Free Comic Book Day 2006

May 2, 2006 9:16 AM

Free Comic Book Day - May 6, 2006 : It's that time again! ZAP! POW! Kaboooooom! Your local comic book store will be offering free samples from your favorite publishers. [FAQ]
posted by blue_beetle (19 comments total)

blue_beetle, shouldn't you be out fighting crime?
posted by NationalKato at 9:24 AM on May 2, 2006

Huh. While two out of the three comic locales in Harvard Square are doing this, the only one that's not part of some chain, Million Year Picnic, is not.

I thought FCBD was a grass-roots sort of thing? Of course, my sample size is pretty dang small, but I'd have thought it was more likely that the chains would turn up their nose at this sort of thing than the little guys.

That said, I wants me some JLA.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:34 AM on May 2, 2006

Sparse pickin's this year, 'cept for the Donald Duck.

Still, get out there folks!
At these prices, you can't afford not to!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:58 AM on May 2, 2006

Runaways was really good (v1, at least) so it's nice to see that might be getting a bit more exposure. I'm surprised DC aren't giving away one of the One Year Later books - you'd think they'd want to drum up interest in the semi-reboot dealie, but I guess the JLU cartoon tie-in is a lot more accessible, so that's pretty cool too.

Apart from that, Owly and maybe the Fantagraphics collection thing, yeah, they really are slim pickings this year. It's a shame - I've always thought FCBD was a great chance for people to get into a medium that can be completely incomprehensible for newcomers, and it's a pity the big names aren't getting into it a bit more.

Oh, and I'm impressed the Blue Beetle is posting on Mefi at all, considering the gaping headwound and all... poor Ted *sniff*.
posted by terpsichoria at 10:09 AM on May 2, 2006

Thanks for the heads up.
posted by If I Had An Anus at 10:42 AM on May 2, 2006

awesome. wish their variety would expand though.
posted by Doorstop at 11:17 AM on May 2, 2006

there's a new blue beetle, terpsichoria.
posted by keswick at 11:18 AM on May 2, 2006

This year, Alvy? Have the free offerings every not sucked?
posted by phearlez at 12:06 PM on May 2, 2006

I know, keswick (I'm loving the book so far, too, crazy Guy Gardner and all), but b_b has Ted on his userpage...
posted by terpsichoria at 12:29 PM on May 2, 2006

I dunno, last year the Festival and Fantagraphics books had a really solid line-ups, and the first Scrooge McDuck story was reprinted.
I realize a lot of it is geared towards getting the tykes in there, but this year nothing really pops out.

And hell yeah to the DC Book; One Year Later gets no love, but Superman/Batman written by Hacky 'Commando' Hackerson gets a boost?
Makes Bizarro so happy.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:36 PM on May 2, 2006

It's been 40 years since Batman was on the air. Can we please get comics out of the gutter by not using sound effects to describe them to the layman?
posted by DonnieSticks at 12:56 PM on May 2, 2006

I know what you mean, DonnieSticks, but Marvel and DC aren't helping by insisting on still using stupid onomatopaeic sound-effects in comics whose art (Catwoman v2 springs to mind) really, really doesn't suit it...
posted by terpsichoria at 1:03 PM on May 2, 2006

Gosh! I’d sure like to fuck that Wonder Woman...

...oh, yeah, out of the gutter, right, sorry.

Did DC/Marvel hit the reset button or something? Why do movies have so much impact on the comic world? I mean is there some reason the movies are more canon worthy than years and years of history?
posted by Smedleyman at 2:19 PM on May 2, 2006

I'm not sure what you're getting at, Smedleyman - both the publishers have cherry-picked bits and pieces from the movies to incorporate into the comics over the years, and DC in particular aren't averse to the occasional semi-reset (although the current one isn't really altering the past so much as trying to ensure all the future comics feel like they're set in a coherent, consistent world), but I can't think of any comic-based movies that have directly affected continuity.
posted by terpsichoria at 2:38 PM on May 2, 2006

Why do movies have so much impact on the comic world? I mean is there some reason the movies are more canon worthy than years and years of history?

Probably because the best selling comic makes $800,000 and the average one seems be around $150,000 a month. Spider-Man makes $800 million worldwide and even Daredevil pulls in $175 million worldwide. Even if you factor in the huge movie budgets and the 6 Spider-Man comics a month, it would still take decades of comics to match the profits of the movie.

I'm not saying I like it, but money can be a powerful motivator.
posted by Gary at 4:13 PM on May 2, 2006

To clarify, they alter the comics to be more "fan friendly" after a movie or tv show become popular. Although, the only recent occurrence I can think of off the top of my head is bringing John Stewart into the Justice League because he was in the cartoon version. Because the movies / television shows are more popular and make far more money, the influence appears to be decidedly one-way.
posted by Gary at 4:18 PM on May 2, 2006

Does this actually work? Does anyone who isn't into comics already bother to find a comic store to get their free not-especially-good comic?
posted by smackfu at 7:29 PM on May 2, 2006

I'm not sure, robocop is bleeding. It I was going to speculate that it might be because Million Year Picnic is so very indie - a very significant portion of their selection consists of foreign stuff, obscure stuff, indie stuff, etc. However, it looks like the list of comics isn't really totally dominated by DC/Marvel. I'm rather surprised as well. Maybe if I make it there on Saturday or Sunday as I was planning to do, I'll ask them.
posted by ubersturm at 10:41 PM on May 2, 2006

I haven't read comics since Elfquest was new, and I'll probably drop by a local comics store just to see what might be there.

So, yeah, maybe it does work.
posted by QIbHom at 10:09 AM on May 3, 2006