This Week in Comics (FREE COMIC BOOK DAY & My Pull List for 5-1-24)

Ummm… Free Comic Book Day.  The first Saturday in May has been “Free Comic Book Day” for 22 years.  It is a chance for people to visit their local comic book shop (a VERY SCARY PLACE) and pick up FREE comics provided by the shop and the publishers.  Each year is a little different, sometimes there are previews to new series, or maybe the launch of the summer universe shattering event.  I think last year they gave out a preview to “Primer” which just released issue 2 last week and is really good, so with some previews you may have to be patient.

For some (like teachers) this is a great time to stock up on comics for your classroom. Caveat Emptor, while Free Comic Book Day originally focused on all ages titles, now free comics range from those for kids to those that will get you fired if they are found in your classroom.  

How Does It Work? 

Each shop is different.  Some will bring in guests or invite cosplayers to come out.  Making it an event. With it coinciding with “May the Fourth” expect to see a lot of Star Wars themed stuff.  Some will give away one of every title, while other shops will ask you to choose a limited number of titles.  There may be sales, or coupons to get you to come back later.  This is not the time to come in and ask about specific titles or have a conversation about your favorite comic.  Yes, talk to folks working (be polite).  Usually shops are slammed with people and are just trying to keep their heads above water.  While it isn’t the time to ask questions, it is a perfect time to check out a shop and decide if you may want to return and ask those questions.  If you are a teacher, check out their all ages section and see if they have a lot to choose from… return later to talk to them about your students and what might work for your classroom.  The people who work at a comic shop are knowledgeable and if they can’t help you, they can point you in the right direction. 

One thing… if you can, buy something, don’t just grab free comics and run.  The shop does have to pay for the comics they give away, and it is nice to support your LCS since without you, they may go out of business.

Also, if you are unable to make it to a comic book shop (a VERY SCARY PLACE) check to see what your local library may be doing.  I know the Indianapolis Public Library Branches will have free comics available on Saturday (while supplies last).  I’m not sure of what titles they will have and their selection (due to Indiana Law 🙄) will probably be limited.

So what is being offered this year that I recommend?

Descriptions are from: https://www.freecomicbookday.com/ I’m not one of those fancy influencers who get things early and sent to them free.

These are ones I would pick up for my classroom spinner rack and even ask (the next week) if the shop had leftovers since they will go missing.

Unicorn Crush preview – Love and magic are in the air in this enchanting collection of Phoebe and Her Unicorn comic strips featuring Phoebe and her one-of-a-kind unicorn friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. Young readers will enjoy the caring and comedic adventures of this colorful duo as they rediscover the magic in themselves and in each other. Whether you’re a devoted fan or new to the spellbinding world of Phoebe and Marigold, Unicorn Crush will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm, sparkly feeling in your heart.

Witches of Brooklyn – The smash-hit Witches of Brooklyn series returns! Join Effie and friends on a one-of-a-kind, magical adventure in this new story from Sophie Escabasse. Featuring fun activities, new and existing fans can jump right into this exclusive comic! 

Investi-Gators – Get a sneak peek at book 8 in John Patrick Green’s bestselling InvestiGators series! Mango and Brash have always been a class act but can these alligator detectives convincingly go undercover as middle-school students to protect a team mascot? And is it a coincidence that the school is the same one Agent Mango (just barely) graduated from? Find out in Class Action!

Katie the Catsitter & Max Meow – Go on a CAT-TASTIC adventure with Max Meow and Katie the Catsitter! Your favorite crime-fighting superheroes are back with two exclusive excerpts packed into one purr-fect comic-featuring more cats, more villains, and who knows? Maybe these meow-riffic heroes will even join forces to save the day! With bonus activities included, readers and cat fans everywhere will love this furr-ociously fun comic! 

The Night Librarian – Night at the Museum meets The Land of Stories in this thrilling new graphic novel adventure series in which two siblings, a mysterious Night Librarian, and a motley cast of book characters try to save the New York Public Library. Twins Page and Turner know about the magic a library holds-they’ve been going to their beloved New York City public library for years, especially since their parents are always traveling for work.But a secret mission involving their dad’s rare and valuable edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula uncovers a world they’ve never known, featuring a mysterious Night Librarian, famous heroes (and villains) that have broken free from classic books, and an epic battle to save the library from total destruction!

Boom Box 10th Anniversary Special – Celebrate a decade of BOOM! Box whimsy and fun! This special FCBD issue contains an exclusive look at brand new series from BOOM! Box, alongside some returning favorites and a whole bunch of fun surprises. To help celebrate the milestone, this special will also feature a heartfelt look back at the history of the imprint and the people who made it all possible!

You might have noticed I have avoided most of the major publishers (DC/Marvel) or more of the pop culture (Disney) based titles. I would pride myself on putting comics out to kids that weren’t based on a TV show, or movie because I hoped that kids would see comics as a storytelling medium and not a genre that dealt with superheroes.  Although many teachers seem to disapprove of using multimodal literacy (comics & graphic novels) as a way to introduce concepts and some parents think comics are “fluff” that ruin a kids imagination 🙄 as you can guess, I wholeheartedly disagree. I divested myself of most of my classroom library at the end of last year, and unfortunately sometimes the really good titles go out of print, so if you have a chance, pick up these while you can. I’ll have to ramble about comics in the classroom sometime in more depth – you have been warned.

This Week’s Comics:

Sons of Star Trek #2 – When last we left Jake, Nog, and Alexander they had been transported to another reality in which they were members of Starfleet on the U.S.S. Avery with an interesting crew, some of which were dead or never in Starfleet in our timeline. Gul Ducat (Captain not “Gul”), Liam Shaw (Chief Engineer), Tuvix, Jadzia (not joined to the Dax symbiote), Beckett Mariner, Morn, etc. Against the Breen and they’ve only died 57 times. Will they survive, will QJ (Q Junior) be able to guide them into becoming the best versions of themselves? This issue focuses mostly on Alexander’s trauma from following the Red Path and the group deciding to trust each other and the crew as they try to survive the 58th time in this temporal loop and hopefully break the cycle.

Power Pack Intro The Storm #5 – How do the Power Pack save Franklin Richards and get home? One of the joys of reading most comics taking place in the past with characters you know are still active is knowing that they will survive. So it’s more of a chance to see how an event may have shaped them into the hero they currently are. In this case <No Spoilers, really> they all survive and return to Earth safe and sound.

The Flash Annual 2024 – What is an Annual issue? It is an issue with more pages and usually does a couple things- it can kick off a new story line and using those extra pages really help build up the importance of the story. It can complete a story arc using those pages to get into more detail or at least allow the writer and artist more room to finish the tale. It can also be a stand alone story that uses those extra pages to help develop characters and maybe introduce someone new… This is none of those things. I came into it thinking this the whole arc dealing with Wally trying to figure out life, the universe, and everything would come to an end and we would return to something more akin to superhero comic storytelling. I was mistaken, and hope that once this arc is over I may be able to comeback and reread the individual issues and gain something from it. Right now, I’m not so sure. One thing I have learned, is usually the minute I decide to stop reading a title, It suddenly gets good and you can’t find any of the issues you need, so I will embrace the still force and be patient.

The White Trees: A Blacksand Tale The Complete Edition – I’ve read a number of stories written by Chip Zdarsky… none f them all ages, but all them really unique. This is one of those stories. Fantasy dealing with the aftermath of a war and how people deal with it. It also has to do with that great bit about how power corrupts. Let’s just say three old warriors (once friends) go on a quest to find their missing children only to discover the lies that people tell to get things done…

The Whisper Queen: A Black Sand Tale #1 – “The Long Awaited Sequel to The White Trees: A Blacksand Tale” I guess that should mean something to someone who read the first part, as someone who got the “Complete Edition” at the same time I was a bit confused, since I hadn’t been waiting too long, and could have even read them in the wrong order if I just read through my stack without looking at covers. Even more confusing was the “Complete Edition had an ad on the back cover that was a duplicate of the cover of this issue. The folks at my LCS almost thought I was buying two of the same comics!

I wrote that first part before reading anything, because I was confused… This story starts off where the The White Trees ended with a chase to find the those who have run off. Of course we deal with different sides of the story having reading part one, we know what really happened, and now we deal with the next part from the perspective of people who know a lot of the secrets the past, but not what really happened just one issue ago. We are now on another quest to find a child this one not lost but on their own mission. OK, this “child” is as much of a child as those in the first story. As I have told my little brothers- it doesn’t matter how old you are- I can call you “kid” until the day I die since I changed your diapers. Looking forward to the next issue, Zdarsky weaves a wonderful tale. and I am caught up in this one. Glad I read them in the right order.