Free Comic Book Day Titles Announced
Free Comic Book Day is fast approaching, and the titles that will be available on that magical day at your local comic shop are now posted on the official FCBD website. Movie and television tie-ins look like the name of the game again this year, with Marvel, Dark Horse and IDW all offering titles based on current or upcoming big- and small-screen projects.
Of course, be sure to keep in mind that you can always find free comics here on ComicMix every day of the year, so if you dig that whole "free comics" scene, make sure you check out our archive of free comics.
But I digress…
Some of the highlights of the 2008 Free Comic Book Day titles include:
First-issue reprints of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All Star Superman and the kids-oriented Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco, comprise DC’s FCBD offernigs — and should definitely generate some interest in the collected All Star Superman editions.
Marvel offers up another original issue with a FCBD 2008 story involving the X-Men. With a Mike Carey script and art by Greg Land, it looks like the Merry Marvel Marketing Machine certainly didn’t phone it in on the free stuff. Oh, and as a tie-in to the upcoming big-screen debut of Iron Man, they’re also offering a Marvel Adventures story featuring Iron Man and the Mandarin.
Dark Horse Comics wants to make sure readers are prepped for the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army in theaters, so they’re offering a preview of all things Hellboy in their FCBD issue.
To celebrate the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Dark Horse Comics presents an all-Hellboy/B.P.R.D. extravaganza for Free Comic Book Day 2008! Hellboy creator Mike Mignola teams up with Hellboy: Darkness Calls artist Duncan Fegredo for a look into Hellboy’s nightmares; Mignola also teams with h is B.P.R.D. team of John Arcudi and Guy Davis for a breathtaking twist to recent events at the Bureau — a preview of the events in the upcoming series The Warning; and Hellboy Universe newcomers Joshua Dysart (Swamp Thing) and Paul Azaceta (Grounded) team with Mignola for another look into the world of their B.P.R.D.: 1946 series for an adv enture from the early days of both the Bureau and its most famous member! A perfect jumping-on point for new readers and a terrific treat for seasoned fans of the rich Hellboy mythos!
For the kids, make sure you pick up a copy of Owly and Friends, Top Shelf’s collection of kid-oriented stories that are so good you’ll probably want to check them out yourself, too. The issue will feature stories from (of course) Andy Runton’s excellent Owly series, as well as a personal favorite of mine, Christian Slade’s Korgi. Oh, and James Kochalka contributes a story, too — and you can never go wrong with Kochalka. Never.
Top Cow has a three-for-one preview of Broken Trinity, their upcoming crossover between the worlds of The Darkness, Witchblade and The Angelus, featuring the creative team of Ron Marz & Stjepan Sejic.
Del Ray and the Dabel Bros. will provide a collection of previews from upcoming titles that could interest the horror and sci-fi crowd, including The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle and Dean Koontz’ Frankenstein: Prodigal Son.
Transformers Animated from IDW will contain a print version of the upcoming television series’ debut episode, and promises to include "young Optimus Prime, veteran Ratchet" and other familiar characters.
Devil’s Due will continue to ride the success of their critically praised series Drafted with an FCBD 2008 tie-in issue. This series is GREAT, so the tie-in is a must-have FCBD offering.
For horror fans, the E.C. Comics Sampler will collect four classic stories from the old line, including Alex Toth and Harvey Kurtzman’s “Dying City” from Two-Fisted Tales #22.
The Moth: Greatest Hits should help anyone interested in the old Steve Rude series get up to speed, and promises "sexy bearded ladys, ill-tempered smoking midgets, and a 24-year-old in a Moth costume in charge of running a circus." They sure know how to sell a series, eh?
A full list of the comics to be offered at this year’s Free Comic Book Day can be found on the event’s official website. The titles are divided into FCBD Gold Sponsors and FCBD Silver Sponsors. Free Comic Book Day is held on the first Saturday of May each year (May 3 this time around).