Comic Subscription FAQ

WHAT IS A COMIC SUBSCRIPTION?

A comic subscription is a service that we provide for you that allows you to never miss an issue! It’s simple – you choose the comic you’d like to read every month, and we order it for you every month! We receive regular deliveries direct from the USA, several times a month, so you're always on top of the latest comics!

In the comics world, individual issues are ordered 2 months in advance, so if you want to get on as early as possible, make sure you give us as much notice as possible! Our order cut-off date if the 20th of every month, so get your orders in before then to secure your books! It helps to keep on top of the monthly previews!

We will contact you directly when your first issue arrives and your subscription begins! Beyond that, we rely on our loyal subscribers to check in store regularly to pick up their comics.

CAN YOU POST COMICS?

Yes! We post anywhere within Australia. We calculate postage costs per order, based on how many comics we are sending. We secure your comics with cardboard, and even bubble wrap if required to make sure your precious cargo is safe in transit.

WHAT IS A COMIC PREVIEW?

Comic previews – or solicits as they are sometimes referred to – are catalogues released by comics publishers every month showing off every issue that that company will be releasing for the advertised month. In the comics world, previews are shown 2 months in advance, so the previews shown in January will be for March release dates.

Typically, previews will show off plot synopses, writers and artists for individual issues and variant covers. You can find our previews here.

WHAT IS FINAL ORDER CUTOFF?

Final Order Cut-Off – or FOC – is an industry term that refers to the last date we can order your comics before the publisher actually prints them. It’s an opportunity for us, the retailer, to adjust our orders, and to take advantage of additional - sometimes exclusive - variant covers or a second printing of a highly sought after sold out issue.

Our in-store final order cut-off is every Saturday at 12pm, so let us know of any changes to your subscription before then!

WHAT IS A VARIANT COVER / INCENTIVE VARIANT?

A variant cover of a comic book is an alternate piece of artwork for the front cover of any given issue. The publisher commissions guest artists to create a different piece of art for the cover, but the interior is the same.

These covers are often for the die-hard collector, or simply for the comic reader/art appreciator who prefers the alternate artwork of a variant.

An incentive variant – or retailer incentive variant – is a variant cover that incentivises buying multiple copies of the same issue. For example a 1:25 incentive variant will require a purchase of 25 copies of the same issue before “unlocking” the ability to purchase the incentive variant itself.

HOW DO START A COMIC SUBSCRIPTION?

It's easy to order from Collector Zone! Simply drop us a line and let us know what you would like! We need three (3) important pieces of information from you so we can let you know when your goodies are in store:

  • Your full name
  • Phone number
  • Email address

We will also need to know if you will require your goodies to be posted, and if so we will also need your Postal Address!

After that, we need all the nitty gritty details of your order! For comic subscriptions, we need:

  • The TITLE of the series (eg. Amazing Spider-Man as opposed to simply Spider-Man)
  • The PUBLISHER of the series (eg. DC, Image, BOOM! etc.)
  • The FREQUENCY of publication (eg. ongoing monthly, 4-part miniseries, one-shot etc.)
  • The ISSUE NUMBER you would like to start with, whether it's #1 of a new series, or #300 in a flagship ongoing, there's never a better time to start than NOW!
  • The COVER you would like. The standard Cover A is assumed for every title unless you specify otherwise for each issue

For special orders of individual comic issues without a subscription, we require a 50% deposit which we can help you with upon ordering!

COMIC TERMS CHEAT-SHEET:

  • One-Shot: A one-shot is a self-contained story that only lasts a single issue that can be enjoyed on its own!
  • Mini-Series: A mini-series is a self-contained story that usually requires no prior reading - a perfect jumping on point! Mini-series' have a beginning and an end - they do not continue monthly like an ongoing series.
  • Ongoing: An ongoing series is a regularly published comic that is continually published - typically monthly. These are your "flagship" titles like Batman, Amazing Spider-Man, Detective Comics and so on
  • Anthology: An anthology comic is a series where each individual tells one or more self-contained stories that often do not require prior reading. Typically these comics have different writers and artists putting their own unique spin on a certain character for each story.
  • Trade Paperback: A trade paperback (or simply "trade") is typically 4 or 5 previously published issues of a comic series, collected in a "graphic novel" paperback format, and usually given a "volume" number. Sometimes these are also collected in a hardcover collection.
  • Compendium/Omnibus: These big books are a great value option for collection and reading longer series'. They typically collect about 40 - 50 single issues, which usually equates to roughly 6 - 10 volumes depending on the series. While they are more expensive upfront, it works out to be much cheaper in the long run as opposed to purchasing individual volumes - and it's a great way to binge read!
  • Absolute/Deluxe Edition: These are special editions of stories that usually contain bonus material such as cover galleries, preliminary sketch art and other supplementary goodies. Absolute Editions in particular from DC come in oversized hardcovers with a slipcase, and boast restored and sometimes colour-corrected art.
  • Event/Crossover: These are the Hollywood blockbusters of the comics world. Typically there will be a "main" event series of usually 4 or 5 issues, while other titles will "crossover" during the main event as each issue is released, showing how the event is affecting the rest of the characters in their own stories. Oftentimes just reading the main event won't give you the full picture and you will have to read these crossover titles to understand the full story.
  • Back Issue: A back issue is any comic book that is no longer "current". This can be anything from a few months old, all the way to vintage issues. We have an extensive range of back issues in our shop, so if you're collecting covers or filling gaps - come and visit us!
  • Manga: Manga refers to comics and graphic novels originating from Japan. While the term is often associated with books aimed at young children and teenagers (My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball, Jujutsu Kaisen) the medium includes work in an extremely broad range of genres aimed at all different age groups, such as action, horror, comedy, sport, erotica, mystery, romance, sci-fi and fantasy and even business and commerce! There really is something for everyone!