Image Comics hopes to bring new life to a familiar comics business model with Image Direct, a just-launched direct mail subscription service that offers customers in the continental United States discounts of up to 35% on Image titles shipped direct to their door. Customers can currently buy twelve-issue subscriptions on 42 different ongoing titles, including Saga, The Walking Dead, Savage Dragon, Wytches, and Invincible.

According to the FAQ on the new Image Direct site, customers subscribing to two or more titles receive a 10% discount on cover price; four or more gets you a 20% discount. Customers must subscribe to all the titles offered to qualify for the largest 35% discount. The price of an individual 12-issue subscription ranges from $35.88 to $47.88. Subscribing to all of the books costs $1,117.99 after discount.

The launch of a direct mail service seems almost charmingly old-fashioned in the age of digital subscriptions, but with many customers still preferring to read physical comics, and many stores reluctant to sell books by any publisher other than Marvel or DC, the direct mail model makes perfect sense as a complement to Image's existing distribution methods.

The 12-issue basis for the subscriptions presumably means that mini-series and series that are coming to an end -- such as Jim Zub, Edwin Huang and Misty Coats's Skullkickers -- are not included in the service.

Here's the full press release:

IMAGE COMICS LAUNCHES MAIL-ORDER SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE:
IMAGE DIRECT

Customers can now opt to purchase 12-issue subscriptions to their favorite Image comics and have them mailed to their door

Image Comics is pleased to announce Image Direct, a newly launched mail-order subscription service that allows fans to purchase 12-issue subscriptions to their favorite Image comics and have them delivered straight to their doorstep. Image Direct serves continental U.S. customers only. Subscribe here: http://subscriptions.imagecomics.com/.

Image Direct will allow subscribing readers to receive the latest issues of over 35 titles, including THE WALKING DEAD, SAGA, SEX CRIMINALS, WYTCHES, BLACK SCIENCE, VELVET, RAT QUEENS and more, immediately upon release. Subscribers will receive discounts of up to 30% off and will have the option to subscribe to every available title and receive 35% off.

“Even with all the wonderful work our retailer partners in the Direct Market do, the number one comment we get from fans is they frequently can’t find the Image titles they’re looking for,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “Given that there are fewer comic book stores than ever before, we’re hoping that Image Direct makes our titles available to fans who don’t have easy access to a local comic book store, or whose shop doesn’t carry the full range of Image titles.”

Image Direct launches today. Readers interested in subscribing to the service can find more information on how to sign up here: http://subscriptions.imagecomics.com/.

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