Saga, Vol. 1 Review: Still the Best On-Ramp to Indie Comics
A full review of Saga, Vol. 1 — the rare book that's both a critical darling and an absolute page-turner, and still the best way into indie comics.
By Web Admin
Ask a longtime comics reader for the one book to hand a total beginner, and a surprising number will land on the same answer: Saga. First published by Image Comics in 2012, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ space-opera epic collected its first six issues into a slim, roughly US$10 trade paperback that has since sold in the millions and won three Eisner Awards. More than a decade later, it is still the book we reach for first. This is our full review of Saga, Vol. 1 — what it is, who it’s for, and why it converts non-readers on the first page.
What is Saga?
Saga is an ongoing, creator-owned comic written by Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina) and drawn by Fiona Staples. The elevator pitch is deceptively simple: two soldiers from opposite sides of a galaxy-spanning war fall in love, have a baby, and go on the run. Volume 1 collects the first six issues — roughly 160 pages — and costs about US$10, which makes it one of the best value entry points in all of comics.
The war between the winged people of the planet Landfall and the horned people of its moon, Wreath, has been outsourced across the galaxy. Marko and Alana are deserters, and their newborn daughter Hazel — who narrates the series from some point in the future — is living proof that the two sides can love each other. That makes the baby a political bomb, and both armies (plus a guild of freelance bounty hunters) want her gone.
The story: family drama disguised as space opera
What makes Saga work is that the war is really just scaffolding. At its heart this is a story about new parents terrified of the world they’ve brought a child into. The science-fiction trappings — rocketship forests, ghost babysitters, a robot royal family with television sets for heads — are gloriously weird, but the emotional core is universal: sleepless nights, in-laws, money, and the animal need to keep your family alive.
Vaughan’s pacing is television-tight. He came to comics from screenwriting (and later ran Runaways and wrote for Lost), and it shows in how cleanly each issue escalates and cuts. Volume 1 alone would make a superb pilot season.
The supporting cast
Few first volumes introduce this many keepers. There’s The Will, a melancholy freelance bounty hunter with a “Lying Cat” that flatly announces when anyone lies; Prince Robot IV, a traumatised aristocrat with a TV for a head; Izabel, a teenage ghost who becomes Hazel’s babysitter; and Marko’s and Alana’s families, who complicate everything. By the final page these characters feel like people, not plot devices — which is exactly why the cliffhanger lands so hard.
The art: Fiona Staples is the reason to buy it in print
Fiona Staples’ artwork alone is worth the cover price. She designs strange creatures and quiet human moments with equal confidence, and her painted color work is warm and tactile in a way that screens don’t fully capture. Staples won the Eisner for Best Penciller/Inker for this work, and it’s easy to see why: she can sell a laugh, a gut-punch, and a full-page splash of cosmic scale on consecutive pages. If you can, read it on paper.
Content warning: this is a book for adults
Be clear-eyed about this one. Saga is emphatically not for kids. The very first issue features childbirth, and the series includes graphic violence, nudity, and frank sexuality. That’s not gratuitous — it’s part of the book’s honesty about bodies, war, and parenthood — but it means this is a gift for an adult friend, not a twelve-year-old. It’s also one of the most frequently challenged books in US libraries, which tells you it doesn’t flinch.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Instantly accessible — zero continuity homework
- Eisner-winning art from Fiona Staples
- Genuinely funny and emotionally devastating
- Outstanding value (~US$10 for 160 pages)
Cons
- Very adult — not for younger readers
- Ends on a cliffhanger; you’ll buy Vol. 2 immediately
- The ongoing series takes periodic long hiatuses
How Saga compares to other “first comics”
If you’re choosing your very first graphic novel, here’s how Saga stacks up against the other books we most often recommend to beginners.
| Book | Best for | Length | Approx. price | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saga, Vol. 1 | Anyone who likes prestige TV | 160 pp | ~US$10 | Easy |
| Watchmen | Superhero deconstruction | 416 pp | ~US$20 | Hard |
| Batman: Year One | Cape fans | 144 pp | ~US$15 | Easy |
| Fullmetal Alchemist | Manga-curious readers | Box set | ~US$180 | Easy |
For the full field, see our guide to the best graphic novels of all time and our list of the best comics for beginners.
Which edition should you buy?
There are three sensible ways to start, depending on how confident you are that you’ll get hooked (you will).
| Edition | Collects | Approx. price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 paperback | Issues #1–6 | ~US$10 | Trying it out |
| Deluxe Edition, Book One (HC) | Vols 1–3 (#1–18) | ~US$40 | Readers ready to commit |
| Compendium One | Vols 1–9 (#1–54) | ~US$60 | Best value binge |
The verdict
Fifteen years of recommending comics to friends, and Saga, Vol. 1 is still our default answer. It’s cheap, complete-feeling, beautifully drawn, and it treats new readers as smart adults. If you buy one comic this year and you’re not sure where to start, buy this one — then clear a shelf, because you’re going to want the rest. It’s a permanent fixture near the top of our best graphic novels list and the Indie & Image hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is Saga finished?
No. Saga is an ongoing series that periodically takes long, planned hiatuses. Vaughan and Staples have said the story is roughly at its midpoint, with more volumes to come.
Do I need to know anything before reading Volume 1?
Nothing at all. It’s a self-contained starting point with no prior reading required — one of the reasons it’s such a great first comic.
Is Saga appropriate for teenagers?
It’s written for adults. There is explicit sexual content, nudity, and graphic violence from the first issue, so we’d steer younger teens toward gentler picks in our beginners guide.
How many volumes of Saga are there?
There are eleven collected volumes so far, each gathering six issues, plus compendium and deluxe hardcover editions that bundle several volumes together.
Want the other end of the medium’s range next? Read our Watchmen review, or browse the whole Indie & Image hub.
