When Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples launched their epic fantasy space opera comic Saga in 2012, it was an immediate hit — critically acclaimed, as well as one of the best-selling independent comics in history. That success is well-earned; the book brilliant blends every imaginable ridiculous trope of sci-fi and fantasy epics with an incredibly grounded and emotional family story at the center of it. It's nerdy, it's vulgar, it's hilarious, and it's radically heartfelt.
If you're not familiar, Saga is a sort-of Romeo & Juliet riff — two star-crossed lovers, in this case, coming from two planets that have been at war for so long that no one even remembers why, and yet the entire galaxy has somehow gotten wrapped up in their feud. Alana is a winged Landfallian soldier; Marko is a horned magic-user from Wreath. They fall in love, and our story begins with the birth of their child, Hazel, as the three of them go on the run in order to escape, uhh, well, pretty much everyone in the universe, who all have different reasons for wanting to get their hands on this adorably rare mixed-race baby (and/or kill it and either one of its parents).
After the release of issue #54 in the summer of 2018 — which saw quite the turn of harrowing events — Vaughan and Staples announced that the book would be taking an indefinite hiatus. But this past weekend at New York Comic-Con, Vaughan announced that the book would be coming back in January 2022:
"Saga launched at Image during the company's 20th anniversary in 2012, so it seems more than fitting that the series is returning to shops just in time for our 30th anniversary next year," said Eric Stephenson, Chief Creative Officer and Publisher at Image Comics. "I can think of few better ways to celebrate what Image is all about than by welcoming back one of the most incredible storytelling teams in comics history as they embark on the second half of a true epic-in-the-making."
If you haven't read Saga before, this is a great time to catch up. It's truly fantastic. And, like all Image Comics, you can read the first issue for free online.