The creators of the hit comic book Saga have spoken out after fan criticisms grew with no new issue in the series for over eighteen months, despite repeated promises to have new material released this year.
Saga was created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples, with the first issue published in March 2012. The comic was an absolutely massive success, and for a long portion of its publication it was the biggest-selling western comic in the world. The production rate for the comic was originally steady at around nine issues per year. The comic went on a pre-planned hiatus in July 2018 at the halfway point of the entire story, with 54 issues down and 54 to go, but the hiatus lasted longer than expected, with publication only resuming in January 2022. Between January 2022 and March 2025, only 18 new issues were published, taking the total up to 72, with 36 issues left. Nothing further has appeared since then.
Brian Vaughan, who has also been busy with other comics and working on the script for Dune: Part Three, had confirmed some months ago that he had completed the scripts for the next arc (six issues) and refined the outline for the entire rest of the story. Fiona Staples has now issued a statement, confirming that the delays have been down to her workload. This was from a combination of her former formidable work-rate (she illustrates every issue in full, including the covers) being interrupted by the arrival of children, and agreeing to her dream project (a 240-page adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, due next year). This left her seriously overextended. With that project complete, Staples has returned to working on Saga and now has at least the next issue done, with work underway on the rest of the arc.
This seems to make resumption of Saga in 2027 very likely, although of course the health and well-being of the creators should be prioritised. With a different project, it might be tempting to get in another artist (even ignoring her co-ownership of the franchise), but Staples's visual aesthetic for the series is so singular and unique that I don't think it would ever work. The good news is that it sounds like the project should shortly be back on track, and on the home stretch.
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