Saga #19 Sells Out, on Verge of Beating The Walking Dead in Sales. Kirkman to Shave Beard.

[Groo Odyssey]

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.”

“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.”

So after promising fans and retailers that Saga will never go into a second printing ever again, Image has changed their minds and caved in to satisfy customer demand. I think this is really impressive if Saga was ever able to outsell The Walking Dead given that Saga doesn't have a tv or movie deal with millions of ravenous fans. In Jan TWD #120 sold 65,286 and Saga #18 sold 53,139, so it's pretty close and it's all by word of mouth that Saga increases sales every month. Volume 3 of the trade has outsold vol 1 and 2. Pretty damn impressive and deserves some recognition. Robert Kirkman has vowed to let BKV shave his beard if Saga ever outsells TWD. Let's do it guys! (although I'm reading both )

https://imagecomics.com/content/view/got-saga-lying

[MindofShadow]

What is Saga about in a nutshell?

[Groo Odyssey]

What is Saga about in a nutshell?

Quite simply the greatest comic ever made, I'm not kidding. Has everything I love about comics, excellent story, lovable characters and absolutely stunning art from Fiona Staples. It's an epic story that's part Star Wars, part Romeo and Juliet. I won't be able to do it justice, you'll just have to read the first few issues to see for yourself what all the hype is all about. It's unlike anything you've ever read, it's hard to describe. It's like someone asking you to describe what Breaking Bad is all about in a nutshell. Just pick up the first trade but be warned, there's no turning back.

I was at a local comic shop this past week and there was a new comic book fan asking the girl at the counter to recommend some books to her. Without hesitation the she screamed Saga. She told her it was the greatest comic ever made. I just smiled and nodded. LOL

[Ilan Preskovsky]

This is great news. BKV and Fiona Staples deserve every last drop of success they've had with their wonderful, wonderful comic book.

[coveredinbees]

What is Saga about in a nutshell?

There's a war. Two opposing soldiers fell in love and had a child. They ran. Their respective empires are hunting them.
It's told from the child's point of view.

[crimsonspider89]

Go Saga. Go. Oh yeah covered in bees forgot there is a ghost babysitter who rocks, the mom is lewd, and the star...lying cat.

[Groo Odyssey]

Go Saga. Go. Oh yeah covered in bees forgot there is a ghost babysitter who rocks, the mom is lewd, and the star...lying cat.

Don't forget the nekkid giant

[crimsonspider89]

Yes, the naked giant.

There is more.

The book is just fantastic and is a pulpy science fiction story with a fantastic world that addresses our believes that aliens would not have the problems we have.

They have those plus more.

[Kid A]

Quite simply the greatest comic ever made, I'm not kidding.

Holy hyperbole, Batman.

It's a good book, but probably not even in the top 10 comics being published right now.

[The Doctor]

What is Saga about in a nutshell?

Its simply $9.99 like many Image trades. I highly highly suggest you get it. Lived up to the hype I thought.

[Groo Odyssey]

Holy hyperbole, Batman.

It's a good book, but probably not even in the top 10 comics being published right now.

[Jim Purcell]

Holy hyperbole, Batman.

It's a good book, but probably not even in the top 10 comics being published right now.

Care to generate that hypothetical top 10 list? You know. For science.

I don't rank Saga as #1, but its certainly in my top 10. And this is coming from someone who hated Y the Last Man, and got bored of Ex Machina. So I'm no BKV fanboy.

[TotalSnorefest]

Call me an idiot, but why exactly did they promise to never reprint issues? That sounds really counter-productive? You'd think they would like lots of copies in circulation right, so if people miss one issue they can still find it for sale, rather than having to settle for the trade instead. Anyone with economical knowledge who can clear this up for me? It just sounds weird; publishers like Boom! are constantly putting out reprints of previous issues, usually with a new cover, so that new readers can jump on early. Why not Saga?

[Jim Purcell]

I think there was an issue early on with Saga being underordered leading to rapid sellouts and multiple reprints. So to try and get comic shops to order the actual number of copies they need they instituted a 'no reprint' policy. I think it mostly worked, but demand for this latest issue was rather higher then legitimately expected.

[Deviancy]

I think this is really impressive if Saga was ever able to outsell The Walking Dead given that Saga doesn't have a tv or movie deal with millions of ravenous fans.

It's really weird.

The Walking Dead is one of the three most popular shows on tv, and now that the Duck Dynasty has taken a 30% hit ratings wise, it really is shining. But yet the comic is only selling 65 thousand copies? I don't know why I'm surprised. I know die hard fans of the show who have the "If Daryl Dies We Riot" shirts and other merchandise, but yet they mock me for "reading picture books". And these are the same people who'll go see every Batman and X-Men film, but would rather die than step foot into a comic book store. So what is it about comics that turns off so many people? The fact they have to read?

Reading hard... too hard... pictures don't move...

Anywho.. as for Saga.. I don't like it but when it comes to sci fi, I don't like alien shit, well except for the Alien franchise but that's only because of Giger (rip), but I still think it deserves props for doing so well based on word of mouth.