Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Comic Book Subscriptions

There are some terrific writers at Biff BamPop  who contribute in-depth articles relating to the world of comic books and graphic novels…I, admittedly, am not one of them. However, I am a father of two teenagers, and sometimes the price tag of video games, brand-name clothing, and technology leaves us parents with only a few gift options for our kids during the Holiday Season. That’s why I’m recommending an economical gift that will only run you about $30 and give your kid (or your spouse) something to look forward to every month of the year = comic book subscriptions. 

Selecting a Comic Book Series

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s biggest distributor of English-language comics, the top 5 comic book publishers are as follows (I’ve included a few of the more popular comic book titles next to each publisher’s name):

1 – Marvel (Avengers, Spider Man, X-Men, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, Hulk, Woleverine, Fantastic Four, Deadpool, Punisher, Daredevil)

2 – DC (Justice League, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Flash, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Green Lantern)

3 – Image (Saga, The Walking Dead, Lazarus, Private Eye, Descender, Black Science, Deadly Class, Ascend)

4 – IDW (My Little Pony, Orphan Black, G.I. Joe, Ghost Busters, Transformers, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek)

5 – Dark Horse (Hellboy, Fight Club, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Barb Wire, Serenity, Conan, Plants Vs. Zombies, Dragon Age)

If you don’t see the title you’re looking for above, simply ‘Google’ the title and you should be able to determine the publisher pretty quickly (FYI – Dark Horse no longer publishes the Star Wars comic books; Marvel took that over in 2015). Now that you know who publishes what (or, if you’d prefer to browse for titles)…

Comic Websites & Subscriptions

Not every publisher has a great website or subscription service. Marvel & Image have the best combination of robust websites & subscription services, while DC has a nice website, but limited subscriptions available. If you’re looking for IDW, Dark Horse, or you’d rather use a 3rd party subscription service where you can subscribe to multiple comic book publishers, Things From Another World is a popular online service that’s directly endorsed by Dark Horse comics. Most of the publishers also offer a ‘digital’ option, but that kind of takes the ‘fun’ out of giving a comic book subscription as a Holiday gift.

Marvel Comics

Direct Link: http://marvel.com/comics

Subscriptions: http://subscriptions.marvel.com/

DC Comics

Direct Link: http://www.dccomics.com/comics

Subscriptions: https://ssl.drgnetwork.com/ecom/dcc/app/live/dccmultisubs?org=dcc

Image Comics

Direct Link: https://imagecomics.com/

Subscriptions: http://subscriptions.imagecomics.com/collections/all 

IDW

Direct Link: http://www.idwpublishing.com/

Subscriptions: Not Available through Publisher

Dark Horse

Direct Link: http://www.darkhorse.com/

Subscriptions: Not Available through Publisher

Presentation

Now that you’re ready to give the comic book subscription as a gift, avoid a lame presentation. Sure, it cost you less than a video game or an iPad, but you have the opportunity to make this the most exciting gift of your child or spouse’s Holiday! Since it can take several weeks for a subscription to begin delivering, I recommend visiting your local comic book shop and purchasing 1 or 2 issues so you have something to present to your loved one.  The local shop will also have protective sheets and other display options if you think your loved one will want to protect their comics or use them for decorative purposes.

If you really want to have some fun with it, shop for other collectibles that relate with the comic book. Action figures, clothing, posters and hardcover graphic novels can be nice additions and will still keep the total price tag under $50-60 (and if you’re going with Marvel or DC, you can probably even find wrapping paper to match the theme).

Good Luck and Happy Holidays!