Back in the good old days (or bad old days, depending on your outlook), it was all any comic reader could do to keep from fantasizing about clipping subscription cards from their funnybooks and sending away for every title a publisher offered.

Compared to newsstand prices, subscription rates offered staggeringly awesome pricing (at least in the early '90s when I started getting "Sonic the Hedgehog" in the mail as a kid).

But as I grew older and started commuting to comic book shops, buying trade paperbacks and downloading digital comics for mobile devices, I kind of assumed old-fashioned mail-in subscriptions were dead.

Totally wrong!

While surfing the 'net I came upon a banner ad for "StarCraft" comic subscriptions through Wildstorm. Needless to say, I was rather intrigued by the notion. Really, when was the last time you saw a subscription ad in a mainstream comic book (that wasn't an "Archie" title)?

A few Google searches later, I'd uncovered an astonishing truth. Not only do Marvel and DC still offer subscriptions, they're actually a pretty good deal. Seriously, think $2.25 per issue instead of $2.99 or even $3.99.

Sure, subscription deals only really apply to super hero titles from the big two and most fans will still have to trek to the comic shop to pick up specials, annuals, limited series and event titles (a healthy percentage of most addicts' diets), but for the steady reader, a subscription or two could very well save some dough - just don't tell your comic book retailer I told you, okay?