Free Comic Book Day
Yep, I went over to the Source, and picked up the bag o'comics.
The Adventures of Paul: Michel Rabagliati is a French-Canadian cartoonist who's done several semi-fictional graphic novels about "Paul." This comic has stories from ages 9, 12 and 21 or so.
Alternative Comics Presents: A Mature Readers title, though with less naked women than "the Adventures of Paul", an all-ages title. Go figure. Numerous short features, some even amusing/thoughtful.
Arcana Studio Presents: Kade, Ezra, 100 Girls and Starkweather. Gothic swashbuckling, barbarian action, SciFi thriller and urban fantasy respectively.
The Batman Strikes!: "Penguin Rising" Based on the latest animated series. Batman fights the returning Penguin. So-so. Includes the information that the phoenix is "the ancient Egyptian bird of death."
Betty & Veronica: "Model Citizen" The Riverdale girls participate in a fashion design contest (with a surprise winner) and Katy Keene is reintroduced to the Archieverse in a new young version.
Bone Sharps, Cowboys and Thunder Lizards: A history of paleontology in the Gilded Age, featuring the skullduggery and excitement of science. Just a few fragments from the upcoming graphic novel.
Bongo Comics Gimme Gimme Giveaway: Two Simpsons stories, one Futureama, and a Plasmo the Mystic backup. If you like the cartoons, you might also enjoy the comic books.
Buzzboy: Youthful supers. Backup features are Major Damage (kid in grownup body) and Roboy Red (robot on the run.)
Comics Festival: An anthology of Canadian artists, most of whom will be in Toronto for a festival later this month. Spot the EC fans!
Darkstalkers/GI Joe/Defexx: All from Devil's Due Publishing. Horror-tinged fighting videogame, fantasy counterterrorism, and thriller/supers adventure, respectively.
The Fantagraphics Funny Book: More "mature readers" stuff. Has considerably more sex/scatology than "Alternative Comics."
Flare Adventures: The light-wielding heroine, with backup features of Black Enchantress and Psyche. For fans of "good girl" art.
Flight: A boy and his dog build an airplane. Good stuff. The backup story is about an abandoned robot and his sparrow friend.
Hysteria/Sharknife: Oni Press. Action-adventure on a tropical island, and a metamorphic martial arts melee, respectively.
Impact University: Several excerpts from this publishers' "how to draw comics" books. Quite a few of the other free comics had a page or two dedicated to the process of making comics as well.
Johnny Raygun: Three stories about a superagent in a superhero world. Light-hearted.
Keenspot Spotlight 2005: Advertisement for the webcomic site. Thickest of the books I got, some new material, some reprints.
Marvel Adventures: "The Chameleon Strikes!" A remixed version of Spidey's attempt to join the Fantastic Four.
Mortal Coils Presents Free Bodies: Four short stories, the first of which just doesn't make it for me.
Owly Splashin' Around: Slightly anthropomorphized owl builds a birdbath. Minimal words, good for sharing with small children.
Ronin Hood of the Samurai: Robin Hood set in feudal Japan. The archery contest has a huge twist to it....
Runners Remastered: SF. A mixed-species spaceship crew finds out their contact has been attacked by raiders in a very untypical way, and investigate the mystery.
Sneak Peek: Viz paperback with glimpses of their upcoming manga volumes.
Star Wars: Approximately 4 1/2 months before Revenge of the Sith begins, Obi Wan and Anakin attempt to catch the baddies off guard. Too bad it's a trap.
Superior Showcase: Three odd superhero stories.
Tokyopop Sneaks: A bunch more manga volume glimpses. Wow, what a surprise.
Top 100 Trade Paperbacks of All Time: Wizard counts down a bunch of collections and graphic novels they like.
Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: "Only A Poor Old Man". Another classic Carl Barks story, with a truly wicked twist to how the Beagle Boys are defeated.
More details on request.
The Adventures of Paul: Michel Rabagliati is a French-Canadian cartoonist who's done several semi-fictional graphic novels about "Paul." This comic has stories from ages 9, 12 and 21 or so.
Alternative Comics Presents: A Mature Readers title, though with less naked women than "the Adventures of Paul", an all-ages title. Go figure. Numerous short features, some even amusing/thoughtful.
Arcana Studio Presents: Kade, Ezra, 100 Girls and Starkweather. Gothic swashbuckling, barbarian action, SciFi thriller and urban fantasy respectively.
The Batman Strikes!: "Penguin Rising" Based on the latest animated series. Batman fights the returning Penguin. So-so. Includes the information that the phoenix is "the ancient Egyptian bird of death."
Betty & Veronica: "Model Citizen" The Riverdale girls participate in a fashion design contest (with a surprise winner) and Katy Keene is reintroduced to the Archieverse in a new young version.
Bone Sharps, Cowboys and Thunder Lizards: A history of paleontology in the Gilded Age, featuring the skullduggery and excitement of science. Just a few fragments from the upcoming graphic novel.
Bongo Comics Gimme Gimme Giveaway: Two Simpsons stories, one Futureama, and a Plasmo the Mystic backup. If you like the cartoons, you might also enjoy the comic books.
Buzzboy: Youthful supers. Backup features are Major Damage (kid in grownup body) and Roboy Red (robot on the run.)
Comics Festival: An anthology of Canadian artists, most of whom will be in Toronto for a festival later this month. Spot the EC fans!
Darkstalkers/GI Joe/Defexx: All from Devil's Due Publishing. Horror-tinged fighting videogame, fantasy counterterrorism, and thriller/supers adventure, respectively.
The Fantagraphics Funny Book: More "mature readers" stuff. Has considerably more sex/scatology than "Alternative Comics."
Flare Adventures: The light-wielding heroine, with backup features of Black Enchantress and Psyche. For fans of "good girl" art.
Flight: A boy and his dog build an airplane. Good stuff. The backup story is about an abandoned robot and his sparrow friend.
Hysteria/Sharknife: Oni Press. Action-adventure on a tropical island, and a metamorphic martial arts melee, respectively.
Impact University: Several excerpts from this publishers' "how to draw comics" books. Quite a few of the other free comics had a page or two dedicated to the process of making comics as well.
Johnny Raygun: Three stories about a superagent in a superhero world. Light-hearted.
Keenspot Spotlight 2005: Advertisement for the webcomic site. Thickest of the books I got, some new material, some reprints.
Marvel Adventures: "The Chameleon Strikes!" A remixed version of Spidey's attempt to join the Fantastic Four.
Mortal Coils Presents Free Bodies: Four short stories, the first of which just doesn't make it for me.
Owly Splashin' Around: Slightly anthropomorphized owl builds a birdbath. Minimal words, good for sharing with small children.
Ronin Hood of the Samurai: Robin Hood set in feudal Japan. The archery contest has a huge twist to it....
Runners Remastered: SF. A mixed-species spaceship crew finds out their contact has been attacked by raiders in a very untypical way, and investigate the mystery.
Sneak Peek: Viz paperback with glimpses of their upcoming manga volumes.
Star Wars: Approximately 4 1/2 months before Revenge of the Sith begins, Obi Wan and Anakin attempt to catch the baddies off guard. Too bad it's a trap.
Superior Showcase: Three odd superhero stories.
Tokyopop Sneaks: A bunch more manga volume glimpses. Wow, what a surprise.
Top 100 Trade Paperbacks of All Time: Wizard counts down a bunch of collections and graphic novels they like.
Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: "Only A Poor Old Man". Another classic Carl Barks story, with a truly wicked twist to how the Beagle Boys are defeated.
More details on request.