Free Comic Book Day, the best day of the whole year! We’ve all waited in lines, seen great cosplays, perhaps gotten an autograph from an in-store guest, and are now settling in to devour our haul. Basically, we all won today, each and every one of us. We got up early, dedicated our day to comics, supported our favorite local business, and got free comic books. So, as we tear through what we go, let’s share our choices!
I went to G-Mart Comics in Chicago for FCBD. They had doorbusters, random giveaways, grab bags, and a great selection of free comics. Limited to five comics, I grabbed Fight Club/The Goon, The Tick, Secret Wars #0, Help The CBLDF Defend Comics, and FCBD Attack on Titan. Once I got home, it was time to gather cough drops, tea, and cats (I have a cold) and go buckwild on some FCBD comics.
1. Secret Wars #0
Let’s cut right to the chase, shall we? Secret Wars #1 comes out this week, and everyone is collectively crapping their pants about it. Naturally, just as DC did in 2009 with Blackest Night #0 on FCBD, Marvel has created a hubbub with Secret Wars #0. Odds are you got it. If you did not, you missed a fine summary of the past year of the Avengers plotline of dealing with the incursions of planets. The story of the Avengers current interplanetary woes is told by Val Richards to the other children in the Future Foundation. The book is a nice jumping on point for anyone who has not followed the Avengers and is looking to get into the upcoming crossover epic. Following the Secret Wars crash course is an unexpected and entertaining Avengers/Attack on Titan story that was commissioned for Brutus Magazine in Japan. It is published in this issue for the first time in English. Marvel revved up the hype on Free Comic Book Day, and Secret Wars #0 has only added fuel to a bonfire they cannot stop adding fuel to.
2. The Tick FCBD
I’m the type of person who just doesn’t understand why more things aren’t The Tick. The Tick is the only tick I like. While in line to get into the comic shop today, I said that I imagined Heaven is a place where you are walking along and don’t see angels, you see a Tick cosplayer daily. I will watch everything Patrick Warburton does because I want him to always have a career because he’s The Tick (and because I love Patrick Warburton). Now that you understand my complete bias toward love for The Tick, I have to say that The Tick was everything I wanted it to be. It’s fun, it’s hysterical, there’s a good jab at Lost. While everyone was going crazy for Secret Wars in the comic book store, I was elbowing my way to The Tick. It was perfect. Thank you, FCBD, for a visit from an old friend.
3. Fight Club/The Goon FCBD
Last year I picked up Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #0 on Free Comic Book Day, fell in love with it, proposed marriage, and now am thumbing through drape samples with issue #6 and dreaming about our life together. Free Comic Book Day is the perfect way to get into comics in which you may or may not want to invest your hard-earned $3.99. Luckily, Dark Horse put out a sampler of a comic I’ve been wary about picking up: Fight Club. The story is a decent set-up for the series and is an intriguing lead into what might be a good continuation of the Fight Club plot. The Narrator, Tyler, and Marla are all back, so if you’re a fan of Fight Club, be sure to pick it up.
The second story in the book is a The Goon story in which The Goon ends up crashing a cotillion for vampire Confederate zombies, which is probably a relatively normal Thursday afternoon for The Goon.
4. Help The CBLDF Defend Comics!
I will always, always, always pick up anything the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund publishes whether I have to pay for it or not. The CBLDF, for those who are not familiar with the group, works to protect the First Amendment rights of comic books, comic book writers, artists, shops, and readers. Their publications always do a great job to illustrate what their mission statement is, and this one is fantastic. The book features a collection of stories about how comic books come under fire, and my favorite one is the Archie comic starring Kevin Keller.
The story opens with Kevin throwing shade at Veronica in the library. The librarian enters and announces a new graphic novel, titled “Out and About,” has arrived. Everyone is very excited as it is a graphic novel aimed to help queer teens with coming out of the closet, and it features Kevin Keller. This joyful conversation is interrupted by a pearl-clutching woman who deems the book smut and announces her crusade to get it banned from the library. Luckily, Kevin, who is the coolest person in Riverdale, knows to contact the CBLDF and have one of their representatives appear at the town hall meeting. The day is saved thanks to the First Amendment and democracy (two of my favorite things along with Kevin Keller…and Patrick Warburton)! Whenever you seen an opportunity to support the CBLDF, please do so!
5. Attack On Titan – Chapter One
Last weekend I was contemplating purchasing the first book of Attack on Titan and did not do it. Today, this was waiting on the table for me, and I got so excited that I had to look around to make sure it had not been placed on the free comics table by accident. I am very excited to get into this book, and I will probably just end up purchasing Attack on Titan weekly, so watch out for that. Thank you, Free Comic Book Day, for the first installment of what will probably be many months of tearing through this epic manga series.
That was my free comics haul, along with some new issues I’ll be talking about on Tuesday. Free Comic Book Day was, as it always is, a big nerd Christmas.
How was your Free Comic Book Day? What was the best thing you got? What did you get that you will start picking up monthly? Do you love Patrick Warburton? Let me know how your Free Comic Book Day was in the comments section!
