It’s official: Saga is coming back.
You may recall creator duo Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples announced they’d be taking what they called an “intermission” back in 2018. At the time, Vaughan said, “We plan to pause publication of this series for at least the next year. This obviously wasn’t a decision we took lightly, but Fiona and I feel a responsibility to keep making the very best comic we can, and we both agreed that he only way to eventually finish the epic saga we set out to tell was with this one significant… let’s call it… Intermission!”
Vaughan made the surprise return announcement at his panel during New York Comic-Con 2021 alongside co-creator Staples, who joined via video chat. The award-winning sci-fi comic will soon begin the second half of its story that’ll lead to its eventual finale. Issue #55 will release in January 2022, ending the long hiatus, and fittingly kicking off a brand new story arc. And even better, it’ll be a double-length, 44-page issue, priced at $4. Take a look at the brand new cover below, which carries a heavy dose of nostalgia for the cover of the very first issue all the way back in 2012.
“I can’t think readers and retailers enough for their patience,” said Vaughan in a press release. “I think our next 54 issues will be even more shocking, strange, and spectacular than the first 54, so we can’t wait to be back on the shelves at your local comic shop soon.” Staples admitted that she “really missed” connecting with readers, and is excited to return to Hazel’s world. “The next arc is already going places I never imagined. I’m so grateful that we’re able to keep doing this!”
In case you’ve forgotten, and who could blame you, Saga’s last issue before its sabbatical ended with the reveal that Hazel’s father Marko was killed in a fight against the Will. But what happened after that? The cover indicates that we’ve got ourselves a time skip, made clear by an older Hazel and Alana. But who’s the ax-wielding fella with them? That’ll have to wait until we’re closer to the book’s return, which a press release promises will be “the most epic chapter yet.”
Saga #55 will release on January 26, 2022.