Free Comic Book Day Haul

This past Saturday (5/5/12) was the annual Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) event.  I'm lucky enough to have a big and equally awesome comic book store located in Charlotte, NC (Heroes Aren't Hard to Find).  Each and every year they do up FCBD big.  In addition to all of the free books available they bring in all sorts of artists to do free sketches.  Yes, free!  Most of these guys and gals don't skimp on the sketches either.  In years past I've gotten some awesome art from Mark Brooks that he easily could've charged $40+ for.

While my interest in comics may have waned a bit I was still excited to attend the event so I took my oldest daughter and met my brother for breakfast before the event.  Other than one book I really didn't know which publishers were participating and what titles would have free books.  I figured Marvel would do something Avengers since the movie and all just launched in the U.S.  Pretty much though I was flying blind.

After we ate we got to the store about 15 minutes after they had opened and the crowd was already out of control.  I'd like to say I had fun browsing the comic racks, but there were so many people in the store I couldn't step back from the rack far enough to see anything that was on display from the middle down.  If the fire marshal had driven by I'm sure the store would've been fined by the sheer amount of people crammed inside.

I did manage to get my hands on a fair amount of free comics for myself and a few for my daughter.  I wanted to browse the discount boxes they pulled out, but both my daughter and I were already tired of being stuck in the crowed so we left and went to Target.  I promised her a new My Little Pony so I had to make good on my promise.

Back to the books.  Here is what I ended up taking home with me.

I have no idea what this book is about, but that's what FCBD is all about - trying new things.  Arcana Comics decided to launch this new title with issue #1 being the freebie.  From a marketing angle I can see this working as plenty of people will read the first issue and many may want to know what happens next and pick up issue #2.

How could I pass up a free Star Wars comic?  I also noticed the Whedon name on the front so I thought why not.

I didn't notice at first, but the Star Wars book is actually a flip book w/ a Serenity story on the reverse side!

Flip the book over and you'll see why I was interested...

Wrath of the Titans baby!  I can't wait to read this one as the cover is awesome looking.  Check out Medusa there in the lower corner.

Never been much of a fan of Witchblade, but it was free and I saw Tim Seeley's name on the cover.  I loved his art from his Devil's Due G.I. Joe days.

Image decided to go with a big flip book packed with stories from several different series - none of which I'm familiar with.

Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.  Need I say more?

I became a huge fan of Abnett & Lanning with their various cosmic stories over at Marvel Comics so I'm really eager to read this.  If it's as good as I hope I may have to look into this title as a regular read.

This is the book I was wanting the most...Transformers: Regeneration One.  Simon Furman finally gets to continue the stories he started way back when for Marvel Comics.  I actually already have this book coming to me thru my mail order subscription so Arkvander - if you're reading this and forgot about this book - it's all yours.

I wasn't surprised to see a freebie Avengers book.  From flipping through it while at the shop it appears to be a new story.  Not a fan of Bryan Hitch's cover art though, blah.

I didn't know about this Spider-Man book, but with the new Amazing Spider-Man movie right around the corner this one shouldn't be a big surprise.

Both the Avengers and Spider-Man book have this big ad on the back.  Since I dropped ASM from my reading list last fall I really don't know what this is about...but I'm intrigued.  

Outside of the obvious reasons to be excited about FCBD it acts as a perfect launching pad of sorts for the big annual comic book convention that Heroes also hosts - Heroes Convention.  This year my wife is planning on coming with me to hunt through all those bargain boxes.  I think she is more interested however in getting a hotel room in uptown Charlotte so she can have a night to sleep with no children!  I do look forward to this time we get to spend together and her help will be much appreciated.