This past Saturday was Free Comic Book Day, a world-wide tradition celebrating comic books, comic book stories, and comic book stores. Celebrating it’s 15th year, FCBD is a fun event, a chance to party and more importantly a chance to support independent businesses and creators – as well as get free stuff.
The events are varied and differ from store to store. Many stores offer free books, but each store strives to out do each other in entertainment as well as offerings. From talented cosplayers to artists who arrive and draw free stuff, it’s an event that you should plan to experience at least once in your life if you have the remotest interest in comic books. There’s plenty of other fun stuff to stare at and do as well.
Free Comic Book Day is an outreach effort. It's a perfect way to introduce new readers to the wonderful medium of comics. I love it. #fcbd
— Charles Soule (@CharlesSoule) May 7, 2016
This year there were several offerings from Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Independent publishers, and a ton of free stuff available. I did have to work at my day job, however I was lucky enough to be able to take the time to visit my local store Biggy’s comics and games.
The best part about Free comic book day is the chance to connect to local nerd culture without being at a convention. This weekend was all about surprises focusing on how many of my coworkers are also free comic book day fans. (although deep down I shouldn’t be surprised. We all work for a giant mouse naturally we’d all be proud to be weird and a little crazy.)
We waited in line for an hour and I was pleased to see there was a line, a big one. The shop had lined up a lot of toy offerings and discounted trade paperbacks outside that people browsed. We took the time to discuss Agents of SHIELD (Was more then pleased to find a number of my coworkers enjoyed the series and that several of them were very pro-Hive. #InhumanandProud) As well as the upcoming X-men films (Let’s go Apocalypse! Dazzler! The joy of seeing baby Scott Summers!) before we were let into the store.
It’s important to remember that each shop does a ton of preparation for Free Comic Book Day. In addition to Biggy’s offering us the traditional titles (you can find a list of them Here. we had a ton of dollar comics. I walked away with a massive stack including some Batwoman, some Suicide Squad (that’s another movie we couldn’t wait for) and a ton of extra Marvel stuff including some Uncanny Inhumans.
Free Comic Book Day is an expense however and publishers and local retailers do lose money. I made a couple of purchases You’re under no obligation to do so if you take a trip, simply realize that while the studios might make money on the movies, oftentimes a lot of the people who put their heart and soul into creating these characters see different revenue streams.
I’m excited to catch up with Punisher before I start on @beckycloonan‘s run with the character. I’d never met Rachel Cole before and thanks to free comic book day I get a chance to!
AS far as as major marvel offerings, Marvel did release a book, a very special book although I feel like a lot of people might find it very dividing it introduces a LOT of really scary stuff into the comic book universe. A war is brewing guys, and it’ll be anything but civil. Stay tuned for our review but in the meantime – All I want to say is Man that guy can’t catch a BREAK.
Free Comic Book Day is a lot of fun, and no matter what drives you to the comic book store the first Saturday in May it’s a fun chance to commune with geek culture. The free stuff becomes almost secondary when you’re chatting up movies and pop culture. It’s a ton of fun and a must recommend, must experience if you’re the remotest fan of Marvel, or of comic books period.
Here’s a shot from my surprise run-away free comic book day hit. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have quite a stack of reading to get through.