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How to Read Saga - Three Ways to Check Out the Comic

Zack Quaintance

By Zack Quaintance — How to read Saga might seem like an easy question — the comic starts with Saga #1 and goes to Saga #55 (which is actually out this week, finally!) — but there are still a few different ways to read my favorite comic. In fact, the book has now been published four different ways, which creates the potential to confuse an otherwise very straightforward Saga reading order (although, to be honest here, it’s still pretty easy to figure out). Anyway, worry not, friends! With my Saga anticipation currently peaking, I have decided to help, via blog post with some Amazon affiliate links that help support the site (all proceeds go back into expanding the site btw). Today we’re looking at the ways Saga has been published, price points, and extras.

How to read Saga involves picking between reading in single issues, reading the Saga collected trades, reading the Saga collected books, or reading one giant Saga compendium, all of which I’ve gone into greater detail about below. Enjoy!

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How to Read Saga

Saga Paperback Trades

Personally, I think this is your best bet. Saga has so far been collected into nine total paperback trades that contain six issues each. They retail for a list price of $14.99 each, with the first volume running $9.99 to snag new readers. If you’re into digital comics, you can read the first three volumes right now on comiXology unlimited, too. You can find links to each of the nine volumes below:

Saga Deluxe Edition Hardcover Books

Another way to read Saga is through buying the set of three deluxe edition hardcover books that split all 54 issues to date into thirds, breaking the series down into 18 issues a piece. They retail for $49.99 each, and they look great on shelves. If I didn’t have the paperbacks already, I’d definitely invest in these. They also have extras including creation process materials, early sketches, guest artwork from other notable creators, and a look at the birth of the series. I also think it’s worth noting that these books are just a little bit easier to hold than our other option below, the single book compendium, which is great in terms of extras and impressiveness, but maybe not quite as ideal as this one is for repeated re-reading of these comics (something I personally enjoy).

You can purchase these through the links below:

The Gigantic Saga Compendium

Finally, this is the newest edition of the series — one giant hardcover compendium that collects the entire series to date. This, it should be noted, will ultimately constitute 50 percent of the series, with the creators having said #54 marks Saga’s halfway point, and there will be 54 more issues coming. It’s a big beautiful book, that looks fantastic on the shelf alongside any and all Big 2 ominbuses, which provide a solid basis of comparison for what to expect from this volume, which retails at a very reasonable $59.99, although it’s a little lighter on the extras than the three volume $49.99 books.

It’s a neat artifact more than anything else, and it certainly makes a statement. It’s also good for folks like me who have increasingly limited shelf space because as big as it is, it’s still just one book. Check it out below…

Saga Single Issues

Finally, this is the hardest route way to read Saga, seeing as the earliest issues are now worth quite a bit of money. You can do it digitally, for sure, and it does feature added content: each individual issue’s letters page, and BKV runs a good letters page, complete with fan photos of cosplay and other contests. So, that’s definitely a way to go if you’re interested in such things.
Read Saga Singles Issues: Via comiXology

Check out our Saga Re-Read Project!

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.

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