The points of issue
Trade paperback collecting Saga issues 1 through 6, Image Comics, October 2012, ISBN 978-1-60706-601-9. The first printing carries no additional-printing notation in the indicia. The single issue Saga number 1 (March 2012) is the key collectible and its first printing is identifiable by the absence of any reprint banner; it sold out and was reprinted several times.
Is this the true first?
The single issues, beginning with Saga number 1 in 2012, are the true first appearance and the key collectibles; the Volume 1 trade paperback is the first book collection. The later Saga Deluxe Edition Book One hardcover, collecting issues 1 through 18, is a first thus.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later trade printings are stated in the indicia, and single-issue reprints carry a printing indicator.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Saga, Volume 1 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Trade paperback collecting Saga issues 1 through 6, Image Comics, October 2012, ISBN 978-1-60706-601-9. The first printing carries no additional-printing notation in the indicia. The single issue Saga number 1 (March 2012) is the key collectible and its first printing is identifiable by the absence of any reprint banner; it sold out and was reprinted several times.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The single issues, beginning with Saga number 1 in 2012, are the true first appearance and the key collectibles; the Volume 1 trade paperback is the first book collection. The later Saga Deluxe Edition Book One hardcover, collecting issues 1 through 18, is a first thus.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. Later trade printings are stated in the indicia, and single-issue reprints carry a printing indicator.
I have a first edition of Saga, Volume 1 — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.