Help for a newb? (Subscription question)

[CyanLantern]

Hi guys,
I'm sure this will sound like a really dumb question, but cut a newbie some slack...

I'd barely touched a comic in 25 years or more, until last fall. Now that I'm newly hooked, I've been thinking of subscribing to a couple of my DC favorites, only my building doesn't have a great set-up for mail. Mailboxes are small, and anything that doesn't fit easily ls left on a table in the lobby. Mostly that's no problem, but magazines and the like occasionally wander off in the hands of passersby. So what I'm wondering is, what do the books look like when they show up at your door? Are they packaged with hard backing, or can they roll up to fit in a mailbox? And do they look like comic books (i.e., tempting to any random guy wandering through the lobby?)

Sorry if this is the wrong place for the question - I really am new to this stuff - but any information you guys can offer would be much appreciated.

[cubejunky]

I order my books through heavyink.com and for me since I order about 15 books a month and have them ship once a month, they send them to me in a box. The books are put in bags like 5 per bag with some packing material.

[DonC]

First and foremost, don't order direct from DC. Or any publisher. Your books will come weeks later than their publishing date and they get damaged easily. If there isn't a comic store near you there are three or four really good online retailers (heavyink.com, dcbservice.com, midtowncomics.com). Or you can buy books digitally from comixology.com.

[Volkditty]

I recently switched to all-digital, but I previously ordered all my comics from Things From Another World (http://www.tfaw.com). Generally, 1-5 comics would ship together in a thin brown cardboard envelope. This held up just fine, and on only one or two occasions was there a problem with the corners being bent or cribbed (even shipping internationally). For an extra 25 cents you can have the issues boarded and bagged before shipping, which would probably cut down on even that rare occurrence. When they shipped a trade or more than 6 single issues at a time, it was in a standard white mailing box with some filler paper to keep it from shifting in transit. Nothing about either package should tempt passers-by.

[brandnewfan]

I order my books through heavyink.com and for me since I order about 15 books a month and have them ship once a month, they send them to me in a box. The books are put in bags like 5 per bag with some packing material.

What are their prices like? I use dcbservice.com and I've been very satisfied.

[Awesome!]

What are their prices like? I use dcbservice.com and I've been very satisfied.

20% off, so more expensive than dcbs. The big plus is that you can add or drop books right up until they ship so you aren't locked in months in advance.

[Volkditty]

20% off, so more expensive than dcbs. The big plus is that you can add or drop books right up until they ship so you aren't locked in months in advance.

TFAW offers anywhere from 20-35% off, but with the S&H you'll probably still break even. They also have a very robust subscription/pull-list service.

[jonah warlord]

Hi guys,
I'm sure this will sound like a really dumb question, but cut a newbie some slack...

I'd barely touched a comic in 25 years or more, until last fall. Now that I'm newly hooked, I've been thinking of subscribing to a couple of my DC favorites, only my building doesn't have a great set-up for mail. Mailboxes are small, and anything that doesn't fit easily ls left on a table in the lobby. Mostly that's no problem, but magazines and the like occasionally wander off in the hands of passersby. So what I'm wondering is, what do the books look like when they show up at your door? Are they packaged with hard backing, or can they roll up to fit in a mailbox? And do they look like comic books (i.e., tempting to any random guy wandering through the lobby?)

Sorry if this is the wrong place for the question - I really am new to this stuff - but any information you guys can offer would be much appreciated.



I subscribe to several books direct from DC. The books generally arrive 5-10 days after release, not "weeks". They are packaged in a plastic bag, with a paper address card that can be rolled up into a mailbox. The opposite side of the bag clearly shows the comic itself: sometimes the back cover advertisement, sometimes the cover of the book. So yes, if left out on the table, anyone can tell it's a comic. For the amount of money and hassle I save, I don't mind waiting a week or so to get my books. Granted, DC could use a little heavier paper for the address card, but the condition the books arrive in is fine.

[FoxMulder2012]

First and foremost, don't order direct from DC. Or any publisher. Your books will come weeks later than their publishing date and they get damaged easily. If there isn't a comic store near you there are three or four really good online retailers (heavyink.com, dcbservice.com, midtowncomics.com). Or you can buy books digitally from comixology.com.

Exactly. DC is a publisher, not a distributer. There's a difference and it shows when it comes to DC's subscription service.

[CyanLantern]

Thank you so much guys - this is fantastic information. I didn't know about the other distributors, so I'll be sure to check those out as well. It's great to have a few more options, and to know just what I'll be getting. It actually looks like TFAW may be a great option for me: I won't be ordering that many books, so the lower shipping should even out the price difference, and a bit of flexibility is always a good thing.
Much appreciated!

[vampiric_cannibal]

Anyone is better than DC Direct. Do not be a fool, as I was... unreliable, late, a few issues don't show up. Even if you have to pay more from another service, do it.

[jonah warlord]

I know ordering subs direct from DC is apparently a horrible idea, but I'd like to point out that my copies of Detective #7 and Action #7 arrived today. One day after release, for about 45% off the cover price.
So while DC direct may have had problems in the past, it seems to me they're doing much better.

[Kurri]

I know ordering subs direct from DC is apparently a horrible idea, but I'd like to point out that my copies of Detective #7 and Action #7 arrived today. One day after release, for about 45% off the cover price.
So while DC direct may have had problems in the past, it seems to me they're doing much better.

This your first order with them?

[jonah warlord]

This your first order with them?

No.
I've had direct subscriptions from DC for 4 or 5 years, and while I've never had any real complaints in the past, it seems the past six months they've gotten much better.
While most comics arrive within a week, some arrive as quickly as one or two days after release. None of them have taken more than 10 days to arrive.

[vampiric_cannibal]

DC Direct just culled the amount of titles you can get from them.

[Kurri]

No.
I've had direct subscriptions from DC for 4 or 5 years, and while I've never had any real complaints in the past, it seems the past six months they've gotten much better.
While most comics arrive within a week, some arrive as quickly as one or two days after release. None of them have taken more than 10 days to arrive.

sounds good. and no problems with quality of the books? tears? etc.?

[jonah warlord]

sounds good. and no problems with quality of the books? tears? etc.?

No problems other than the comics occasionally being rolled to fit into my mailbox. And a couple of days at the bottom of my read pile takes care of that!