet? Read our full Saga, Vol. 1 review, then dive into the best Image Comics for what to read next.
