First, let's talk about a topic that everyone loves--getting something for nothing. In just three days, the 2011 edition of Free Comic Book Day will be upon us. And you know what that means.
Free comics!
Now, sure, a lot of these free comics are reprints, but there's still some very cool, all-new material being offered up by the publishers. You can check out the complete list of comics that will be available this Saturday (May 7) right here.
Now, people's experiences on Free Comic Book Day vary wildly, depending on their local store(s). Some stores have big sales, or creator signings to celebrate the day, while others hand out the free books, but other than that, business goes about as usual.Personally, I like it when stores have a bit of an event--it's a good day for it, as it's become tradition for a comic book movie to open on the same weekend as FCBD. However, there are a good number of stores that simply don't partake in what should be a nice occasion for comics fans--and, frankly, for people who don't read comics regularly.
Let's face it; a person is way more likely to walk into a store that is giving stuff away for free than they would be otherwise. Especially a comics shop. Yes, there's still that wonderful stigma that goes along with comics shops. You know the one I'm talking about.
But doing a little something extra for FCBD is a great way to get new people in the store, and maybe more importantly, to do something special for regular customers. Sure, the goal is to bring in new readers and to somehow keep them over a long period of time.
But FCBD is also for the long-time fan; the Wednesday Warrior. So here's hoping that your store will do something fun and different, and maybe even something that will bring it a little bit of press.
Anyway, be sure to hit up your local comics shop on Saturday, and leave comments right here on the blog to let us know what your plans are. In the meantime, though, there's plenty of not-free comics on the shelves today.
So let's dive in.
First up, from Marvel, we have issue one of (yet another) relaunch of one of my all-time favorite characters, Moon Knight.
From the classic Doeg Moench/Bill Sienkiewicz run on the character (which I've been able to read in trades) to Charlie Huston and David Finch's 2006 reinterpretation of MK (which I LOVED, despite some critical pandering), Moon Knight is a special character in the Marvel U.Often labeled, dismissively, as "Marvel's Batman," MK is a wonderful, gritty character with one of comics' best supporting casts.
Recently, Moon Knight has been elevated a bit in terms of his place in the MU proper, and Mike Benson had a nice stint on the latest incarnation of MK.
But putting Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev--one of the past decade's best creative teams--on the character will surely make this book a big seller, meaning that many more people will have a chance to see just how great a character Moon Knight is.
And that's a Very Good Thing. Here's the solicitation information from the House of Ideas:
The Story: The wait is over! Moon Knight is here...like you've never seen him before! And we mean NEVER!
The Eisner award-winning team of Bendis and Maleev tear into the mythos of Moon Knight with the same verve and derring-do they brought to Daredevil. A MARVELOUS reinterpretation of one of the most enigmatic characters in Marvel history starts right here!
I'm really excited to read this; Bendis and Maleev's run on Daredevil is one of my favorite stories, and their ability to tell gritty, street-level stories makes them an absolute no-brainer for Moon Knight.
And, since it's a highly touted relaunch, expect this book to be new reader friendly, so don't feel like you need to know the character's history going in.
Next, we have another Bendis book; this one both written and drawn by the creator. Jinx, Bendis' creator-owned crime series about a bounty hunter, gets the Marvel "Essential" treatment in a brand-new hardcover edition that collects the entire series.
I have this book in trade, but the paperback fell apart on me--something that happened to quite a few of these older editions, as there was a manufacturing error with the glue.Bendis has been kind enough to replace the books with this faulty glue at conventions, but I always managed to forget to bring my copy to a con. So, yeah, I'll be picking up this volume today.
Here's the blurb from the publisher:
FIRST TIME IN HARDCOVER! POWERS co-creator Brian Michael Bendis brings back his Eisner Award-winning crime-comic classic in an all-new collection!
A female bounty hunter, a handsome small-time grifter and his smarmy partner search for a hidden treasure that takes them on a winding trail through the seedy underbelly of Cleveland - a treasure that's a ticket out of the city and out of "the life."
The treasure hunt propels this character-driven film noir loosely based on the western classic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. If you're a fan of Bendis' work on POWERS, AVENGERS, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN or SCARLET, then this book is a must-have for your comics library. Collecting JINX #1-4.
It's been so long since I've read this that I don't have much to say other than I'm looking forward to re-reading it this week. The original series came out at a time when Bendis was churning out excellent creator-owned books, one after another.
While Torso is probably my favorite Bendis book from that era, my reading of Jinx is a bit fuzzy, as I haven't picked the trade up since that initial read. Definitely looking forward to fixing that today.
Well, sir, I need to go to a meeting. Before I do, though, what are you Waiting for?
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