Free Comic Book Day is here! (FCBD)
IT’S FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (or FCBD)!
I know I shouldn’t scream into your eyes like that, but I’m excited. FCBD is a little Christmas event at your local comic shop, and I know you’re going. Now, when you get there you may see a pile of comics labeled “free”. But which to get?! Well, this is the time to experiment! Snag a couple with cool covers if you want, but you SHOULD ask the clerk what they are about. I mean, they work in comic shop, and any employee worth their salt should know at least a couple! Here in this article I shall provide a couple of my recommendations for the kids as well as some new Mature titles that have kicked off recently you can easily jump on.
All-ages:
Time Shifters – A new original graphic novel by Chris Grine about a boy who stumbles across a time traveling device and is pursued by a group of bizarre, interdimensional henchmen (like a meek Vampire Napoleon) who want the device for their master. He is helped out by an equally weird group of characters (like Robot Lincoln) who appear to be trying to keep the device out of the wrong hands. It’s excellent for kids and adults. I would recommend reading it to your kids, cause then you can “do the voices”. There are even a couple great gags in there that the grown-ups can laugh at, like a Bug-man and his sour wife bickering. I would compare it to Time-Bandits and Back to the Future, but all-ages. This one really has heart and could be a timeless tale.
Colorful Monsters – Drawn & Quarterly’s book has 4 longer tales from different titles. Everything is kid safe and these are quality stories that are well worth free-dollars.
Spongebob Freestyle Funnies – Nickelodeon’s crass tie-in makes a good segue into comics if your child is learning to read and knows the characters.
Alright, time to put the kids to bed and head into Mature territory.
While the kiddos are digging through the free comics, you can head over to the shelves and check out these newer titles:
Plastic – Edwyn, a government spook has his violent and vile urges kept in check by Virginia, a girl he “met online”, as they tour the back roads of America. Things go to hell when a billionaire kidnaps Virginia and forces Edwyn to use his “skills” to ensure Virginia’s freedom. A bizarre, twisted, intense horror comic. Imagine Norman Bates from Psycho crossed with Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson’s character) from Taken.
Seven to Eternity – It’s only on issue #5 so you can pick up Vol 1 and the current issue for less than $15. The whole thing is high fantasy with a Western feel. Adam Osidis is a dying knight from a disgraced family who is one of the last few openly opposing the God of Whispers. The God of Whispers (a.k.a The Mud King) is an omnipresent being who has the ability to see and hear ANYTHING through ANYONE’s eyes and ears, so long as they allow it by accepting a deal with him. The Mud King can be quite persuasive, so he controls most of the world. Adam must decide between saving his life and the lives of his family and compromising everything his family has stood for. Will the bamboo bend, or will it break? I can’t really describe the comic in a general sense. It’s PHENOMENAL art, excellent writing, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Extremity – Another title that is only a couple issues in. This one takes place in a fantasy/dieselpunk/Mad Max world and is about a girl named Thea whose family is destroyed by a rival clan. They come and attack her family and cut off her right hand. You see, Thea is renowned for her art and the invading clan knows this so they cut it off and threaten her father with losing more if they do no submit to being ruled. Thea and her remaining clan embark on a quest for vengeance that will pit them against man, machine, and monster. Imagine something like Howl’s Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke meets Mad Max.
Well, that’s enough to get you rolling. Keep looking the shelves over folks, it gives the kids more time to check out the free stuff. Plus your purchases help offset the cost of all those free comics for the kids! Support your local comic shop! #LCS
